The Heritage of Medici: an early alternative Italy TL (part one)

[RyuDrago]

Originally Posted by SavoyTruffle

So France and the Medicis are allies at this point? This will make the Italian Wars very interesting...

Historically, Piero de Medici decided to align with Aragon, so in 1494 Florence was a French enemy. The French however defeated Aragon on Ligurian soil and in the sea so Piero met really Charles VII in Sarzana, but for surrending; the Florentine thought it was humiliant and revolted, ending the Medici's rule...

The Italian wars between 15th and 16th century were really complicated and the diplomatic relationships extremely fluid...

[Cuāuhtemōc]

I like it so far. I once planned a route of having an early Italy formed by the Medicis in my own time-line but I was quirky enough to attempt it with the Italian Paleologids instead. Anyways keep it up.

[RyuDrago]

Originally Posted by Ringo Starr

I like it so far. I once planned a route of having an early Italy formed by the Medicis in my own time-line but I was quirky enough to attempt it with the Italian Paleologids instead. Anyways keep it up.

Yes, i read the pages and i found it very interesting: a Paleologids dynasty which had claims to Costantinople...

Personally i decided to focus over the Medici because i wanted yes to create an alternative Italy TL but also to be more possibly inherent to main historical events and dynasties; so no OCs like in my other Italy TL which is more narrative (and take me more time to develop, even i had already in mind the general lines of the story). And later, i can play the card of Bourbon-Medici dynasty with all their implication (talked too much)

I want to be sincere: i started to develop these TLs some months ago in a future prospective to posted them as narrative AARs in the Paradox Forum, but only a month ago i discovered this forum and decided to write here my stories. It was for this i asked in my first thread if was legal posting here a Kaiserreich-related TL...

That means for both the TLs i had the general ideas to made and complete them; but i'm always open to every comment and suggestion you want to make.

[Alexius I Kommenos]

Still In this TL how will the war of the League of Cambrai go, which side is Tuscany gonna be on, because if it sides with Venice it will be fighting the Holy alliance led by Papal states allowing Tuscany to sieze Papal land, interesting idea right

[RyuDrago]

Originally Posted by Alexius I Kommenos

Still In this TL how will the war of the League of Cambrai go, which side is Tuscany gonna be on, because if it sides with Venice it will be fighting the Holy alliance led by Papal states allowing Tuscany to sieze Papal land, interesting idea right

I think you have a surprise soon...

[RyuDrago]

Chapter six

Extract from "History of modern Italy, volume two: from the three-way balance to Spanish hegemony"

When the news of of the French-Tuscan pact become of public domain, both Ludovico the Moor and Alexander VI were surprised and angered and halted any plan of invasion of Tuscan, while Savonarola screamed about Charles's treachery talking of him as the Antichrist. The French soldiers remained into the Principate's territories until the end of 1494, while the king was invited to stay in Florence as guest. To strenghtned more the alliance, Piero offered to Charles a loan of two hundred thousand ducats, receiving in exchange for his brother Giuliano the title of Duke of Nemours.

Lavish ceremonies and tournaments were organizated both to entertain Charles and to show the power of the Medici; the main organizer was Michelangelo, at that time recognized as the official artist of the Principate. However the Aretine was soon involved in a scandal which all of Italy talked, also developing some diplomatic consequences. As said before, Michelangelo grew with Lorenzo the Magnificent's sons, and forged a strong friendship with Piero; but he also had the occasion to meet the second youngest daughter of the Prince, Contessina, and the two soon fallen in love. In 1493, when the statue of the Principate was completed, Piero was delighted and offered to Michelangelo anything he wanted; but the entire court freezed into horror when the artist asked the hand of Contessina! Piero initially laughed thinking of a joke, but when understood the Aretine was serious he angerly refused; and only the intervention of Machiavelli and the other two Prince's brothers, Giovanni and Giuliano, settled the quarrel.

It seemed that Michelangelo, who in the end accepted a considerable amount of ducats for the statue, renounced to that impossible relationship; but in the last days of 1494, just before Contessina went married with a local noble, the two lovers escaped to Florence. Michelangelo and Contessina reached Bologna receiving the aid of the city's governor, Giovanni Bentivoglio, who pledged his submission towards Lorenzo since 1480, but remained in good terms with the Papal States; thanks to him they obtained a papal dispensation (Alexander VI caught the occasion to discredit the Medici showing himself as the protector of the Prince's oppressed) and married. Piero protested against the Papal interference, but was forced to accept the marriage permitting to the couple to return in Florence, where in 1496 had a son who called Lorenzo. Piero howerer in his hearts didn't forgive Michelangelo, but he took his revenge removing Bentivoglio with a more loyal governor; Machiavelli agreed to that order because the lord of Bologna was very dangerous with his connections with the Pope, and the move was greatly approved between the Bolognese because Giovanni's rule was oppressive and tyrannical.

The story of Michelangelo and Contessina later was recalled in many films and books, the most famous is " The Agony and the Ectstasy " (1961) by Irving Stone, later become a film (1965) with Charlton Heston.

At the start of 1495 the French resumed their advance towards south; isolated, Alexander VI allowed the transit to Charles VIII, who entered in Naples the 22th of February.

But in the meanwhile the Moor started a full diplomatic offensive to halt the French expansionism, aided to the fact Alphonse II of Aragon abdicated in favour of his son Ferdinand: the kingdom of Spain was officially born. The 31th of March was constituited the "Holy League" with Milan, Venice, the Pope, Spain, and Maximilian of Hasburg. Charles then decided to retreat to north, but he could count over a compact block of northern Italian states which easily permitted the resupplying of his forces: Tuscany, Genoa, and Savoy.

The French in their march towards north ravaged most of Latium (Alexander VI cautiously fled to Perugia) and joined the Tuscan at Pontremoli; from here the joint army marched towards the Duchy of Milan, where another French army leaded by Philip of Orleans (other pretender over the title of duke) seized Novara. The 6th of July the League forces fought the French-Tuscan forces at Fornovo but failed to stop their advance towards Novara. Ludovico Sforza realized he lost another time and beg for a ceasefire signed he 9th of October, giving the French and the Tuscan the time to reorganize for the next year...

[MerryPrankster]

The Michelangelo story could have interesting effects, since their children and grandchildren could make a dynastic claim to the Principate.

I wonder if some future Prince, fearing trouble from collateral relatives, tries to institute Salic law to eliminate Michelangelo's children from the succession?

That might trigger fears by the prince's enemies he intends to be come a king, since Salic law is French dynastic law, and sets off the coup he wanted to prevent.

[RyuDrago]

Originally Posted by MerryPrankster

The Michelangelo story could have interesting effects, since their children and grandchildren could make a dynastic claim to the Principate.

I wonder if some future Prince, fearing trouble from collateral relatives, tries to institute Salic law to eliminate Michelangelo's children from the succession?

That might trigger fears by the prince's enemies he intends to be come a king, since Salic law is French dynastic law, and sets off the coup he wanted to prevent.

You made a good point, but Piero for now had always a son which is born before that of Michelangelo (who took however the surname Buonarroti, or at least Buonarroti-Medici) and two brothers as possible heirs; and the promulgation of Salic law for now is barred because it may appear like the first step for a monarchic instauration. Maybe an expedient... And remember there is also another cadet branch of the Medici which waited in silence...

[Valdemar II]

There are also the fact that Salic law comes from the Frankish tribe the Salians. My guess are that the Tuscans, are going to be proto-nationalistic enough that they would be hostile to adopting Salic law. They will likely look back to Lombard and Roman laws instead, especially the adoption of term Principate indicate that.

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by Valdemar II

There are also the fact that Salic law comes from the Frankish tribe the Salians. My guess are that the Tuscans, are going to be proto-nationalistic enough that they would be hostile to adopting Salic law. They will likely look back to Lombard and Roman laws instead, especially the adoption of term Principate indicate that.

Well, I did say that if a Prince tried to adopt Salic law, that could be the last straw for those who think the Prince is accumulating too much power and trying to make himself a king.

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by RyuDrago

You made a good point, but Piero for now had always a son which is born before that of Michelangelo (who took however the surname Buonarroti, or at least Buonarroti-Medici) and two brothers as possible heirs; and the promulgation of Salic law for now is barred because it may appear like the first step for a monarchic instauration. Maybe an expedient... And remember there is also another cadet branch of the Medici which waited in silence...

I wonder which naming convention would irritate Piero more--including Medici would be an acknowledgement of the family's origin but it would also be a reminder that one of the Prince's womenfolk got out of control.

[RyuDrago]

Chapter seven

Extract from "History of modern Italy, volume two: from the three-way balance to Spanish hegemony"

In winter of 1495 news were spreading about an imminent Imperial intervention over Tuscany, so Machiavelli pushed for a defensive planning. Some problems came from Lucca, where a part of the local population believed the Principate used treachery to annex the Republic in a situation which also was originally supposed to be temporary ( the Chancellor claimed that after the removal of the French menace Lucca will be returned free); so local riots flared in the city and in neighboring contrade.

Meanwhile in Florence the situation was quite tense because of the Michelangelo affair: Piero was extremely adirate with the artist, and refused to reallow him and his sister in the court; however the economical situation of Buonarroti Family was quite good thanks to the substantial reward Michelangelo received for the Principate's statue (ten thousand ducats and some possessions in the Florentine campaign: it was surely a high price but the Prince gave it hoping the artist renounced to Contessina), the money received from the works made during the Bolognese exile, new commissions from religious orders, and the help of Giuliano de Medici which was more understanding of his brother. The situation deteriorated when in early 1496 Michelangelo's son was born receiving the name of Lorenzo, making the Prince utterly furious (his son also was called Lorenzo); and to worsening more, the Aretine seemed interested to certain aspects of Savonarola's predication ( he even once hospitated the preacher into his house). In the end, under suggestion of Machiavelli, the Buonarroti family left Florence for Rome, where were well allowed in the Papal court.

In 1496 the situation looked worse for France and Tuscany: the Spanish recovered all the Kingdom of Naples, while the son of the Emperor Maximilian Philip married Johanna of Castille, daughter of the Spanish rulers. However this second event convinced Alexander VI and his son, fearing of a too marked Spanish-Imperial hegemony over Italy which could obstacle their dynastical procects, to left the league and to approach France.

In fact the flight of the Pope in Perugia paradoxally permitted a gradual recover of Umbria under direct Papal control, but the administration of the region was given to Cesare Borgia with the task to retrieve the rebel regions claimed by the Church (Romagna and Marche) however the new "General Liutenant of the Church" (title his father created appositely for him) will be never started his plans with an hostile Tuscany to the borders, so a peace treaty with the Principate was signed. The peace talks were easily conducted also thanks to the new utterances of Savonarola who also started to accuse the corruption of the Borgia, irritating the Pope who decided to remove any previous support to the priest.

So the Tuscan were now free to increase their forces to the north waiting for the Imperial expedition, who came the next near. However Maximilian overstimated his forces while understimated that of Tuscany; in the start he managed to bring Genoa to his side when entering into Ligurian lands, but when he tried with his small army to siege Lucca ( he previously declared the freedom of the city, provoking a revolt amongst the Lucchese people forcing the Tuscan garrison to defend itself trom two fires), he received a blowing defeat from the Tuscan army, superior in everything. So, Maximilian was forced to return in Germany, removing any residual imperial influence over Italy for at leas a quarter of century.

Remained to arms Venice and the Spanish; specially the first gained high war profits, selling weapons and supplies from both neutral and allied contendents: Milan, the Pope, the Spanish, Genoa... However both the alliances started to showing war weariness; in the start of 1497 a new French expedition tried to submit again Liguria, but that time things weren't go as well as 1494, and Charles VIII decided to offered a truce to Ferdinando of Aragon, which accepted.

After three years of war Spain and Venice were the real winners; about the other Italian states Milan become even more weak, the Papacy started to reorganize but under a prospective of a Borgia domination, and Florence demonstrated to be a solid power...

[RyuDrago]

Chapter eight

Extract from "History of modern Italy, volume two: from the three-way balance to Spanish hegemony"

The end of the Holy League war allowed the re-establishment of normal trading streams, improving the general life rating all over the Principate after three years of war economy. Naturally the common people gave all the merit of that new wave of prosperity to the Prince, increasing his popularity to the bisbelief of Savonarola. After years of insuccess the preacher started to lose all contact to reality, also frustated to the continued success of the Medici, and in the Spring of 1497 tried to stage a coup against the Principate's government with the help of Medician dissenters, almost all coming from Florence than from other Tuscan cities. However Machiavelli discovered the plot and ordered the arrest of all the conjurates, and with all the pleasure of the Prince Savonarola was sent into the Bargello, the prison of Florence. In May Alexander VI excommunicated the preacher in an effort to build more favorable ties with Tuscany, allowing the start of his trial.

In 1498 Charles VIII died and Louis XII of Orleans become the new French ruler: immediatly he started a full diplomatic offensive to stabilish a new sphere of influence on North Italy. First, he obtained from the Pope the cancellation of his first marriage ( necessary to marrying Anne of Bretagne widow of Charles VIII) in exchange for the title of Duke of Valentinois for Cesare Borgia; then, he started to approach both Venice and Tuscany, and in meanwhile he searched a new agreement with Ferdinand of Aragon...

Soon the real objective of Louis was clear: Milan. To obtain the duchy the king was determinated to use any means, even a split of the country between Venice and Tuscany. So Venetian and Tuscan diplomats met the king's envoys at Blois, signed a new alliance the 2th of February 1499. The terms were extremely good for each allied: Venice will be obtain the lands left to the Adda, Tuscany Piacenza and the rest of Milanese Emilia with the Tidone river as new border.

Ludovico the Moor that time was desperate: he searched any possible help, but the Pope ( who obtained green light for Tuscany to retake Romagna and Marche) refused any involment, Spain already accepted the split of Italy into two spheres of influence, Maximilian didn't recover yet from the defeat of Lucca, and also his father-in-law, the Duke of Ferrara, decided to remain neutral. Milan was alone.

In June of 1499 the Duchy of Milan was invaded from three fronts. The invaders didn't find any resistance, on the countrary they were greeted as liberators. The Prince was in charge of the Tucan army, leaving Florence in relative calm after the execution of Savonarola the 23 of May; at the start of August Piacenza opened its doors to the new ruler. Surrounded everywhere, Ludovico fled from Milan seeking asylum from Maximilian.

However the French, who used Swiss mercenaries to invade the Duchy, imposed high taxes over the Milanese, and soon the country revolted permitting in the January of 1500 the return of the Moor. Ludovico focused his efforts to free the French-held lands, because the territories now controlled by Venice and Tuscany remained loyal to their new lords (the two Italian states had a more stable economy and more national-focused armies than France, so they could imposed lower taxes). Soon remained only Novara to be liberated, but in April new French reinforcements arrived and definitely defeat the Moor who fallen as prisoner. Milan was now effectively under French control.

During the Milanese war, Cesare Borgia staerted his Central Italian adventure: in November 1499 he conquered Pesaro and Imola; in 1500 almost all of Romagna fallen into his control, proclamating himself the next year "Duke of Romagna"; in 1501 the marriage between his sister Lucrezia and the future Duke of Ferrara Alphonse of Este, son of the Duke of Ferrara, consolidated his power in these regions; and in July of 1502 he completed his expansion with the fall of Urbino. All of former Papal lands outside Latium were in hands of the Valentine.

The rapid victories of Cesare were aided to a initially benevolent neutrality of Tuscany (which however permitted to the lords of the countries fallen to the Valentine to stay into its lands), the Venetian involvement into a war with the Turks, while France and Spain again battled for the control of South Italy. Hovever the Borgia's methods were brutal and authoritarian even for his liutenants who planned to kill him, but Cesare discovered the plot and in January of 1503 he killed all the traitors in Senigallia. Even Machiavelli recognized the ability of the "Duke of Romagna".

It seemed that the power of the Borgia was invencible: Cesare, who surely was more talented than Piero de Medici, already planned an invasion of Tuscany. But that power in reality was more fragile respect to the solidity of the Principate, and the next events opened a breach in the Central Italy's balance...

... A breach which gave a golden opportunity for Tuscany.

[RyuDrago]

Here's the update map for the start of 1503.

EDIT: Decided to change Aragon for Spain, i think is more clear

[RyuDrago]

Chapter nine

Extract from "History of modern Italy, volume two: from the three-way balance to Spanish hegemony"

Cesare Borgia was planning the invasion of Tuscany with the help of Ferrara, interesting to retake its lost territories after the Polesine war. From the notes released from some of his collaborators, the historians agreed Cesare had the ambition to reunite all of Italy and become king, realizing an old ambition never realized since the split after the Langobard invasions. However he will never march over the Principate, because of an double unforeseen event which demonstrated how mutable could be the luck of a single man or an entire state.

In August of 1503 malicious fevers stroke both Alexander VI and his son, leaving the first dead and the second without forces for many weeks. Someone talked about the possibility they were poisoned by Tuscan agents, but there aren't proofs to support that theory. Recently, this hypotesis was relabored from videogame producer Ubisoft into the "Assassin's Creed" series, where the assassin Ezio Auditore managed to poison both of the Borgia with the full support of Piero de Medici and Machiavelli; this angered the heirs of the Medician family about "an arbitrary reinterpretation of the history of the Dynasty, made without consulting us and painting the Medici as committers of murders", bringing into tribunal Ubisoft for moral damages; the trial is still open.

However, without its two foundators and leaders, the Duchy of Romagna started to collapse because of a Tuscan invasion. In fact the lords banned by the Valentine reunited in Florence and asked the help of the Principate to regain their states; Machiavelli caught the occasion and agreed to invade the Duchy in request for the lords to completely submit to the Prince's rule; in exchange they will have seats in the Senate and a series of exterioral privileges. All the lords accepted.

So at the start of September the Principate invade the Duchy of Romagna " to restabilish under the protection of Tuscany the rightful rulers of Romagna, Marche and Romagna". the Chancellor was sure nobody will help Cesare: these lands were out of Imperial jurydiction, France and Spain continued their fight over South Italy, and the situation in Rome was instable. The successor of Alexander VI, Pious III, had the priority to combat the last Borgia supporters scattered all over Latium, and he died after an only month of pontificate.

The advance was faster, the people support their liberators from the tyrannical rule of Cesare, the ducal armies melted without opposed any resistance, and when the Borgia rcovered from his illness it was too late: in the first days of October also Perugia surrended. The Valentine's only choich at that point was the escape towards South Italy, but he was captured to the Spanish because of his ties with the French and for his involvement for the assassination of Alphonse of Aragon in 1500.

While the star of the Borgia fallen miserably, that of the Medici risen even more in Central Italy also thanks to a gamble made to the Duke of Ferrara Ercole I of Este, who resolved in a tragedy for the Romagnole country. In the attempt to invade with the Duchy of Romagna the Principate, the Valentine managed to smuggle weapons and supplies in favor of Ferrara, so reinforcing its armies. But when the Valentine's domain was attacked and started to crumble, the Duke refused to help his son-in-law despite the prayers of Lucrezia, and decided instead to push his ambitions in the efforts to retake the Polesine from Venezia, thinking the Republic was unable to react after the blows received from the war against the Turks while Tuscany was still involved in the Romagna campaign, and without declaration of war he invaded the Po Delta.

However Ercole understimated the Venetian reaction, and above all he didn't expected the Tuscan intervention. The Prince and the Chancellor both claimed the treachery of Ferrara against their Venetian allies, and declared war over the duchy. Local emilian militia crossed the border ravaging the Ferrarese lands, while part of the armies located in Romagna marched to the Duchy's capital, and the Venetians crossed the Adige on many points and started to siege Rovigo. Meanwhile the operations didn't go very well for the Ferrarese in the Polesine, the Venetian forts still resisted, and in the end Ercole decided to call-off the invasion and tried to defend his lands. In mid-October he managed to defeat the Tuscan militia but when he know the bulk of the Principate's armies was coming, the Duke decided to retreat into Ferrara to resist to a desperate siege, hoping for a Spanish or an Imperial invasion, or at least for a French mediation.

Meanwhile the 1st November Giuliano della Rovere was elected Pope with the name of Giulio II. At the intronization was present Machiavelli, who wanted to open a tractative about the future of Central Italy. Giulio II was ambitious, he wanted a resurgance of the Papal State, but he was also smart and understood the Principate didn't renounced to its new conquests; also he known the Chancellor also started to have relations with two of the most powerful Roman families, the Orsini and the Colonna, so in the end agreed to open a table with Machiavelli.

The diplomatic talks were temporally stopped at the news the 28 of December Piero the Medici died of illness during the siege of Ferrara, so Machiavelli returned to Florence to follow the next events. Piero as said before had a son, Lorenzo, who hovewer was still under age, and two brothers, Giovanni and Giuliano. Giovanni was the older member of the family but was a cardinal, so Giuliano become the new Prince at the start of 1504; however, because he didn't had sons yet, he adopted Lorenzo. It is said at the news of the adoption Michelangelo was a bit upset because he was in good terms with Giuliano and he secretly hoped the new Prince chose his son (also because Contessina was older than Giuliano), and after finished the fresco of the battle of Lucca in the Senate hall in the Palace of the Principate, he returned again to Rome where Giulio II called him.

Giuliano went to Ferrara to continue the siege while Machiavelli also returned to Rome to reopen the talks with Giulio II. the capital of the Duchy was on his last legs, and Ercole I the 2nd of February received the news Rovigo fallen in Venetian hands. The duke understood all was lost and the 4th of Febraury opened to Giuliano the doors of Ferrara begging for submission. The 14th of the same month, the treaty of Ferrara was signed: Venice obtained the lands North of the Po, while the rest of the Duchy become a semi-autonomous country into the Principate. Ercole abdicated in favour of his son Alphonse and spent the rest of his life in Florence, where he obtained thanks to the Prince's generousity a senatorial seat. Ferrara thanks to Alphonse and Lucrezia remained a vivid cultural center, but it lost forever its indipendence.

The 18th of February Giuliano left Ferrara for Florence, but he soon reached by a letter of Machiavelli who asked him to come to Rome; the negotiations were ended, reached a result which soon shocked all of Europe...

[RyuDrago]

Intermission one

Extract from "Art of Italy, volume three: the Renaissance"

Between the fall of Milan and that of both the Duchy of Romagna and Ferrara, many Italian artists seeked refuge in the only stable peninsular country in that period: the Principate of Tuscany. And indeed for Florence and the main cities of the Republic ( Siena, Bologna, Pavia, Lucca and Piacenza) was a golden age, rich of new pieces of arts and buildings.

Naturally the capital of Tuscany was the main focus of attraction thanks of the mecenatism of the Medici and the main Florentine families; however no one could eclipse the star of Michelangelo, who returned in the city in 1501. His most important commission of that period coming from the Chancellorate, wanting a statue of king David; the scultor succeeded in his task using a massive and only marble block of Carrara. Legend said the face of the David was that of Giuliano de Medici but it wasn't too sure.

Michelangelo was the main but not the only artist to use the marble of Carrara in that period: the production of the caves in the region constantly risen given high profits. The historical peak of the production was reached during the half of XVI during the consulate of Michelangelo, because of the commissions for St. Peter's Church and the ambitious plans of the Aretine over Rome; but the marble price reached proibitive heights and the Chancellorate ordered Michelangelo to stop any project except for St. Peter. A new rise of the marble prices happened about a century later during the consulate of Bernini, because also for the works at the Colonnate of St. Peter he tried to resume the plans of Michelangelo, forcing the Chancellorate to intervent again.

In 1503 also Leonardo da Vinci returned to Florence, but he was seen with suspect because he worked as military advisor for Cesare Borgia. Machiavelli then had another of his ideas: he committed both Leonardo and Miheangelo two frescos in the walls of the Senate Hall in the Palace of th Principate, with as subjects two of the most important victories of Tuscan army: Fornovo (Leonardo) and Lucca (Michelangelo).

While Leonardo accepted with joy, Michelangelo was more restless and his work went slow (also because he was still and more involved in the realization of the David). To avoid the structural problems having for the "Cenacolo", Leonardo tried to used a new method to fix the painting with the use of great torches, but Michelangelo, more expert with technical issues, realized the rival was destined to fail because the torches didn't reach the upper part of the fresco, so in the end melting the paint in that area. The Aretine was tempted to remain silent, but he decided to reveal his discovery to Leonardo "for the Good of the Principate" ; the mistake was fixed and the fresco was saved. In exchange for the help, Leonardo offered to share his knowledges over on that technique with Michelangelo who, after a little indecision, accepted.

When later Vasari enlarged and enriched the Senate Hall, he keep the frescos where they stayed ("the School of the World", as he called them) and still today are visible with their brilliant colours and renowed for their inestimable valour: after Michelangelo and Leonardo, no more used that technique. Today the Senate Hall of the Palace of the Principate is one of the most important turistical attraction of all Italy, forcing the Florentine curators to unite the Uffizi complex and the Palace in a only museal pole with an unique ticket.

Despite the success of the frescos, soon both Leonardo and Michelangelo left Florence, the first bringing with himself the famous painting of the "Monna Lisa", the second because he was upset for the decision of Giuliano de Medici to adopt Piero's son instead of his heir...

[MerryPrankster]

Shocking all of Europe?

I await with bated breath.

[RyuDrago]

Chapter ten

Extract from "History of modern Italy, volume two: from the three-way balance to Spanish hegemony"

Giuliano, after spending over a month through Romagna, Marche and Umbria to receiving the oaths from his new vassalles, he reached Rome in the first days of April 1504, where was well received from Giulio II and Machiavelli. Soon the Prince was informed of the negotiations without covering his surprise...

The pope agreed to cede all sovereignty of all Papal states in favour of the Principate: not only the former territories of Ducky of Romagna, but Latium and Rome as well.

Giulio II understood it was the better choice for the future of the Church: the Principate was too strong to fight, searching the help of France, Spain or Holy Roman Empire was inutile (the Pope hated the first for the support given to the Borgia and also they were still allies of Tuscany, the second even if it regained again full control of South Italy was now involved in a civil war after the death of Isabell of Castille, and the third he though he was definitely out from Italian affairs after the defeat of Lucca) also to avoid a foreign ingerence, while on the internal side the noble Roman families started to be more attracted towards Tuscany's influence...

Also, the insane Borgia adventure opened an old issue but always actual in Italy: the prospective of a peninsular reunification. The Holy Roman Emperors tried for centuries to reunite the country, but they always failed; France and Spain were more interested to mantain the spit; and the tentative in the Middle Ages to create an indipendent and united kingdom ended in tragedy.

But now, the central part of Italy was firmly united under a single banner; the Principate started to be the only and the last hope to achieve this dream. Machiavelli also started to believe in this dream soon after the fall of the Valentine, but for Tuscany for managing to handle a deadly game with France, Spain, and the Empire, the support of the Pope was vital and strategical.

So the Chancellor offered many privilegies to the Church: senatorial seats for Italian cardinals, tax exention for churches and other possessions, fundings for new holy sities...

Machiavelli also promised the preservation of Papal temporal power with the creation of a state in the Vatican area around St.Peter, and extraterritorialy of some palaces into and outside Rome, like Castelgandolfo.

It is often said Giulio II decided to accept these proposals because he liked the idea to be one of the founders of the reunited Italian nation; also, he secretely hope in case of eventual fall of the Medici family he could aspired to the role of Prince and be the only lord of Italy. Hovewer the Pope imposed an essential condition: the Holy Inquisition must be imposed all over the Principate. Machiavelli was disgusted about that institution which contrasted the renaissance ideals, but he accepted thinking it was a necessary sacrifice.

The 15 of April 1504 in the halls of the Lateran was signed a concordate between the Church and the Principate; then Giulio II proclaimed Giuliano the Medici "Protector of the Holy Church", while the Roman crowd exploded in joy, thinking the age of instability into the Eternal City was finally ended. Then there was a little debate between Giulio, Machiavelli and Giuliano if the capital of the Principate was to remain in Florence or Rome could assume that role, but for now the Chancellor stated "It is not the time yet..."

It was decided that Rome was put under control of a mayor, who assumed the honorifical title of "Console" (Consul) in homage of the ancient roots of the city; still today the mayor of Rome maintain that title. With some disappointment of the Roman nobles, as first Consul was chosen a singular character, the Senese banker Agostino Chigi, which had controversial ties with the Borgia, but was admired to the common people also because of his not noble origins (he was a self-made man). His story was recently recalled in the Italian film "Imperia, the great courtesan" (2005), with quoted actress Manuela Arcuri.

The news of the concordate naturally revolutioned the entire European diplomacy and the balance of power in Italy: the Principate now become an international player because of the newly formed ties with the Church. The agreement also started the period of the "three way balance" over the Peninsula: France in the North, Tuscany in the Center, and Spain in the South.

Because the concordate was signed with the free will of the Pope, no one could object something, also because a Papal court still existed and was indipendent. However both Spain and France decided to advantage themselves annexing the enclaves of Benevento, Pontecorvo and Avignone. Giulio II immediatly protested, because in the concordat those cities remained under Papal control, but for now accepted under advice of Machiavelli to wait. Someday revenge will come...

[RyuDrago]

And here's the update map

[lukedalton]

Manuela Arcuri an actress??? This is almost ASB
Cerchiamo di mantenere una certa credibilita