Toynbee "Can Grande de la Scala"

Cacciaguida (in the Heaven of Mars) foretells to D. that he shall see Can Grande at the court of il gran Lombardo (i.e. according to the most probable interpretation, Bartolomeo, Cane's eldest brother), [Par. xvii. 70-76]; after referring to the fact that Cane was born under the influence of the planet Mars, which gave promise of his future warlike character ([Par. xvii. 76-78]), and stating that he was at that time (i.e. in 1300, the assumed date of the Journey) unknown, owing to his being only nine years old ([Par. xvii. 79-81]), C. forecasts his future greatness and magnificence, and his signal services to the Emperor Henry VII and the Ghibelline cause, and bids D. repose his hopes in him ([Par. xvii. 82-88]); he then, in conclusion, makes a vague reference to Cane's future achievements and suddenly breaks off ([Par. xvii. 89-93]). [Lombardo_1: Scala, Della: Table XXVIII.]

Can Grande has been identified by many with the Veltro of [Inf. i. 101]; and the cinquecento diece e cingue of [Purg. xxxiii. 43] [Veltro il: DXV]; he is mentioned at the close of the treatise Questio de Aqua et Terra (which is dated from Verona in 1320, a year before D.'s death, at a time when Cane was imperial vicar), Quest. 87.

Of Cane's character D. speaks in terms of high praise in the D.C., mentioning his warlike exploits (notabili fien l'opere sue, [Par. xvii. 78]), his indifference to money or to toil (sua virtute / in non curar d'argento nè d'affanni, [Par. xvii. 83-84]), and his magnificent bounty (Le sue magnificenze conosciute / saranno, [Par. xvii. 85-86]). To him he dedicated the Paradiso, in a lengthy letter addressed (Epist. xiii. 1), Magnifico atque victorioso domino domino Cani Grandi de la Scala sacratissimi Cesarei Principatus in urbe Verona et civitate Vicentie Vicario generali, in which the title and subject of the Divina Commedia are discussed. The letter opens with a eulogy of Can Grande's magnificence and bounty, of which D. says he himself partook, and which he acknowledges to have surpassed even the extravagant reports he had heard of it:

Inclita vestre Magnificentie laus, quam fama vigil volitando disseminat, sic distrahit in diversa diversos, ut hos in spem sue prosperitatis attollat, hos exterminii deiciat in terrorem. Huius quidem preconium, facta modernorum exsuperans, tanquam veri existentia latius arbitrabar aliquando superfluum. Verum ne diuturna me nimis incertitudo suspenderet, velut Austri regina Ierusalem petiit, velut Pallas petint Elicona Veronam petii fidis oculis discursurus audita, ibique magnalia vestra vidi, vidi beneficia simul et tetigi; et quemadmodum prius dictorum ex parte suspicabar excessum, sic posterius ipsa facta excessiva cognovi. ([Epist. xiii 2-3].)

[The authenticity of the letter is much disputed, see E. Moore, SiD, iii, pp. 284-369; i F. Mazzoni, 'L'epistola a Cangrande', Atti Accad. nas. dei Lincei, Rendiconti, x (1955), 157-98, who argues for the authenticity of the letter and B. Nardi, LD Scaligera (Florence, 1960) and C. G. Hardie, 'The Epistle to Cangrande again', DDJ, xxxviii (1960), 51-74, who argue against it.]

Can Grande was not in Verona when the news of Albuino's death reached him, but he returned at once to assume the lordship. One of his first acts was to rescue Brescia, which had submitted to the emperor a few months before, from the hands of the Guelphs; and thenceforward until his death he played the leading part in the affairs of Lombardy.

The following is a summary of the most important events in his career:

1308-11. Joint lord of Verona with Albuino.

1311. Vicar imperial in Verona (Villani, ix. 20); (Nov.) sole lord of Verona (Dec.) rescues Brescla from the Guelphs ({Villani, ix 32}); helps to take Vicenza from the Paduans.

1312 Vicar imperial in Vicenza.

1314 (Sept.) Repels Paduan attack on Vicenza ({Villani, ix. 63}); (Oct.) makes peace with Padua and is confirmed in lordship of Vicenza.

1315. Attacks Cremona, Parma, and Reggio, in alliance with Passerino de' Bonaccorsi, lord of Mantua and Modena.

1316. Dante perhaps at Verona.

1317. (May) With help of Uguccione della Faggiuola repels fresh attack of Paduans on Vicenza; (Dec.) appointed vicar imperial in Verona and Vicenza by Frederick of Austriabesieges Padua ({Villani, ix. 89}).

1318. (April) Takes Cremona (Villani, ix. 91)' (Dec. 16) elected Captain General of Ghibelline league in Lombardy at Soncino.

1319. (Aug.) Besieges Padua ({Villani, ix. 100}).

1320 (Aug. 25) Repulsed by Paduans Uguccione della Faggiuola being killed ({Villani, ix. 121}).

1322. (Sept.) Takes part with Passerino de' Bonaccorsi in siege of Reggio ({Villani, ix. 167}).

1324. (June) Attacked in Padua by Gennan forces of Otto of Austria, whom he repels ({Villani, ix. 258})

1327. Besieges Padua ({Villani, x. 42}).

1328. Captures Mantua. (Sept. 8) at invitation of Paduan Ghibellines becomes lord of Padua ({Villani, x. 101}).

1329. (July 18) Takes Treviso, where he dies (July 22); buried at Verona ({Villani, x. 137}).

Can Grande is described in the Veronese Chronicle as being tall, handsome, of soldierly bearing, and gracious in manner and speech:

Fuit staturae magnae et pulchrae, et omnibus spectabilis et gratiosus in actis, similiter et loquela, et bellicosus in armis.

Albertino Mussato, on the other hand, who was taken prisoner during the unsuccessful attempt of the Paduans upon Vicenza in 1314, speaks of him as being harsh and vindictive, wanting in self-control, obstinately bent on having his own way, and willing to be thought more ruthless than he really was:

Erat vir ille acer et intractabihs, nullos coercens impetus, sed ad quaecunque illum ira provocasset praeceps et inexorabilis, nec non habitu gestuque immanior videri malens, quam sua valuisset exercere severitas--nec plus quidquam pensi habens quam si eidem, quaecunque voluisset, licerent.

Villani says of him:

Fu valente tiranno e signore dabbene. ({xi. 95.}) . . . Fu il maggiore tiranno e 'l più possente e ricco che fosse in Lombardia da Azzolino di Rolllano infino allora, e chi dice di più. ({x. 137.})

Boccaccio, who makes him the subject of one of the stories in the {Decameron (i. 7}), speaks of him as being second only to the Emperor Frederick II:

. . . messer Cane della Scale, al quale in assai cose fu favorevole la fortuna, fu un de' più notabili e de' più magnifichi signori che dallo 'mperadore Federigo secondo in qua si sapesse in Italia.

Benvenuto tells a characteristic story of how as a boy he showed his contempt for riches:

. . . dum pater eius duxisset eum semel ad videndum magnum thesaurum, iste illico levatis pannis misit super eum; ex quo omnes spectantes judicaverunt de eius futura munificentia per istum contemptum pecunarium.

The following account of Can Grande's court at Verona, given by Sagacio Mucio Gazata, a chronicler of Reggio, who was himself received there as a guest while in exile, is quoted by Sismondi:

Different apartments, according to their condition, were assigned to the exiles in the Scala palace; each had his own servants, and a well-appointed table served in private. The various apartments were distinguished by appropriate devices and figures, such as Victory for soldiers, Hope for exiles, Muses for poets, Mercury for artists, and Paradise for preachers. During meals musicians, jesters, and jugglers performed in these rooms. The halls were decorated with pictures representing the vicissitudes of fortune. On occasion Cane invited certain of his guests to his own table, notably Guido da Castello, who on account of his singlemindedness was known as the Simple Lombard, and the poet Dante Alighieri.

The sarcophagus and equestrian statue of Can Grande are still to be seen among the famous tombs of the Scaligers at Verona.

[For a review of Can Grande's biography, see G. Bolognini, Arch. stor. ital. xiii (1894), 125-149.]