Giano Della Bella (c. 1240[1] Florence - France, before 19 April 1306) was a late thirteenth century Florentine politician and a leader of the revolt that brought in the Ordinances of Justice which entrenched the power of the Florentine guilds by excluding aristocrats from power in Florence.[2]

He was born in the family castle within Florence into a Ghibelline (pro Holy Roman Emperor) family, although he became a Guelph and a populist.

In 1294 he was podestà of Pistoia. He is the protagonist of the first chapters of Dino Compagni's Nuova Cronica and is also mentioned by Dante in Paradise.[3]

He was of noble birth[4] but also a member of the Arte di Calimala, the wool merchant's guild.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ DELLA BELLA, Giano, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian)
  2. ^ Peters, Edward (1995). "The Shadowy, Violent Perimeter: Dante Enters Florentine Political Life". Dante Studies, with the Annual Report of the Dante Society (113): 69–87. JSTOR 40166507.
  3. ^ XVI , 127-132
  4. ^ "The Princeton Dante Project (2.0) - Long Toynbee "Giano della Bella"".
  5. ^ "Giano della Bella | Italian leader | Britannica".