Cities of God: The Religion of the Italian Communes 1125-1325

 22 LaCitadeSancta

reasoned. Well, maybe not. In the end, their citizenship probably counted

more to people than peculiar theological idiosyncrasies. The two women had

proved their pride in the city and spent their money to the honor of Orvieto.

In the early 1200 s Don Guidolino of Enzola, a wealthy citizen of Parma,

retired to town so he could live near the cathedral and its splendid baptistery.

Salimbene had seen him sitting in the piazza ‘‘thousands of times,’’ in front

of the cathedral of the Blessed Virgin:

And every day he heard Mass in the cathedral and, when he could,

the Divine Offices of both day and night. And when he was not

attending the church Offices, he sat with his neighbors under the

community portico near the bishop’s palace, spoke of God, and lis-

tened to others speaking of him. He also used to stop the boys of

the city from throwing stones at the baptistery and the cathedral,

destroying the bas reliefs and frescoes. Whenever he saw any boy

doing this, he would chase him down and whip him with his belt,

acting as though he were the official custodian, though he did it

purely out of zeal for God and divine love.... And once a week he

prepared an open charity supper of bread, beans, and wine in the

street near his house for all the poor of the city who wished to

come.^50

Don Guidolino’s piety and civic pride were of a piece. Actions by the com-

munes themselves exhibit a similar unity. When the commune of Parma

financed renovations and construction on their duomo, they made sure to

commemorate it with a memorial plaque.^51 Such benefactions beautified the

church and reflected honor on the commune.

TheHouse of theCity

In the late 1100 s and early 1200 s, before the creation of the first communal

public buildings, the cathedral served as site of the most important civic

functions. This was natural, since the nave, uncluttered by the modern in-

vention of pews, was certainly the largest interior space in the city. There, in

the nave, the consuls and other government officials took their oaths of of-

fice; there the bishop and clergy blessed the banners of the army and its

battle wagon, thecarroccio.At Brescia, the carroccio itself was stored there; it

stood against a pillar in the nave, secured by chains.^52 City assemblies delib-

forbade reception of alms from heretics: Bologna, Biblioteca dell’Archiginnasio,msB. 3695 , doc. 1 (uned-
ited original). On Milita and Giulitta, see Lansing,Power and Purity, 30 – 31.
50. Salimbene,Cronica, 887 – 88 , Baird trans., 616 – 17. Translation slightly modified.
51. Miller,Bishop’s Palace, 88.
52. Brescia Stat. (before 1277 ), col. ( 185 ).