Toynbee "Caccianemico, Venèdico"
Venedico Caccianemici dell'Orso, of Bologna, son of Alberto de' Caccianemici, who was head of the Geremei or Guelph party of Bologna from 1260 till 1297. Venedico was a man of violent temperament, as appears from the fact that in 1268, at his father's instigation, he had a hand in the murder of his cousin Guido Paltena, and in 1286 he was accused of having harboured a malefactor in his house at Bologna; he was at various times podestà of Pistoia, Modena, Imola, and Milan (in 1275 and 1286), and was, with his father, an active opponent of the Lambertazzi or Ghibelline party of Bologna. He was a staunch ally of the marquis of Este, and his support of the policy of the latter with regard to Bologna appears to have led to his expulsion from his native city in 1289. He seems to have died in Jan. 1303, although clearly D. believed him dead by 1300.

[For further details, see C. Ricci, Ore e ombre dantesche (Firenze, 1924), pp. 10-11; G. Zaccagnini, 'Personaggi danteschi in Bologna', GSLI, lxiv (1914), 27-47; G. Zaccagnini, 'Il testamento di Venetico Caccianimici', GSLI, lxv (1915), 51-54; G. Zaccagnini, 'Personaggi danteschi a Bologna e in Romagna', AMSR, xxiv (1933/4), 19-40; Q. Santoli, 'La potesteria pistoiese di Venetico Caccianemici', Bull. stor. pistoiese, xxiii (1921), 110-31.]

He had two sons, one of whom, Lambertino, married in 1305 Costanza of Este, daughter of the Marquis Azzo VIII. [See G. Gozzadini, Delle torri gentilizie di Bologna (Bologna, 1875), pp. 212 ff.]

D., who appears to have been personally acquainted with C., places him among the Panders and Seducers in Bolgia 1 of Circle VIII of Hell (Malebolge), [Inf. xviii. 50]; uno (peccatore), [Inf. xviii. 40]; costui, [Inf. xviii. 42]; quel frustato, [Inf. xviii. 46]; elli, [Inf. xviii. 52]; il, [Inf. xviii. 64]; ruffian, [Inf. xviii. 66] [Seduttori]; as D. passes through the Bolgia he catches sight of a form (that of Caccianemico) which is familiar to him ([Inf. xviii. 40-42]); with Virgil's consent he stops to look more closely at him ([Inf. xviii. 43-45]); C. thereupon tries to conceal his identity by holding his face down, but D. recognizes him, and addressing him by name, asks what brought him there ([Inf. xviii. 46-51]); C. unwillingly replies that it was he who brought Ghisolabella to do the will of the marquis ([Inf. xviii. 52-57]); he then tells D. that he is by no means the only Bolognese in that part of Hell, for there are as many panders from Bologna there with him as would more than equal the whole existing population of the city ([Inf. xviii. 58-61]); he adds that avarice was at the bottom of it all ([Inf. xviii. 62-63]); at this point a demon comes up and slashes him, telling him to get on, for there are no women for hire there ([Inf. xviii. 64-66]) [Bolognesi: Ghisolabella].

The Ghisolabella mentioned by Caccianemico as having been handed over by him to the evil passions of the marquis of Este was his own sister, who in or before 1270 was married to Niccolò da Fontana of Ferrara. The marquis in question is said by Lana and Buti to have been Obizzo II (1264-1293), while Benvenuto and others say it was his son, Azzo VIII (1293-1308); as far as dates are concerned, the former seems the more likely, for the incident probably took place before Ghisolabella's marriage, i.e. before the year 1270. Benvenuto, who describes C. as 'vir. . .nobilis, liberalis et placibilis, qui tempore suo fuit valde potens in Bononia favore marchionis Estensis', says that he lent himself to this intrigue in order to further ingratiate himself with the marquis:

. . .habuit unam sororem pulcerrimam, quam conduxit ad serviendum marchioni Azoni de sua pulcra persona, ut fortius promereretur gratiam eius.

He adds, however, that there was more than one version of the affair (as D. himself implies, [Inf. xviii. 57]) -- according to one, Ghisolabella was seduced without her brother's knowledge; according to another, Azzo introduced himself in disguise into the house of Caccianemico and having explained what his errand was, succeeded in his design, C. not being in a position to resist him.

The following detailed account, given by the Anonimo Fiorentino, probably represents the popular version of the story:

Fu costui messer Venedico de' Caccianimici da Bologna; e fu provigionato uno tempo del marchese Azzo da Esti, signore di Ferrara. Avea messer Venedico una sua sorella, bellissima donna, detta madonna Ghisola, et antonomastice, per eccellenzia, però che avanzava in bellezza tutte le donne bolognesi a quello tempo, fu chiamata la Ghisola bella. Il marchese Azzo, udendo parlare della bellezza di costei, et avendola alcuna volta veduta per l'amistà di messer Venedico, ultimamente, sotto questa fidanza, si partì da Ferrara sconosciuto, et una sera di notte picchiò all'uscio di messer Venedico: messer Venedico si maravigliò, et disse che la sua venuta non potea essere senza gran fatto. Il Marchese, sotto gran fidanza, et perchè conoscea l'animo di messer Venedico, gli disse ch'egli volea meglio alla sua sirocchia, a madonna Ghisola, che a tutto il mondo; et ch'egli sapea ch'ell'era in quella casa: et pertanto, dopo molti prieghi, messer Venedico consentì et discese alla volontà del Marchese: partissi della casa, et lasciò lui dentro, onde il Marchese, giunto a costei, doppo alcuna contesa, ebbe a fare di lei.

The commentator adds:

. . . poi in processo di tempo la novella si sparse: et perchè parea forte a credere che messer Venedico avesse consentito questo della sirocchia, chi dicea la novella et apponevala a uno, et chi a un'altro; di che ora messer Venedico chiarisce a Dante, et dice che, come questa novella si dica, io fui quelli che condussi costei a fare la volontà del Marchese.

©Oxford University Press 1968. From A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante by Paget Toynbee (1968) by permission of Oxford University Press