he island to Genoa. A regular tribute was to be paid to the
republic; the Corsicans were to preserve their laws and customs, under
the council of Twelve in the north and a council of Six in the south;
Corsican interests were to be represented at Genoa by an _orator_.

Genoese domination.

The Genoese domination, which began under evil auspices--for the Black
Death killed off some two-thirds of the population--was not destined to
bring peace to the island. The feudal barons of the south and the
hereditary _caporali_ of the north alike resisted the authority of the
Genoese governors; and King Peter of Aragon took advantage of their
feuds to reassert his claims. In 1372 Arrigo, count of La Rocca, with
the assistance of Aragonese troops, made himself master of the island;
but his very success stirred up against him the barons of Cape Corso,
who once more appealed to Genoa. The republic, busied with other
affairs, hit upon the luckless expedient of investing with the
governorship of the island a sort of chartered company, consisting of
five persons, known as the _Maona_. They attempted to restore order by
taking Arrigo della Rocca into partnership, with disastrous results. In
1380 four of the "governors of the Maona" resigned their rights to the
Genoese republic, and Leonello Lomellino was left as sole governor. It
was he who, in 1383, built Bastia on the north coast, which became the
bulwark of the Genoese power in the island. It was not till 1401, after
the death of Count Arrigo, that the Genoese domination was temporarily
re-established.

Meanwhile Genoa itself had fallen into the hands of the French, and in
1407 Leonello Lomellino returned as governor with the title of count of
Corsica bestowed on him by Charles VI. of France. But Vincentello d'
Istria, who had gained distinction in the service of the king of Aragon,
had captured Cinarca, rallied round him all the communes of the Terra di
Comune, proclaimed himself count of Corsica at Biguglia and even seized
Bastia. Lomellino was unable to make headway against him, and by 1410
all Corsica, with the exception of Bonifacio and Calvi, was lost to
Genoa, now once more independent of France. A feud of Vincentello with
the bishop of Mariana, however, led to the loss of his authority in the
Terra di Comune; he was compelled to go to Spain in search of
assistance, and in his absence the Genoese reconquered the island. Not,
however, for long. The Great Schism was too obvio