alternatehistory.com

From The Glorious Bankers: A History of Early Modern Firenze
Written by: Stefonos Vincetti
[University of Firenze, Firenze, Republic of Firenze, 1998]


Pietro the Fortunate was different from his father Lorenzo in many ways [1]. Where Lorenzo was reputably ugly, Pietro was apparently handsome and easy-going. Where Lorenzo was wary of the Pope and saw him as a threat, Pietro kept the Pope close by, as both a tool and ally. However, none can deny that Pietro de Medici was any less cunning, pragmatic, and intelligent as his father. In 1492, when Lorenzo de Medici died, Pietro was thrown into the chaotic world of Italian politics, he was ready to take the reigns of a state that was both small and great.

In 1494, King Charles VIII of France was convinced to cross the Alps and invade Italy. His goals were twofold - first to place Ludovico il Moro Sforza back in power in Milan, then to claim his birthright of the Kingdom of Naples. Only one major state stood in his way: Florence. Pietro, recognizing the danger that Charles’s invasion posed, called upon the cities of Bologna and Milan, both of which were allied to Florence, to assist him [2]. Similarly, many cities in Tuscany and all of northern Italy, realizing the threat posed by Charles, sent contingents. By July 1494, Pietro had amassed a force of roughly 16,000 men-at-arms, including not only forces sent by other Italian states, but also a healthy number of mercenaries brought in by Pietro’s personal wealth, as well as money donated by concerned parties.

Charles, who’s force outnumbered that of Pietro’s, wasn’t particularly worried by the coalescing of resistance against him. He seemed to be proved right when, in September, many of Pietro’s supporters began to be drawn away by the influential preacher Girolamo Savonarola. Confident, Charles swept into Italy, with Pietro giving ground at every turn. Charles made his way toward Milan, confident that he would be comfortably installed in the city by Christmas, ready to move on Naples the next year.

Unfortunately for Charles, Pietro had other ideas. Realizing that a decisive battle had to be won before too much support slipped away, threatening to undo his entire force, Pietro sent a small detachment out to shadow the French force. Continuing to give ground, Pietro lured the French further into Milanese Lombardy. Then, in early October, Pietro struck. A skirmish along a small stream turned into a full battle, with the small Italian force holding out on a hillock. As Charles pressed the attack, Pietro sent the rest of his mercenary contingent in to reinforce the Italians on the hillock, and sent the remaining force into the French flank. The French army, pinned between the hillock and the stream, began to panic en masse, and fled across the river under a hail of arrows.

Pietro’s victory in the Battle of Corbetta, after the closest town, sealed the end of Savonarola’s scheming. Wealthy citizens of Florence that had been wavering in their support now swung it fully behind the victorious Pietro, who entered Florence with a significant amount of loot and cheering soldiers. The result was that Florence became the center of northern Italy. With Naples still independent, the cities of Naples, Rome, and Florence became the centers of power in southern, central, and northern Italy, respectively.

This chaffed a number of influential people rather significantly. Many cities in northern Italy had long histories of self-rule, and they didn’t like to see their wings clipped by some up-and-coming power like that of Pietro de Medici. So, when one Christoforos Columbo, an enterprising young merchant and explorer from Genoa, suggested to his city that he emulate the Vivaldi brothers from earlier Genoese history and sail through the Strait of Gibraltar. According to Columbo, he had calculated that he could sail west around the Earth to China and back, carrying with him the riches of the east, without having to go through the Ottoman Empire. Genoa, while skeptical, ultimately supplied Columbo with four caravels, built upon the design of new Portuguese ships, and blessed Columbo to sail off in April of 1496.

Late that July, Christoforos Columbo and his four ships returned to Genoa with shocking news. Columbo had landed on an island, which he dubbed Nueva Liguria in honor of his home city, five weeks after passing the Canary Islands [3]. Genoa was certainly interested in this area, but in a different way than Christoforos. Genoa saw Nueva Liguria as a perfect opportunity to set up trading posts, while Christoforos looked at is as a chance for conquest. Ultimately, Christoforos left Genoa for good in 1498, never to return. He would end up in England, where he would find further patronage.

However, by 1520, the New World was only beginning to open up. Genoa had established New Genoa on Nueva Liguria, as well as a series of small trading posts throughout the archipelago in the New World. Close at their heels were the Venetians, reeling at the increased prices of eastern goods as Ottoman power increased. As the Italian Renaissance steamed ahead, it entered a new continent, one named, fittingly enough, Christophoria.

[1] - Pietro inherited some better genes here, while in OTL he was significantly less fortunate, intelligent, and pragmatic. This is our first major POD.

[2] - Milan was currently “ruled” by Giovan Galeazzo Sforza, a young Duke who depended on the Medici for stability. OTL, he was likely poisoned.

[3] - Nueva Liguria is OTL’s Hispaniola.

From King James IV of Scotland
Robert Dunbar
[University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2002]


In the popular history of Scotland, James IV is the First Renaissance King, who was a patron of the arts, brilliant strategist, and a Religious man. His father, also James, of the House of Stewart, was an unpopular King, as well as man. His attempts at forming alliances with the Southern Neighbor, England, was not popular, and during the late 1470s, actually led to war with England. His brothers and children disliked him, and at one point, his brother Alexander, declared himself King of Scotland, but, without English support was defeated, and headed for the continent.

By the end of the 1480s, his people had had enough, they revolted, eventually killing him near Bannockburn. In his place, they installed his son, James, who was known by the regal name James IV. James IV then realized that he had, indirectly killed his father, and, as a pious man. His punishment, self-inflicted was to wear an iron chain about his waist, adding more weight to it every year on Lent.

James IV was a much more popular ruler than his father. As a renaissance man, he managed to establish many gun foundries in his cities, set up the University of Edinburgh, as well as a few minor ones, as well as promoting literacy through the translation of classical works into Scots and Gaelic, which were printed at the few printing presses acquired by James IV. The Scottish navy was expanded by 45 ships as well, with Italian seamen used to train the Scottish sailors.

Politically, as well, James IV did much. In 1489, he put down another revolt, speedily. Four years later, he conquered the Lordship of the Isles, adding it as a title of his, which would later be important in the Nationalistic age, recalling the Norse-Gaelic peoples. In 1502, he signed, with the King of England, a document called the "Treaty of Perpetual Peace". However, in 1507, he went through a process of renewing the Auld Alliance with the Kingdom of France.

In 1513, war between England and Scotland broke out, with them being sucked into the latest part of the Italian Wars, the War of the League of Cambrai. The excuse was that the murder of Robert Kerr, a Scottish warden was being avenged. With that, James led his army of 35,000 across the Marches, and into Northumberland. The Scottish army retook, and plundered the homes of the Englishmen in Berwick-upon-Tweed, with help from some French, who then marched further south. In late October, 1513, Scottish and English armies clashed at Branxton, in Northumberland. With the use of culverins in the Scottish army, the English were routed, and fled south.

At that point, other Scottish armies crossed the borders, and marched south, rendezvousing with James' army. By December, they reached York, and sacked it. Many of the Scots stayed there for the rest of the winter, during which James IV and the English King, Henry VIII came to terms. Peace was agreed upon in which the Scots would regain Berwick and a few other lands taken from them by the English, but also be given a large sum of money, as well as sign a 20 year treaty of peace.

This was the point at which Scotland was guaranteed another hundred years of survival, and that England was doomed to see another power control the lands to its north.

James continued to rule Scotland until 1545, when he died and his son James succeeded him as James V. James was known to a good father, but his son inherited his fathers qualm with the pope.

From Life and Times of King Henry the VIII
Written By: James K. Sturdivant
[Georgeton University, Georgeton, Mechicoe, 2001]


Following the stillborn birth of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s daughter, the relationship between the two was strained. It is widely known that Henry had many affairs on the side, while also in relations with his wife. But it was reported that after the birth of their son, Henry, in 1511, that the relationship rekindled itself. The reports of Henry’s adulterous affairs dwindle, and even stop in some cases. Royal couriers even report their relationship as “unusually good”, and there are no other sources that go against this.

The couple has another child in 1516, this time a daughter named Mary. While reportedly Catherine suffered numerous more miscarriages both before and after Mary, this did nothing to dampen the relationship. According to one of Catherine’s hand maidens, one Mary Boleyn, says in a letter to a friend, “The two seem genuinely happy together, unlike most marriages I have observed.” She carries on, further explaining the pair’s relations, but for the most part repeats the same things.

Henry and Catherine’s son, Henry, was a strange boy. From a young age he had a broad round figure, with light brown hair or orange hair, the color varies by source. With the birth of his younger sister when he was five, sources from the time say how he goes into a pit of depression and anger. They say how he had no love for his young sister because, according to him, she, “Stole away my parents, and turned the court against me.” While it is true that both of her parents adored her, Mary in no way took them from him. His father apparently took him hunting from the age of 7, and his mother gave him everything he desired. But he shunned them, and took to bullying other children and torturing rats to pass the time. It was obvious to all, that no matter how much they liked him and pleased him, Henry the IX’s reign would not go well.



Note: this TL is co-authored by myself, Baconheimer, and Zorqal.
Top