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supreme and great indulgence after this manner; that within the whole
course of this said year, to whatsoever Roman should visit
continuously for thirty days the churches of the Blessed Apostles S.
Peter and S. Paul, and to all other people which were not Romans which
should do likewise for fifteen days, there should be granted full and
entire remission of all their sins, both the guilt and the punishment
thereof, they having made or to make confession of the same. And for
consolation of the Christian pilgrims, every Friday and every solemn
feast day, was shown in S. Peter's the Veronica, the true image of
Christ, on the napkin. For the which thing, a great part of the
Christians which were living at that time, women as well as men, made
the said pilgrimage from distant and divers countries, both from far
and near. And it was the most marvellous thing that was ever seen, for
throughout the year, without break, there were in Rome, besides the
inhabitants of the city, 200,000 pilgrims, not counting those who were
coming and going on their journeys; and all were suitably supplied and
satisfied with provisions, horses as well as persons, and all was well
ordered, and without tumult or strife; and I can bear witness to this,
for I was present and saw it. And from the offerings made by the
pilgrims much treasure was added to the Church, and all the Romans
were enriched by the trade. And I, finding myself on that blessed
pilgrimage in the holy city of Rome, beholding the great and ancient
things therein, and reading the stories and the great doings of the
Romans, written by Virgil, and by Sallust, and by Lucan, and Titus
Livius, and Valerius, and Paulus Orosius, and other masters of
history, which wrote alike of small things as of great, of the deeds
and actions of the Romans, and also of foreign nations throughout the
world, myself to preserve memorials and give examples to those which
should come after took up their style and design, although as a
disciple I was not worthy of such a work. But considering that our
city of Florence, the daughter and creature of Rome, was rising, and
had great things before her, whilst Rome was declining, it seemed to
me fitting to collect in this volume and new chronicle all the deeds
and beginnings of the city of Florence, in so far as it has been
possible for me to find and gather them together, and to follow the
doings of the Florentines in detail, and the other notable things of
the univ