n, and made many laws, and kept the
Empire in peace long time. Yea, and he went into Calabria against the
Saracens which were come to lay waste the country, and fought against
them, and, with great shedding of Christian blood, he drove them away
and overcame them. This Conrad took much delight in sojourning at
Florence when he was in Tuscany, and he advanced it greatly, and many
citizens of Florence received knighthood from his hand, and were in
his service. And to the intent it may be known who were the noble and
powerful citizens in those times in the city of Florence, we will
briefly make mention thereof.

Sec. 10.--_Of the nobles which were in the city of Florence in the time
of the said Emperor Conrad, and first of those about the Duomo._

[Sidenote: 1015 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 25, xxv. 5.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 104.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 108.]

[Sidenote: 112-114.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xv. 137, 138.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 100.]

As before has been narrated, the first rebuilding of the smaller
Florence was according to the division of four quarters, after the
four gates; and to the end we may the better describe the noble
families and houses which in the said times, after Fiesole had been
destroyed, were great and powerful in Florence, we will recount them
according to the quarters where they dwelt. And first, they of the
Porta del Duomo, which was the first fold and abiding place of the
rebuilt Florence, and where all the noble citizens of Florence on
Sundays gathered and held civil converse around the Duomo, and where
were celebrated all the marriages, and peacemakings, and every
festival and solemnity of the commonwealth; and next, the Porta San
Piero, and then Porta San Brancazio, and Porta Sante Marie. And the
Porta del Duomo was inhabited by the family of the Giovanni, and of
the Guineldi which were the first to rebuild the city of Florence,
whence afterwards were descended many families of nobles in Mugello,
and in Valdarno, and in many cities, which now are popolari and almost
come to an end. There were the Barucci which dwelt near Santa Maria
Maggiore, which are now extinct; the Scali and Palermini were of their
lineage. There were also in the said quarter Arrigucci, and Sizi, and
the family della Tosa: these della Tosa were of one lineage with the
Bisdomini, and were patrons and defenders of the bishopric; but one of
them departed from his kin of the Porta San Piero, and took to wi