Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/158

148 F I E F I E bined the political enmity between the imperial and French (aristocratic and popular) parties, the Dorias be longing to the former and being warmly supported by the nobles, while the Fieschi were of the latter and leaned upon the popular class. Bent on the overthrow of the doge and his family, Giovanni Luigi made an attempt to secure the support of Francis I. in his enterprise, but in this he did not at first succeed. The negotiations were afterwards renewed through William du Bellay, then French ambassador in Italy, and an understanding was come to that the object of the proposed revolution should be to subject the republic to the king of France. The sanction of the pope, Paul III. was obtained, and the alliance of the duke of Parma and Placentia secured. Associated with Giovanni Luigi in the conspiracy were his brothers Geronimo and Ottobuoni, and his trusted friends Vincenzo Calcagno, De Varese, and RafFaello Sacco. Troops were levied in the duchy of Parma, and report of these sus picious preparations was sent to Andrea Doria to put him on his guard. But his regard for the young count forbade him to entertain suspicion, and no precautions were taken. When all was ready, Fiesco invited the Dorias to a banquet at his palace on the first day of January 1547, purposing to assassinate them on their arrival. But the doge declined the invitation, his nephew Gianettino had to leave Genoa for some weeks, and the scheme thus foundered. The next night, however, taking advantage of the unsettled state of the city at the period of re-election of the doge, Fiesco led out his band (having first by display of affec tionate attention to Doria thrown him off his guard), seized the arsenal, and attacked the galleys. While passing along a plank from the quay to one of the galleys the leader fell into the sea and was drowned, the darkness and the con fusion preventing his cries for help being heard. The other conspirators proceeded with their task, and Gianettino was slain. The doge succeeded in making his escape, and after the dispersion of the troops and the flight of the leaders, he returned to Genoa, and was welcomed with extraordinary honours. Eleanora, wife of Fiesco, escaped to Massa, married again, survived her second husband many years, and died at Florence in 1594. The story of this conspiracy has frequently been told both by historians and by poets. Amongst the prose narratives that of Mascardi (Antwerp, 1629) is commended for accuracy of detail, but is wanting in impartiality. Amongst the poems the most noteworthy is the tragedy of Schiller. FIESOLE, a small episcopal city of Italy, occupying the site of the ancient Fajsuhc, on the crown of a hill that rises above the Arno, about three miles to the west of Florence. In size it is little more than a village, but its historical in terest is of considerable scope. The principal building is the cathedra], which was commenced by Bishop Giacorno Bavaro in 1028, and dedicated to San Pietro Romolo, a martyr under Nero. It is a small basilica, consisting of a nave with narrow aisles, a transept, a raised choir, and a crypt noticeable for the uncommon character of its capitals. Among its adornments are an altarpiece and a bust of Bishop Salutati by Mino di Fiesole. The church of St Maria Primerana, with a terra-cotta tabernacle by L. della Robbia, San Allesandro, with its twelve cipollino columns, the Franciscan convent, the episcopal palace, and the town-hall or palazzo del pretorio, dating from the 13th century, are all worthy of notice. The convent probably occupies the site of the old arx or citadel ; behind the cathedral there are extensive remains of a large Roman theatre, discovered in 1809 and laid bare in 1872-3 ; and a few dilapidated portions of the ancient Etruscan fortifica tion still stand on the northern brow of the hill. Between the little city and Florence the church of San Domenico di Fiesole marks the site of the monastery famous as the residence of Fra Angelico (see next article) ; not far from the church is the villa where Walter Savage Landor dwelt many years amid the scenes of Boccaccio s Decameron; and further up the hill is the yet more celebrated Villa Mozzi, the favourite haunt of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The present inhabitants of Fiesole are largely employed in straw plaiting. They number, according to the census of 1871, 3467 in the city, and 13,180 in the commune. Fsesulse has a great mythical history, according to which it is the oldest city in the world. Its real origin is unknown, but it was evidently an Etruscan site long before the Roman conquest. It became of some note in the Gallic aud Punic wars, and was after wards selected by Sulla for the settlement of a body of his veterans. Twenty years later these colonists rendered themselves formidable by the support which they gave to Catiline, and the town was chosen as his headquarters in the straggle against Metellus and Antony. The story of Catiline and his exploits has been developed into an elaborate legend by Malespini and other Fiesohm historians. Catellino, as he is called, wages war against Fiorino, king of Koine; the king is slain, but the Ftesulan party is ultimately defeated by Julius Caesar, and a new city, Fioreuza Magna (Florence), is founded by the conqueror, and named in honour of Fiorino. At a later date Fit-suite, continues the story, was rebuilt by Attila, and Florence destroyed. From Procopius we know that the little city, while occu pied by Witiges and his Goths, did stand a long siege by the forces of Belisarius. According to the common account it was "destroyed" by the Florentines in the llth or 12th century; but the statement is open to question, and the destruction at any rate cannot have been very complete. Among the more eminent natives of Fiesole are Francesco Ferrucci, the great captain, and Francesco Ferrucci, the first sculptor in porphyry. FIESOLE (1387-1455). II Beato Fra Giovanni Angel ico da Fiesole is the name given to a far-famed painter-friar of the Florentine state in the 15th century, the protagonist, beyond all other men, of pietistic painting. He is often, but not accurately, termed simply " Fiesole," which is merely the name of the town, noticed above, where he first took the vows ; more often, Fra Angelico. If we turn his compound designation into English, it runs thus <: the Beatified Friar John the Angelic of Fiesole." In his life time he was known no doubt simply as Fra Giovanni, or Friar John ; " the Angelic " is a laudatory term which got assigned to him at an early date,- we find it in use within thirty years after his death ; and, at some period which is not defined in our authorities, he was beatified by due ecclesiastical process. His surname was Guido: his original Christian name Giovanni being only his name in religion is not known. He was born at Vicchio, in the Tuscan province of Mugello, of unknown but seemingly well-to-do parentage, in 1387 (not 1390, as sometimes stated); in 1407 he became a novice in the convent of S. Domenico at Fiesole, and in 1408 he took the vows and entered the Dominican order. Whether he had previously been a painter by profession is not "certain, but may be pronounced probable. The painter named Lorenzo Monaco may hive contributed to his art-training, and the influence of the Sienese school is discernible in his work. According to Vasari, the first paintings of this artist were in the Certosa of Florence; none such exist there now. His earliest extant performances, in considerable number, marked to some extent by the influence of Masolino, are at Cortona, whither he was sent during his noviciate, and here apparently he spent all the opening years of his monastic life. His first works executed in fresco were probably those, now destroyed, which he painted in the convent of S. Domenico in this city ; as a fresco-painter, he may have worked under, or as a follower of, Gherardo Stamina. From 1418 to 1436 lie was back at Fiesole; in 1436 he was transferred to the Dominican convent of S. Marco in Florence, and in 1438 undertook to paint the altarpiece for the choir, followed by many other works ; he may have studied about this time the renowned frescoes in the Bran- cacci chapel in the Florentine church of the Carmine, and also the paintings of Orcagna. In or about 1445 he was