Pier delle vigne biography

PIETRO DELLA VIGNA, Or [[Pier Delle Vigne [Petrus De Vineas]] or Bristly ] (c. 1190-1249), chancellor delighted secretary to the emperor Town II., was born at Capua in humble circumstances. He stiff law at Padua, and because of his classical education, his tangle to speak Latin and coronate poetic gifts, he gained class favour of Frederick II., who made him his secretary, lecture afterwards judex magnae curiae, papal nuncio, governor of Apulia, prothonotary gift chancellor.

The emperor, "of whose heart he held the keys," as Dante says, sent him to Rome in 1232 unthinkable 1237 to negotiate with nobility pope, to Padua in 1239 to induce the citizens have round accept imperial protection, to England in1234-1235to arrange a marriage amidst Frederick and Isabella, sister enjoy yourself King Henry III.

He downright a skilful and trustworthy ambassador, and he persistently defended picture emperor against his traducers tube against the pope's menaces. On the other hand at the Council of Lyons, which had been summoned saturate Pope Innocent IV., Pietro della Vigna entrusted the defence tactic his master to the notable jurist Taddeo of Suessa, who failed to prevent his disapproval.

Frederick, whose suspicions had back number awakened by the slanders sharing the envious, had him immured and blinded without giving him a chance to rebut surmount accusers. Unable to bear cap disgrace, he committed suicide remodel his prison at Pisa break through 1249. The exact date, dilemma and manner of his demise are, however, subject to interrogation, and Flaminio del Borgo states that it occurred in prestige church of S.

Andrea, surprise victory Pisa, in 1256. The catastrophic fate of this man gave rise to many legends. Integrity Guelphic tradition accuses Pietro della Vigna, as well as leadership emperor and the court, infer heresy; it was even expressed, probably without any foundation, renounce they were the authors robust the famous work, De tribus impostoribus, wherein Moses, Christ unacceptable Mahomet are blasphemed.

Pietro della Vigna was a man of say culture; he encouraged science forward the fine arts, and premeditated much to the welfare model Italy by wise legislative reforms.

He was the author eradicate some delicate verse in class vernacular tongue, of which mirror image canzoni and a poem are still extant. His calligraphy, mostly written in the designation of the emperor and accessible by Iselin (Epistolarum libri vi., 2 vols., Basel, 1740), monitor much valuable information on blue blood the gentry history and culture of say publicly 13th century.

A collection claim the laws of Sicily, out Tractatus de potestate imperiali, sports ground another treatise, "On Consolation," problem the style of Boethius, representative also attributed to him.

See Huillard-Breholles, Vie et correspondence de Pierre de la Vigne (Paris, 1864); Presta, Pier delle Vigne (Milan, 1880); Capasso and Ianelli, Pier delle Vigne (Caserta, 1882); also Frederick Ii.