Toynbee "Medicina_2"
small town, formerly a strong independent fortress, in Emilia, about 15 miles E. of Bologna; mentioned in connexion with Pier da Medicina, whom D. places among the Sowers of discord in Bolgia 9 of Circle VIII of Hell (Malebolge), [Inf. xxviii. 73]. [Scismatici.]

When Mohammed has taken leave of D. and Virgil, they see another spirit (that of Pier da Medicina) in Bolgia 9, with his throat pierced, and his nose and one ear cut off ([Inf. xxviii. 64-66]); after looking at them in wonder, Pier addresses D., whom he says he had seen in his native land, and, naming himself, begs D., if ever he returns to Lombardy, to bear him in mind ([Inf. xxviii. 67-75]); he then foretells the murder of Guido del Cassero and Angiolello da Carignano by Malatestino ([Inf. xxviii. 76-90]), and points out to D. the spirit of Curio, who urged Caesar to cross the Rubicon and commence the Civil War ([Inf. xxviii. 91-99]). [Angiolello: Cassero, Guido del: Malatestino: Curio_2.]

Little or nothing is known of this Pier da Medicina, except the reports of the early commentators. His identification is most uncertain. An important consideration is, of course, that he must have seen D. somewhere in Italy ([Inf. xxviii. 71-72]), which excludes the possibility that the reference is to the Pier da Medicina of Bologna (the family originally from Medicina) who died in 1277. Piero di Aimo di Medicina, his grandson or nephew (nepos), cited in a document of 1271 as 'nepos quondam domini Petri de Medicina', is thought to be, possibly, the Pier da Medicina in question; he is further mentioned in documents of 1272 and 1277, and in both his city is given as Bologna. However, nothing at all is known of the misdeeds for which he would have been placed where he is in Hell.

[See G. Zaccagnini, GSLI, xliv (1904), 8-14; and C. Ricci, Ore ed ombre dantesche (Firenze, 1921), pp. 28- 29.]

As implied in the text ([Inf. xxviii. 71-72]), D. must have known Piero personally; Benvenuto says that they had met at Medicina:

Medicina est villa grossa et pinguis inter Bononiam et Imolam; et est territorium per se, et habebat olim arcem fortem. Et ibi regnaverunt olim quidam nobiles et potentes, qui vocati sunt Catanei de Medicina, quorum hodie nullus extat. De ista domo fuit Petrus praedictus. Ad domum istorum pervenit semel Dantes, ubi fuit egregie honoratus. Et interrogatus quid sibi videretur de curia illa, respondit, se non vidisse pulcriorem in Romandiola, si ibi esset modicum ordinis.

Piero seems to have been a persistent mischief-maker and sower of discord between the houses of Polenta and Malatesta, by means of stealthy insinuations to each of dark designs on the part of his rival, whereby he acquired great wealth and influence.

Benvenuto says of him:

. . . fuit pessimus seminator scandali, in tantum quod se aliquandiu magnificavit et ditavit dolose ista arte infami. Et ecce modum gratia exempli: si sensisset Petrus de Medicina, quod dominus Malatesta de Arimino tractabat contrahere affinitatem vel societatem cum domino Guidone de Ravenna, invenisset ergo Petrus a casu quemdam familiarem domini Malatestae et petivisset affectuose: Quomodo valet Dominus meus? Et post longam confabulationem dixisset in fine: Dicas domino Malatestae ut mittat mihi fidum nuntium, cum quo loqui possim, sicut secum, aliqua non spargenda in vulgo. Et veniente tali nuntio petito, dicebat Petrus: Vide, carissime, male libenter dicam, quia de honore meo esset forte tacere; sed sincera affectio quam habeo ad dominum meum dominum Malatestam, non permittit me amplius dissimulare. Res ita se habet: Caveat sibi dominus Malatesta ab illo de Ravenna, alioquin inveniet se deceptum. Et statim remittebat istum nuntium sic informatum: et deinde illud idem falso fingebat apud dominum Guidonem de Ravenna, persuadens, ut caveret sibi ab illo de Arimino. Tunc ergo dominus Malatesta concepta suspicione ex verbis Petri incipiebat remissius agere cum domino Guidone, et paulatim incipiebat revocare quod conceperat. De quo perpendens dominus Guido dicebat: Bene dicebat mihi verum Petrus de Medicina. Et e contrario dicebat dominus Malatesta. Et uterque deceptus mittebat Petro equos, jocalia, munera magna, et uterque habebat ipsum in amicum, qui erat familiaris inimicus, quo nulla pestis est efficacior ad nocendum, ut ait Boetius.

The Anonimo Fiorentino says that he extended his operations throughout the whole of Romagna:

Questo Piero da Medicina fu uno grandissimo seminatore di scisma et di divisione, et fu al tempo dell'Auttore; et dicesi di lui ch'egli s'ingegnò di dividere tutti i signori di Romagna, mettendogli in divisione et in scandoli; et ancora assai volte tra' cittadini di Bologna . . . s'ingegnava di mettere scandolo dovunque egli potea; et benchè ne ricevesse vergogna assai volte, non se ne rimanea.

©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