palaces and strongholds were destroyed, whereof
there were many, and with the stones thereof they built the walls of
San Giorgio Oltrarno, which the Popolo of Florence caused to be begun
in those times by reason of the war with the Sienese. And afterwards,
in the following September of the said year, the Popolo of Florence
seized the abbot of Vallombrosa, which was a gentleman of the lords of
Beccheria of Pavia in Lombardy, for they had been told that at the
petition of the Ghibelline refugees from Florence he was plotting
treason; and this by torture they made him confess, and wickedly in
the piazza of Santo Apollinare by the outcry of the people they
beheaded him, not regarding his dignity nor his holy orders; for the
which thing the commonwealth of Florence and the Florentines were
excommunicated by the Pope; and from the commonwealth of Pavia, whence
came the said abbot, and from his kinsfolk, the Florentines which
passed through Lombardy received much hurt and molestation. And truly
it was said that the holy man was not guilty, albeit by his lineage he
was a distinguished Ghibelline. For the which sin, and for many other
deeds done by the wicked people, it was said by many wise men that God
by Divine judgment permitted vengeance to come upon the said people in
the battle and defeat of Montaperti, as hereafter we shall make
mention. The said Popolo of Florence which ruled the city in these
times was very proud and of high and great enterprises, and in many
things was very arrogant; but one thing their rulers had, they were
very loyal and true to the commonwealth, and when one which was an
Ancient took and sent to his villa a grating which had belonged to the
lion's den, and was now lying about in the mud of the piazza of S.
Giovanni, he was condemned therefor to a fine of 1,000 lire for
embezzling the goods of the commonwealth.

[Sidenote: 1259 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. xxii. 40-60.]

Sec. 66.--_How the Aretines took and destroyed Cortona._ Sec. 67.--_How
the Florentines took and destroyed the castle of Gressa._ Sec. 68.--_How
the people of Florence took the castles of Vernia and of Mangona._

Sec. 69.--_Incidents of the doings that were in Florence at the time of
the Popolo._

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 97-99.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 112, 113.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 101.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 102, 103.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 103-105.]

In the time of the said Popolo in Florence it came to pass that there
wa