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remember their daughter, the city of Florence (the which was ruined
and destroyed by Goths and Vandals in despite of the Romans), to the
end it might be rebuilt, and that it might please them to give a force
of men-at-arms to ward off the men of Fiesole and their followers, the
enemies of the Romans, who would not let the city of Florence be
rebuilt. The which ambassadors were received with honour by the
Emperor Charles, and by the Pope, and by the Romans, and their
petition accepted graciously and willingly; and straightway the
Emperor Charles the Great sent thither his forces of men-at-arms on
foot and on horse in great numbers; and the Romans made a decree and
command that, as their forefathers had built and peopled of old the
city of Florence, so those of the best families in Rome, both of
nobles and of people, should go thither to rebuild and to inhabit it;
and this was done. With that host of the Emperor Charles the Great and
of the Romans there came whatsoever master-craftsmen there were in
Rome, the more speedily to build the walls of the city and to
strengthen it, and after them there followed much people; and all they
who dwelt in the country around Florence, and her exiled citizens in
every place, hearing the tidings, gathered themselves to the host of
the Romans and of the Emperor to rebuild the city; and when they were
come where to-day is our city, they encamped among ancient remains and
ruins in booths and in tents. The Fiesolans and their followers,
seeing the host of the Emperor and of the Romans so great and
powerful, did not venture to fight against them, but keeping within
the fortress of their city of Fiesole and in their fortified places
around, gave what hindrance they might to the said rebuilding. But
their power was nothing against the strength of the Romans, and of the
host of the Emperor, and of the assembled descendants of the
Florentines; and thus they began to rebuild the city of Florence, not,
however, of the size that it had been at the first, but of lesser
extent, as hereafter shall be mentioned, to the end it might more
speedily be walled and fortified, and there might be a defence like a
rampart against the city of Fiesole; and this was the year of Christ
801, in the beginning of the month of April. And it is said that the
ancients were of opinion that it would not be possible to rebuild it,
if first there were not found and drawn from the Arno the marble
image, dedicated by the firs