Ever since Piero de Medici had been chased out of Florence, the French King Charles VIII had been expressing the wish that he might return. When the French entered the city on November 17, there was a great parade in honor of the 'Most Christian King's' arrival. The inundation of some 10-12,000 soldiers and attendants throughout the city however, caused many disturbances on top of the tumult surrounding the ousting of the Medicean power. The French had installed themselves in the newly vacated Medici Palace.
Time and again those in the tottering government in Florence tried to assert their own power. There was the Signoria, and the Gonfalonier, nine men, and the two remaining advisory councils, the Sixteen and the Twelve (all told thirty-seven men). These convened as they could to discuss and vote on what to do next. As well as the Seventy, and the Otto, the War-Office Ten had also been disbanded so that decisions could be made solely by this central group of the Signoria with the Twelve and the Sixteen. It was this group then, with the French arrival - and, despite the King's wishes that Piero de Medici might return - this group still came to a swift and decisive conclusion. On November 20th, they declared Piero a rebel and put a 2000 florin bounty on his capture. [p.61]
The next day, discussions continued with the three Florentine cardinals Cosimo de' Pazzi, Francesco Soderini, and Guglielmo Capponi.. There was a commotion at the door. A pair of frenchmen demanded entrance, and many thought this would be the end. Some many several went and armed themselves. Some later claimed that it was a Tornabuoni instigator in league with de'Medici loyalists that sent the French to cause the ruckus. Many citizens across the river gathered for a fight to defend the city against the French. The French soldierery by then had begun making preparations within the city to defend themselves against the citizens. Somehow the locals had realized they outnumbered the French by at least four to one. That day, within the Signoria, the assembly that had gathered knelt before the members, pledging to die before allowing the Medici back into the city. The Signoria then decided to send out word to gather an army of 30,000 volunteers to defend the city. The King and his men relented and agreed to work on some other agreement. [p.51]
For the next couple days discussions tried to go in a new direction. Since the King had said he had crossed the Alps and come into Italy in order to take Naples (and, also said he had wanted an audience with the Pope), then he should go do that and let the Florentines take care of their city. Piero's wife, Alfonsina Orsini and her mother had been staying just a few blocks away at the convent called Santa Lucia on the Via San Gallo. [p.39] She and the Medici loyal (like some of the Tornabuoni) were to continue to send missives and ministers to persuade the King to allow for a return to normalcy. But this new Signoria would not agree to the various French ministers who came asking for it.
On the 24th of November a new conflict arose spectacularly. Some Florentines had been captured and were being moved by French soldiers. [p.52] A major promenade down by the river Arno soon swelled with numbers of people demanding their release. These few were held awaiting their fines to be paid. But brought out into public they began crying as though they were begging for alms. Children in the neighborhood picked up the cry and some Florentine nobles of the city, seeing this, stepped in and freed them, incensed at the proceedings. The soldiers went to the Medici Palace and the people began heading to that of the Signoria. A squadron of 500 Swiss lances tried to enter the street where the initial disturbance was but were repelled by women hurling rocks, roof tiles, then furniture, then boiling water and then the buckets at them.
The Signoria sent another draft for agreement to the King. After further disputes an agreement was reached but 're-reading it the King showed signs he was still not happy'. At this point, the ambassador Piero di Gino Capponi tore up the document and turned to leave followed by the other representatives. The King had his men call them back and at last agreed to the settlement. The next day arrangements were made for the King to finalize the articles. On the 26th, the day after that, in a formal ceremony, the King payed his respects at the Cathedral Santa Maria and personally swore to the agreement 'on the stone of the high altar'. [pp.52-3]
The agreement was mostly simple and straightforward. Florence would pay 50,000 florins now and 70,000 more, later. The French would also return Pisa, Livorno, and control of Sarzana and Pietrasanta to Florence when he captured Naples. The 27th of November was spent marshallng troops that had taken quarters throughout and all around the city. On the 28th the massive army left and headed south.
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notes from pp. 39-61 in Martines, Lauro: Fire In The City: Savonarola and the struggle for the soul of Renaissance Florence ; Oxford University Press, New York, 2006
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