stance of Citta di Castello when this was attacked in the Pope's
interest by the warlike Giuliano della Rovere. To avenge himself for
this, and to remove a formidable obstacle to his family's advancement,
the Pope inspired the Pazzi conspiracy against the lives of the famous
masters of Florence. The conspiracy failed; for although Giuliano
de'Medici fell stabbed to the heart--before Christ's altar, and at the
very moment of the elevation of the Host--Lorenzo escaped with slight
hurt, and, by the very risk to which he had been exposed, rallied the
Florentines to him more closely than ever.

Open war was the only bolt remaining in the papal quiver, and open
war he declared, preluding it by a Bull of Excommunication against the
Florentines. Naples took sides with the Pope. Venice and Milan came to
the support of Florence, whereupon Milan's attentions were diverted to
her own affairs, Genoa being cunningly set in revolt against her.

In 1480 a peace was patched up; but it was short-lived. A few months
later war flared out again from the Holy See, against Florence this
time, and on the pretext of its having joined the Venetians against
the Pope in the late war. A complication now arose, created by the
Venetians, who seized the opportunity to forward their own ambitions and
increase their territories on the mainland, and upon a pretext of the
pettiest themselves declared war upon Ferrara. Genoa and some minor
tyrannies were drawn into the quarrel on the one side, whilst on the
other Florence, Naples, Mantua, Milan, and Bologna stood by Ferrara.
Whilst the papal forces were holding in check the Neapolitans who
sought to pass north to aid Ferrara, whilst the Roman Campagna was being
harassed by the Colonna, and Milan was engaged with Genoa, the Venetians
invested Ferrara, forced her to starvation and to yielding-point.
Thereupon the Pope, perceiving the trend of affairs, and that the only
likely profit to be derived from the campaign would lie with Venice,
suddenly changed sides that he might avoid a contingency so far removed
from all his aims.

He made a treaty with Naples, and permitted the Neapolitan army passage
through his territories, of which they availed themselves to convey
supplies to Ferrara and neutralize the siege. At the same time the Pope
excommunicated the Venetians, and urged all Italy to make war upon them.

In this fashion the campaign dragged on to every one's disadvantage and
without any decisive battle