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John Koenig
the route to Siena and could arrive at any time. At first, the emergency
measures discussed in the pratiche were religious and diplomatic. At the
pratica on the 7 th , the speaker for the quarter of Santa Croce proposed a
procession, and it was decided to send for the Madonna dell’Impruneta
when the time was ripe. Two of the other six speakers, representing
quarters San Giovanni and Santo Spirito respectively, advised a donation
of alms to the poor, which was a Savonarolan response.
On 11 September, a pratica summoned by the gonfaloniere
considered sending ambassadors to Pope Clement, which was a difficult
issue. The political leadership was determined to defend the republic, and
it was possible (if barely) that this could be achieved by peaceful means;
but many feared that negotiations (with Clement especially) would
undermine the war effort and/or lead to a sell-out compromise. Lodovico
Capponi, representing Santo Spirito, reported that the quarter favored
this initiative by a slim majority of thirteen out of twenty three; and the
Twelve (buonuomini), who, together with the Sixteen (gonfalonieri),
made up the two colleges which shared executive authority with the
signoria and gonfaloniere, were similarly divided 150 . On 14 September,
which was Holy Cross Day, Orange led his army into Florentine territory,
quickly capturing Cortona and Arezzo, which, being poorly defended,
surrendered. At Florence, according to Varchi, news of this (ignominious)
defeat caused a minor panic; many fled and an exodus was only averted
by the success of the militia in reassuring people that the city was safe
and secure and by the gonfaloniere’s extraordinary energy in progressing
work on the city’s fortifications, in which the youth seemed to compete
with the soldiers in displaying the most zeal 151 .
150 ASF, Pratiche 71, ff. 81-81v. The discussion led to nothing concrete, ROTH, Last Florentine
Republic, 171.
151 This is the view from Florence; the people of Arezzo saw things differently. In fact, according
to Varchi, the majority of them looked forward joyously to their city’s impending capture by the
imperial army as a deliverance from Florentine oppression; and, raising their hands towards heaven,
they humbly (“supplichevolmente”) gave thanks for the recovery of their ancient liberty. A committee
established to oversee the war effort sent an embassy to Orange to surrender the city, which was
accomplished, in a secular submission ceremony, by their solemnly presenting him a silver “bacino”