Byways in southern Tuscany . certainly hadneed of, for standing as it did upon the boundary of thepapal territory it was sure of being often the centre ofconflict. On this occasion, however, though the fortifica-tions stood ready, matters between the Pope and the em-peror still lay in the balance, and Frederic Barbarossa,with his shining host, passed along the valley below andno one mounted to the gate of Radicofani. As time went on the Abbot of San Salvatore and hismonks, dwelling on the opposite mountainside wherethey had the stronghold of Radicofani always in sightacross the valley, felt th
Byways in southern Tuscany . certainly hadneed of, for standing as it did upon the boundary of thepapal territory it was sure of being often the centre ofconflict. On this occasion, however, though the fortifica-tions stood ready, matters between the Pope and the em-peror still lay in the balance, and Frederic Barbarossa,with his shining host, passed along the valley below andno one mounted to the gate of Radicofani. As time went on the Abbot of San Salvatore and hismonks, dwelling on the opposite mountainside wherethey had the stronghold of Radicofani always in sightacross the valley, felt the need of taking all possible meansfor making themselves secure in their hold upon it, andin 1210 applied to the Emperor, Otto IV, for his favor andsupport, which was promptly granted; not to the pleasureof Rome or Siena, nor to the tranquillity of Radicofaniherself, who suffered all through this century from thestruggles of rival claimants. The petty encroachments ofSiena and the ensuing quarrels created such resentment 128. u BYWAYS IN SOUTHERN TUSCANY that after the great Ghibelline victory of Montaperti in1260 many noble Guelfs of Siena took refuge in Radicofani,who adopted their cause against their native city. Having arrived there, these guests, we are told, **livedquietly, taking only what they needed from the people,*and we are tempted to speculate upon what these aristo-cratic families considered they needed and whether itwas hard upon that humble part of the population thattilled the soil and produced with tireless labor the food tosupply not only its own people in war and in peace, but,on occasion, the armies of the enemy, the captains of ad-venture, and the brigands with their followers. For more than one reason Siena disapproved of theabsence of that group of her important citizens who hadestablished themselves in Radicofani, and so sent a groupof eloquent orators to reason with them. These gentlemenharangued them at great length, taking the highest pa-triotic grou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecttuscany, bookyear1919
