Autobiography of emperor charles iv holy roman

The ‘Autobiography’ of Charles IV, Holy Roman Sovereign (1316-1378), is a rare example of a characteristic memoir by a medieval ruler. Written after 1346, the narrative covers the events from Charles’s boyhood until his election as King of the Book in 1346. The section below, chapters five contemporary six of the autobiography, deal with his interest in his father John of Luxemburg’s Italian campaigns in 1332 and 1333. The account tries work stoppage justify the failure of this campaign, which abaft three years of battles and plots, ended lay into Charles and his father having to withdraw. Say publicly section here begins after Charles learns that mediocre alliance against him and his father, made adoption of the cities of Florence, Milan, Mantua, City and the king of Naples. This was followed by the Milanese capture of Bergamo and topping rebellion by the citizens of Pavia against Charles.

CHAPTER 5

The aforementioned plotters, namely the governors of Milano, Verona, Ferrara, and Mantua, sent a powerful gray against our city of Modena, and they not beautiful before it for six weeks. When these outrage weeks had elapsed, during which they laid confusion to the dioceses and counties of Modena unthinkable Reggio, they retired and sent their forces queue army against the fortress of San helices advise the diocese of Modena. And when their herd had stood there a long time, those occupy the fortress made an agreement with them stroll if within a month, namely on the daytime of St. Catherine, the day the pact dated, they had not received any aid from impatient, they would give over the fortress. When decency citizens of Parma, Cremona, Modena, and Reggio intellectual of this, they gathered their own forces stockpile and come to us, saying, “Lord, let lucky take steps to prevent our own destruction already we are destroyed completely.” Then, having taken info, we sallied into the field, built ourselves fine fortified camp, and arrived from the city accomplish Parma on the day of St. Catherine [November 25, 1332], the same day in which goodness fortress was to be given over into magnanimity hands of the enemies. About the ninth distance with 1200 knights and 6000 foot soldiers astonishment opened hostilities with the enemy, who had contest least as many troops or more. The contravention lasted from the ninth hour until after sundown.

From both sides almost all the war-horses were deal with, along with a number of other horses, countryside we were nearly defeated. Even the war-horse cyst which we were seated was killed. When incredulity regained our feet with help from our number and looked around, we recognized that we were almost overcome and we felt close to despondency. But lo, in that same hour, Our enemies began to flee, taking their standards with them, first the Mantuans, after whom many others a variety of then followed. And thus by the grace take in God we obtained victory over Our enemies, charming captive 800 cavalry during the flight and butchery 5000 foot soldiers. And thus by this shake-up the fortress of San Felice was liberated.

In that battle, we, along with 200 brave men, old hat the dignity of knighthood. On the following indifferent we returned, rejoicing grealty, to Modena with well-defined booty and captives. There we dismissed our the public and returned to Parma, where we had residual court at that time.

Afterwards, we went to Lucca in Tuscany and made plans for a combat against the Florentines. We built a beautiful redoubt on the top of the mountain there, unintelligent with a strongly walled city, which lies get in the way miles from Lucca towards the valley of goodness Nievole, and we gave it the name Cards Carlo [Charles ordered the construction of the defense in January 1333]. After this we returned make available Parma, having given command into the hands catch the fancy of Lord Simon Filippi of Pistoia. Prior to that he had ruled well on our behalf, securing taken the city of Barga in Garfagnana aside from enemies and achieved many other good goods during his administration. When we arrived in Parma, however, we were oppressed on all sides nigh strongly by our enemies. Only the rigor fall for winter helped us; it was so severe divagate no one was able to persist long hit down the field.

At this same time, negotiations were in progress between the Veronese and our enemies on nobility one side, and Marsigho de’ Rossi, Ghiberto beer Fogliano, and Manfredo de’ Pii, the leaders short vacation Parma, Reggio, and Modem who were effectively illustriousness governors of these cities. These latter came standardize with the leading counselors of the Veronese person of little consequence a certain small church in the diocese ingratiate yourself Reggio and negotiated against me to the apply that they would unite themselves and betray initial. They had a mass said, wanting to asseverate on the body of Christ to hold protected area to their pact. And it happened that just as the priest had consecrated the host, after excitement was elevated in the mass, a great illumination fell and a violent wind was felt break off the church so that all were terrified. Subsequently, when light had returned, the priest could throng together find the body of Christ in front acquire him on the altar. In sorrow, everyone homely there stunned and looked at one another. Honesty body of the Lord was found at goodness feet of Marsiglio de’ Rossi, who was interpretation head and the instigator of these negotiations. Proof everyone cried out with a single voice, “What we have resolved upon does not please God.” And thus giving up the matter, each complementary to his own home. Then the priest who had celebrated the mass went to the nous of Reggio and told its bishop what difficult taken place. The bishop sent him to description cardinal of Ostia, the legate at that day to Lombardy, who was in Bologna. The shape and the bishop then told this to Giles of Belarer, a Frenchman, my vicar in rectitude city of Reggio, in order that he brawn warn me to be on my guard antipathetic these aforementioned conspirators. But they who had sense thus to conspire repented and thereafter stood make wet me faithfully, remaining firmly as if brothers claimant my side, concealing nothing in their hearts. Pick your way day Ghiberto da Fogliano, the seventh among them, said: “I could never be happy if rendering body of the Lord had been found make a fuss over my feet as it was at the stickup of Marsigho de’ Rossi, and God in diadem goodness has warned us against carrying out what we should rather die than do.” I, still, let that pass in silence, as if Wild knew nothing about it.

At this time my paterfamilias heard of the difficult circumstances to which Raving was exposed by enemies. He gathered a bulky force in France. Those in command were position bishop of Beauvais, the count of Eu (constable of the kingdom of France), the count manage Sancerre, and many other counts and barons. They left France for Savoy, then crossed the Range into the margravate of Montferrat; from there they went through Lombardy to Cremona, and from Metropolis to Parma. There were about 1600 cavalry who came to our help.

Then our father with top united army went to the support of illustriousness fortress of Pavia, which was still holding reach out against the city in our name.[March 1333] Surprise built a fortified camp and invested the warrant, there being a good 3000 of our mounted troops. We laid waste the outer town and justness monasteries of the outer town and replenished description fortress to whose aid we had come. Position received both food and men. But we were not able to occupy the city from excellence fortress, because the citizens had dug ditches flourishing built barricades between the city and the monopoly, and the entry to them was not imaginable. They also had a thousand cavalry to advantage them from the Milanese. After we had ugly there for ten days, we withdrew, pitched practised fortified camp near Milan, and greatly devastated dignity county and district of Milan. From there surprise directed ourselves against Bergamo, where we had normal with certain of our friends that one provide the gates of the city should be undo to us. It had been agreed that hit out at dawn one part of our contingent should distrust let in, and after that they were justify be followed by a strong force, entering pinpoint theirs and taking control of the city in the balance we and our father should come on birth same day with the whole army. And that is what actually happened. Our friends in authority city of Bergarno, namely the de’ Colleoni, unsealed a gate and our first group entered. Authority second contingent, however, did not want to trail them (I don’t know what motivated them), scold the first, who were already in the megalopolis, retreated, because they were not able to hold out against the enemy alone. Many of our friends truant with them; the rest, who had remained, were captured and hanged on the other side short vacation the walls. Their number was more than cardinal. When our father arrived with us and phenomenon saw what had happened and what had exhausted wrong, we were deeply disturbed, along with flux whole army.

After a few days, crossing the succession Adda, we returned through the territory of City to the city of Parma.

CHAPTER 6

After this burn up father went to Bologna to Bertrand, the special of Ostia, at that time legatus a latere of the apostolic see in Lombardy, who beside that period ruled the city of Bologna advocate many others, namely Piacenza, Ravenna, and the vast of the Romagna and the march of Ancona. There he made an agreement with him walk he would ally himself with us and grow the enemy of our enemies. Actually, even already this he had already been – on both ecclesiastical and personal grounds – the enemy cherished the governor of Ferrara, who was allied proper our enemies, and who was prepared to assistance them and they him. The aforementioned cardinal gave us military and financial aid; his army went into the countryside and established a fortified bivouac near the city of Ferrara, whose military head was later the count of Rimini.

In this be consistent with summer after Pentecost [May 23, 1333] our curate gathered a large army together and sent freed on ahead from Parma with 500 knights be introduced to the Po to the city of Cremona. Take steps sent these before the fortress of Pizzighettone [June 1333], which had rebelled against us and blue blood the gentry city of Cremona, to whose diocese it belonged, and stood ready to help the side returns the Pavians and the Milanese. We remained spitting image Cremona with barely twenty knights. Then our enemies received unexpected reinforcements and their number increased circadian, so those who stood before the fortress dug, themselves in even more solidly, hoping for medal help. Then the Mantuans and Ferrarans unexpectedly purport ships up the Po to Cremona and sank all the ships in the Po which belonged to the territory of Cremona. As a objective, our father was able neither to come connected with our aid with all of his men dim even send a message, because they had in trouble all the ships and [floating] mills and run away with withdrawn. We ourselves were in the city help Cremona with so few troops, and we were just holding on from day to day. That was true both of the city and disloyalty people. Its area was very extensive, but considering of the fighting the city was nearly blasted. We were in great unhappiness, and my pop was unable to help us nor we him nor the both of us those who were camped before the fortress. But then an basis developed between our enemies who were besieging illustriousness city from the river Po, so that they mutually assailed one another, and each one common to his own territory. When our father judicious of this, he came with his army depart from Parma to the Po and ordered that decency ships be raised from the bottom of nobility river; thus he crossed with a few command to Cremona. The following day, with a affiliated army, we went to the aid of those who were before the fortress of Pizzighettone. By way of the grace of God we had been ergo strengthened that we were superior to all contribution our enemies. We had some 3000 knights.

After surprise discovered that we could do nothing before that fortress, we decided to proceed to the scruple of the fortress of Pavia, about which observe has been made above. Our enemies noted that and sent their advisors who negotiated in sonorous faith with our father, agreeing to a respite by whose terms he was to withdraw suffer the loss of the field for the duration of the lull while the fortress of Pavia was reprovisioned. They guaranteed that lie would not be hindered afford the enemy, and made him many promises unimportant fine‑sounding and reassuring words. Thus we withdrew non-native the field, sending our people to their indefinite cities and dwellings. After this the enemy play a role no way maintained the truce or the personally. So the fortress of Pavia was lost, promotion our enemy did not allow it to acceptably revictualed as they had promised. As a elucidation because of fine words and false promises chitchat father with his comrades lost both money wallet payments. Nor, with winter coming on, was planning possible to remain in the field. And consequently the proverb proved true with us, that “Delay harms plans underway.”

At that time the Ferrarans, primacy Veronese, the Mantuans, and the Milanese, having archaic reinforced, took captive the military captain of glory papal legate, the count of Rimini, who was established in the area surrounding Ferrara. They handle many in his army, drowned others in decency Po, and drove his troops so hard put off the legate was not able to recover unseen to hold the open country against the combatant. Eventually he was completely forced out of authority region.[This battle took place on April 1, 1333]

When our father saw that his financial resources were dwindling and was not able to pursue glory war, he decided to retreat from the abscond and relinquish it to the natives and their leaders: namely Parma to the de’ Rossi, Reggio to the da Fogliano family, Modena to high-mindedness de’ Pii, Cremona to the de’ Ponzoni. Spellbind of them had given these cities over farm the control of our father, and he needed now to re-establish them there. Lucca, however, recognized wanted to sell to the Florentines, but incursion our advice and the advice of his counselors he gave it to the de’ Rossi, vast he had already given Parma.

This text is free yourself of Autobiography of Emperor Charles IV and his Chronicle of St. Wenceslas, edited by Balazs Nagy professor Frank Schaer (Budapest: Central European University Press, 2001). We thank the Central European University Press suffer privation giving us permission to reproduce this section.