Guglielmo
Boccanegra made a name for himself in Genoese politics of the 13th century. After
being an experienced official from a non-aristocratic family, Boccanegra ruled
over prosperous yet a divided Genoa. He came to power as Captain of the Popolo
or the People elected by the people. His government presided over financial
reforms and achieved considerable diplomatic developments. Although his rule
was short, he made an impact to the political life of Genoa for centuries.
Genoa – 1250’s
At
the dawn of the 1200’s, the Crusade raised many Italian states to prosper as
demand for their shipping services increased. Genoa took this opportunity and
with the rest of Italians established enclaves in the Levant that served as
bases for trade. It did thrived and rivalled with Pisa and Venice. Due to this
prosperity, it became a player in Italian politics, especially during the
rivalry between the Pope’s Guelf supporters and the Holy Roman Emperor’s Ghibelline faction. It took part in the Lombard League that resisted the
advance of Holy Roman Emperor in Italy.
Internally,
however, Genoese politics was far from peaceful. It did enjoyed a democratic
form of government with the Communes and city councils as well as the podesta or foreign city administrators
that also governed the city. But landed nobles and big and wealthy merchants
dominated the politics squabbling for dominance over the rest. They either
fought for their class interest or for their Guelf and Ghibelline parties that
prevailed in Italian political arena.
Guglielmo Boccanegra
As
Genoa prospered and the elite fought with each other, a Guglielmo Boccanegra
pursued a career in government. He came from a wealthy but none aristocratic
family. His family’s wealth allowed him to serve as an official both in Genoa
and abroad. In 1249, he served as a consul in the French Commune of Aigues
Mortes followed by a stint in Acre in the Levant where he also served as a
consul. Finally, in 1256, he made a name for himself in local politics by
becoming a member of the city council of Genoa. There he made himself known as
a champion of reform and fighter of abuses and corruption.
Boccanegra’s
background and his image fit to lead the rising sector of the Genoese society known
as the Popolo – the People.
The People
A
new sector began to emerge in Genoa, the social class known as the Popolo – Italian word for People. As to
who belonged to the Popolo remained scantly defined, but it simply meant anyone
who did not belonged to the nobility or big wealthy merchant class. The Popolo
included craftsmen, laborers, and small merchants. The lower strata of the
social hierarchy that suffer from the ineffectiveness brought by the mismanagement
and infighting of the higher classes.
The
Popolo made much of Genoa’s population and contributed tremendously in the
city’s economy in terms of labor and manpower. They worked the ships and workshops.
They fought the wars and transported trading goods safely. Yet, their share in
the government remained little if not non-existence. The pride of nobles and
the rich shunned the lesser Popolo to the margins of government. While the
nobles, Guelphs and Ghibellines fought each other, the Popolo stood by and felt
the mostly negative effects of the conflicts. All things change, however, when
the international politics and the economy took a turn.
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| Guelf and Ghibelline Factions fighting in Bologna |
Disillusionment
and realization for the Popolo came as the economy soured. The height of the
Guelph and Ghibelline Wars during the 1240’s turned the attention of Genoese
away from local politics to international conflicts. The wartime economy
boosted employment and brought money to the Genoese. But when the conflict
ended in 1250, the economy took a slump. Shipping industry shrank and local
employment also dropped. Soon major banks in the city left causing sense of
economic depression. The Popolo felt the downturn and wanted change. But their
lack of political voice led to their anger of the current political
establishment. Elsewhere, popolo in different cities already rose up and
elected their Captain of the People. Soon, Genoese popolo took the same path.
Guglielmo Boccanegra,
Captain of the People
Boccanegra’s
tryst with destiny came in January 1257. The Podesta of Genoa Filippo della
Torre ended his term and began his journey out of the city when suddenly crowds
rioted in the streets. The disgruntled Genoese shouted while in fury “fiat populous” or Power to the People. Soon,
the riot became a city wide revolt and they gathered for a meeting in Church of
San Siro. There they elected a new council of elders, made up of 32 men with
every 4 representing a district of the city. Finally, they choose Guglielmo
Boccanegra as the new Captain of the People. Nobles did not move against this
outburst of popular movement knowing the end might be bad for them. Some
notable families in the city like the Doria and Grimaldi even supported the new
regime, beginning the rule of Boccanegra.
Boccanegra
moved to the palace of the Richerio Family and set up his government. He had a
10-year tenure ahead of him and in case of his sudden demise during the course,
his brother had been set up as his successor. Following that he had a retinue
assigned to him which included a knight, 12 guards, 50 man-in-arms assigned to
protect him. In addition, 2 notaries and a judge served him in legal matters. A
podesta also remained to manage the government bureaucracy. For all this the
state paid for his staff while, he received 1,000 lires as salary.
Just
as his 1st year in office closed, news from the Levant shook Genoa. Genoa had
been involved in a war against Venice in the Levant. The 2 Italian city states
fought over for the control of the St. Sabas Monastery in Acre. Genoa sent a
large naval task for to cement Genoa’s claim, but in June 23, 1258, the Genoese
fleet sailed to a military disaster. The Venetians and their allies destroyed
half of the ships. When the news of the defeat reached Genoa, many opinioned
that the defeat came as a result of mismanagement of the past administration
and absolved Boccanegra of any responsibility. Boccanegra felt the popolo and
the whole of Genoa’s desire for vengeance and swore to deliver it. From then
on, he focused in strengthening Genoa to defeat its archenemy Venice.
Financial Reforms
He
began by reorganizing the city’s finances to replenish the dry coffers. The
city’s finance stood poorly as the taxes paid by the lower classes went to the
pockets of the upper classes literally. Main reason for this was the city’s
debt to the nobles where in exchange for immediate sums of money, they would
have a share in the tax revenues. Under Boccanegra, this practice became nulled
and void. Boccanegra consolidated Genoa’s debts into a single fund and each one
who had once took tax revenue would then receive 8% interest based on the
amount they lent to the government for every 2 months. Later on, shareholders
of the debt had the privilege of selling their shares. In effect, Boccanegra
practiced an early public debt market.
Boccanegra
also initiated tax reforms. He began to tax land and trade in small rates. He
also imposed dues on consumption of certain goods.
Meanwhile,
he also strived to increase trade activity to revive the city’s trade. In 1258,
he successfully negotiated an agreement with the Genoese clergy to stop the exaction
of tithe from foreign ships and sailors. This was meant to encourage the
arrival of traders. In exchange for the cessation of the tithe, the government
must pay the church a pension of 100 Lira and annual supply of salt. He also
put a stop on toll payments in various key entry points of the city in the same
year.
Diplomacy
In
line with Genoa’s objective of vengeance against Venice and stimulating trade for
the economy, Boccanegra improved relations with powerful regional kingdoms. In
the Italian Peninsula, he allied with King Manfred of Sicily. Their alliance
resulted to modest and fair customs dues for Genoese merchants alongside with
loggings for them in ports of Gaeta, Naples, Syracuse, Augusta, Siponto, and Trani.
In Pera, an enclave of Genoese became known as Little Genoa. In addition, Genoa
gained the license to export Sicilian wheat.
 |
| Michael Palaeologus |
Relation
with Byzantines gave Genoa enormous benefits as well. In 1260, 2 Genoese envoys
met with Emperor Michael Palaeologus who ambitioned to reclaim Constantinople
and reestablish the Byzantine Empire after its defeat in the hands of the
Venetian-instigated 4th Crusade. Genoese and Byzantine negotiations resulted to
the Treaty of Nymphaeum on April 28, 1261. Under the treaty, Genoa and
Byzantine stood as allies against the same enemy – Venice. It also provided
Genoa with trade privileges in exchange for naval assistance to the Byzantine
Emperor in form of 50 war galleys. It also allowed Genoese to serve in
Byzantine navy. The alliance further strengthen when Byzantine forces with the
assistance of Genoese navy led by Guglielmo Boccanegra’s brother, Marino,
recaptured the Constantinople. With this victory, Genoa became an important
partner of the Byzantine Empire and secured further access to the Black Sea,
where it established numerous colonies and trading post.
The
alliance and the Treaty became a hallmark of Boccanegra’s rule. It helped to
increase trade and employment. It also helped in maintain or furthering of
Genoa’s prestige in the international stage as a naval power and a rival of
Venice.
For the Popolo
Back
in home, Boccanegra made sure to remain a ruler for the people. In government,
he included guild masters in deciding matters of the state.
He
helped in alleviating unemployment by launching construction projects. In 1260,
he launched a construction project for the Palazzo San Giorgio, which was meant
to serve as the new government palace. At the same, the construction of the
harbor mole, later called, Molo Vecchio, started and meant for revitalizing the
city’s harbor.
Fall of the
Boccanegra Regime
Although
Boccanegra committed great strides in improving Genoa, his regime failed to
achieve longevity. As to the cause of Boccanegra’s fall remained obscure as
contemporary histories, written by pro-elitist factions in Genoa, silenced.
Some recorded Boccanegra’s seeming rising authoritarianism caused support for
his regime to crumble. Others believed that his move to allow exiled political
opponents to return in 1260 gave rise of opposition to his rule. Regardless, the
fact remained that in 1262, Guglielmo Boccanegra’s rule came to an end after
nobles deposed him and sent him to exile. The rule of the Podesta returned.
After his fall, Boccanegra’s life was obscured, even his death.
Political
infighting continued to be a specter hunting Genoa. Nobles fought each other
and the Popolo. Guelfs and Ghibelline divide also remained.
 |
| Depiction of Simone Boccanegra in Verdi's Play Simone Boccanegra, 1881 |
The
Boccanegras, although disgraced after the fall of Guglielmo, commanded respect
and influence hereafter. Guglielmo’s nephew, Simone Boccanegra, was even
elected as Genoa’s first Doge, seeming to be an attempt to form a government
same as Venice in hope of capturing also its political stability.
Summing Up
Guglielmo
Boccanegra’s rise went as a turning point in Genoese history. His rise saw also
the emergence of the Popolo as a political force. He also followed the trend of
rising Captain of the People in the region and proved himself competent.
Nonetheless, the political tide of the time remained in favor of nobles and the
well-off resulting to the fall of Boccanegra’s government. Although his
government ended in tragedy, he proved the People as political force to be
reckon with.
Bibliography:
Dale, Sharon. Chronicling History: Chroniclers and Historians in Medieval and Renaissance Italy. University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University, 2007.
Epstein, Steven. Genoa and the Genoese, 958 - 1528. n.p., North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1996.
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