- Original name:
- Nicola Di Lorenzo
- Born:
- 1313, Rome [Italy]
- Died:
- Oct. 8, 1354, Rome (aged 41)
Cola Di Rienzo
-
Who was Cola di Rienzo?
Cola di Rienzo, born in Rome in 1313, was an Italian leader who sought to revive the grandeur of ancient Rome. After serving as a notary for the Roman civic treasury, he launched a revolution in 1347, assuming dictatorial powers and the title of tribune.
Rienzo implemented reforms and envisioned Rome as the capital of a united Italy, but faced opposition from nobles and papal denunciation. Forced to resign, he later returned as senator in 1354, but his rule was short-lived due to financial troubles and arbitrary actions. A riot led to his death on October 8, 1354. His life inspired literary and musical works, including a novel by E.G.E. Bulwer-Lytton and an opera by Richard Wagner, both titled Rienzi.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where and when did Cola di Rienzo live?
Cola di Rienzo, born in Rome in 1313, was an Italian leader who sought to revive the grandeur of ancient Rome. After his mother's death around 1323, he resided with his uncle in Anagni before returning to Rome as a student at age 20. In 1343, he was sent to Pope Clement VI in Avignon and later appointed notary of the Roman civic treasury, plotting a revolution to restore Rome's past glory. Assuming dictatorial powers in 1347, he introduced reforms and aimed to establish Rome as the capital of a united Italy. However, facing opposition and denunciation, he was eventually killed during a riot on October 8, 1354.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was Cola di Rienzo famous for trying to do in Rome?
Cola di Rienzo, born in Rome in 1313, is renowned for his attempt to restore the grandeur of ancient Rome in the 14th century. As a popular leader, he aimed to revive Rome's past glory and establish it as the capital of a unified "sacred Italy".
In 1347, Cola di Rienzo summoned a parliament where he announced edicts against the nobles and assumed dictatorial powers, taking the title of tribune. He envisioned Rome as the center of an Italian brotherhood that would promote peace and justice, even inviting Italian states to discuss the security of Italy. Despite initial success, his rule was short-lived, and he faced opposition from nobles, the Pope, and the Roman citizens, leading to his downfall and eventual death in 1354.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Cola di Rienzo become a leader in Rome?
Cola di Rienzo rose to prominence in Rome by capitalizing on the city's longing for its past glory. A notary and son of a tavern keeper, Cola di Rienzo was an avid reader of classical history. He preached to his fellow citizens about recovering Rome's former greatness.
Upon his return from Avignon in May 1347, Cola, aided by mercenary soldiers, seized power in Rome. A parliament convened at his command bestowed upon him the title of "Tribune of Freedom, Peace and Justice, and Liberator of the Holy Roman Republic".
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What challenges did Cola di Rienzo face during his rule?
Cola di Rienzo's rule faced several challenges. Although he initially gained popular support by promising to restore Rome's ancient glory and reform its political structure, his triumph was short-lived. The Roman nobles, particularly the Orsini and Colonna families, opposed him, and the populace eventually became disaffected.
The Pope denounced him as a criminal, pagan, and heretic, further undermining his authority. His grandiose ideas and chimerical pretensions, such as declaring Rome the capital of a sacred Italy, were seen as unrealistic. Lack of money and arbitrary rule led to a riot, resulting in his death.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Cola di Rienzo's actions affect Rome and its government in the long term?
Cola di Rienzo, a charismatic Italian leader in the 14th century, aimed to restore Rome's ancient glory but had a mixed long-term impact. In 1347, he briefly seized power, declared reforms, and even invited Italian states to discuss peace, briefly exciting dreams of a unified Italy. However, his grandiose ideas and alienation of the populace and the church led to his quick downfall and death.
Despite his short-lived rule, Cola di Rienzo's actions stirred the imagination of later generations and demonstrated the enduring influence of classical Rome. Although his plans for Italian unification were more myth than reality, he remains a cultural figure, symbolizing a longing for Rome's past greatness.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cola Di Rienzo (born 1313, Rome [Italy]—died Oct. 8, 1354, Rome) was an Italian popular leader who tried to restore the greatness of ancient Rome. He later became the subject of literature and song, including a novel by the English novelist E.G.E. Bulwer-Lytton (1835) and an opera by Richard Wagner (1842), both entitled Rienzi.
He was the son of a Roman tavern keeper named Lorenzo Gabrini. His father’s Christian name was shortened to Rienzo, and his own name, Nicola, to Cola; hence the Cola di Rienzo by which he is generally known. Young Cola left Rome after his mother’s death c. 1323 to live with an uncle at nearby Anagni. He returned to Rome as a student at the age of 20, and in 1343 he was sent by the city’s government to Pope Clement VI in Avignon to plead the case of the Roman popular party, which had just gained ascendancy. The Pope appointed him notary of the Roman civic treasury, and Cola returned to Rome in 1344. He began to plot a revolution that would return the city to the glory of ancient Rome. On May 20, 1347, he summoned the people to a parliament on the Capitoline Hill. There he announced a series of edicts against the nobles, and to the acclaim of the multitude he assumed dictatorial powers. A few days later he took the ancient title of tribune.
After declaring reforms of the tax, judicial, and political structure of Rome, Cola conceived the grandiose idea of reestablishing Rome as the capital of a “sacred Italy,” an Italian brotherhood whose mission would be to spread peace and justice to the world. At a conclave held on Aug. 1, 1347, he conferred Roman citizenship on all the cities of Italy and proceeded to prepare for the election of a Roman emperor of Italy the following year.
The Roman nobles, led by the Orsini and Colonna families, rose against Cola, who repelled their attack on Nov. 20, 1347. But his triumph was short-lived; the populace became disaffected, the aristocrats continued to organize against him, and the Pope issued a bull denouncing him as a criminal, a pagan, and a heretic. A fresh uprising forced his resignation on Dec. 15, 1347, but he took refuge for two years among hermits in the Maiella Mountains of the Abruzzi region.
In 1350 Cola went to Prague, where he attempted to enlist the aid of Emperor Charles IV with mystical prophecies. Charles, however, handed him over to the Archbishop of Prague, who yielded him to Pope Clement in July 1352. After being absolved of heresy by the Inquisition, he was freed and sent to Italy by the new pope, Innocent VI, to aid Cardinal Gil Albornoz in restoring papal authority to Rome. With the new title of senator, Cola made a triumphal return to Rome on Aug. 1, 1354.
His reinstatement was brief. Harassed by the Colonna family and driven by lack of money to desperate straits, he ruled arbitrarily. On Oct. 8, 1354, a riot broke out, and, when he attempted to address the mob, he was met with a shower of missiles. Disguising himself, he tried to mingle with the crowd but was seized and killed.