The Eleventh and Twelfth Books of Giovanni Villanis New Chronicle

Giovanni Villanis New Chronicle traces the history of Europe, Italy, and Florence over a vast sweep of time from the Tower of Babel to the great earthquake of 1348. In the eleventh and twelfth books, Villani depicts a particularly eventful period in the history of Florence, whose grandeur is illustrated in several famous chapters describing the citys income, expenses, and magnificence. The dramatic account follows Florences internal affairs as well as its conflicts with powerful lords like Castruccio Castracani and Mastino della Scala. The chroniclers perspective, however, ranges beyond his city, as he documents such events as the imperial coronation of Louis of Bavaria, the penitential pilgrimage of Venturino da Bergamo, and the first campaigns of the Hundred Years War.