Chapter 12: The Return to Rome

The ship dropped anchor at Civitavecchia, Rome’s principal port, where Johannes finally set foot on Italian soil once more. It would require an additional overland journey along the ancient road from Civitavecchia to the city of Rome. Everyone wanted to regain their land legs, obtain food, and find pack animals and horses for the at least two-day journey to Rome. One of the men-at-arms in the Frangipani company who had accompanied Johannes on his journeys was originally from Civitavecchia and volunteered to acquire the animals they would need to transport the party to Rome.

Father Denis, the Catholic priest who had volunteered to accompany the men back to their native Rome, was overwhelmed by the realization that he was only a couple of days away from the Eternal City. He asked Johannes for permission to celebrate Mass while they waited for transportation, and Johannes readily granted it. He saw no reason to refuse the request, and the men gathered away from the quay where ships docked to unload and load their cargo. The impromptu Mass was brief, and Father Denis was pleased. It had been several days since the men had felt healthy enough to attend Mass.

A day passed before the Frangipani man was able to acquire enough horses for all the men to ride. Father Denis and the servants would follow several days later after securing the pack animals needed to carry the personal belongings of the French knights and the Frangipani men.

As a mark of respect, Johannes had his friend and brother-in-law lead the company to Rome. On the first day, they rode at a comfortable pace, covering twenty-five miles along the Via Aurelia. That night, they stopped at Cerveteri and were given lodging at the bishop’s palace.The bishop was especially welcoming when he learned that his guests included knights from the court of King Louis VII of France, Marcus, nephew of Oddone Frangipani, and Johannes, protector of Pope Adrian IV. Johannes found it particularly amusing that the bishop had initially intended to turn them away until their names and titles became known.

On their second day on the road, they entered the city of Rome. Unsure of the political situation in Rome, they made their way to the Frangipani stronghold near the Colosseum. As they approached the tower house, it was as if they had been gone only overnight. Marcus and Johannes were warmly greeted by the men at the gate. A runner hurried off to announce the arrival of Marcus and Johannes, along with the Frangipani men-at-arms.

Johannes and Marcus were led to the room where Oddone usually received guests. Marcus went ahead while Johannes held back, unsure of how Oddone would receive him. He would not have been surprised if Oddone had ordered him out of the Frangipani stronghold. The guilt and regret that he had kept buried worked their way to the surface. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, and he struggled to keep the grief threatening to overwhelm him under control.

Oddone seemed truly sincere as he greeted his nephew and, seeing Johannes holding back, motioned for him to come forward. Oddone greeted Johannes in the same warm manner that he had greeted Marcus, and this surprised the grief-stricken Johannes. Having expected harsh treatment, perhaps even a beating, Johannes found himself at a loss as Oddone welcomed him with the affection of a father greeting a son returned from a long journey.

Oddone held Johannes and said quietly, “Apollonia’s passing was not your fault. She died because of a storm; it had nothing to do with you, Johannes. And I understand why you sent her back to Rome. I would have done the same. You cannot have a member of your party insult or criticize the high-ranking church official or nobleman who is hosting you. It would cast doubt upon your status as a representative of the Emperor or the Pope.”

Johannes returned the fatherly embrace with equal affection before asking the question that weighed most heavily on his mind.

“What has happened in Rome since I have been gone? And are the Pope and the alliance I worked so hard to establish safe?”

Oddone smiled sadly and said, “Rome is Rome. Nothing has changed since you left to do the Emperor’s bidding. Pope Adrian IV still occupies the Throne of Saint Peter, thanks in no small part to the alliance you forged between the Church and the Imperial Crown. His authority has met with only limited success and is constantly challenged.

“The Roman Commune still holds much of the real power within the city. Its members believe that the glory of ancient Rome can be restored, and they continually challenge the authority of both the Papacy and the Imperial Crown. They are so consumed by their dream of reviving the Roman Republic that they fail to see the harm they are doing to the city itself.

“As for your Emperor, he can demonstrate his authority only when his mighty armies stand within Rome. Even then, he must share power with the Pope and the great families who support his rule. The Frangipani remain among his strongest allies, so long as he stands with the Papacy and Holy Mother Church.”

It was worse than Johannes had imagined. In less than a year, Rome was still a city without a true central government, its people divided by competing loyalties. The Pope wielded immense religious authority, but his political power was far from absolute. Much of that authority rested instead with the Roman Commune and the powerful noble families that dominated the city.

Rome had descended into a state of near anarchy, a place of competing governments, shifting alliances, and constant political unrest. No single authority was strong enough to impose lasting order. Without the presence of a powerful military force capable of establishing and maintaining a central government, Rome seemed destined to remain a city consumed by chaos.

Rome was an impossible situation as far as he was concerned. What had the Emperor hoped to accomplish with him here. As far as Johannes was concerned, Rome was a lost cause and no matter what he would try, it would meet with failure. He could form another alliance and as soon as he left Rome to head back to Aachen, it would fall apart like last one had. Unless the Emperor wanted to pull his armies from other parts of the empire, Rome would be a fragmented city.

He could try to appeal to the great families of Rome and attempt to negotiate with the Roman Commune. There were fifty-six families represented in the Senate, and each had its own interests, territory, and alliances. Their loyalties shifted frequently. There was one thing Johannes understood with absolute certainty: What’s in it for them?

Even Oddone had that concern. He was always looking out for the interests of the Frangipani. Johannes couldn’t fault them. Every family sought its share of the wealth, influence, and control of the city.

Johannes wanted to address the Roman Commune to see whether it might be possible to unite the city’s competing authorities into a single central government by bringing together the powers of the Papacy, the Roman Commune, and the Imperial Crown.

Oddone approached the leaders of the Roman Commune to determine whether such a proposal would even be considered, but the idea was rejected vehemently. Too many of its members remembered Johannes’s role in suppressing the open rebellion during the Emperor’s coronation and in announcing the alliance between the Imperial Crown and the Papacy. Some even called for his assassination, particularly members of the Pierleoni family. They remained the most outspoken opponents of both imperial authority and the alliance with the Papacy.

Discouraged but not defeated, Johannes sought an audience with Pope Adrian IV to discuss unifying the governance of the city of Rome under a single central authority in which the Papacy, the Roman Commune, and the Holy Roman Empire would share both the responsibilities and the benefits of that union.

Within a few days, Johannes was granted an audience with His Holiness. Pope Adrian IV greeted him warmly and expressed his condolences over the recent death of Apollonia.

Never one to waste time or words, Johannes shared his concerns about the lack of a unified government in the city of Rome. He asked for the Pope’s support in establishing a central government in which the Papacy, the Roman Commune, and the Holy Roman Empire would share authority and responsibility.

Pope Adrian IV rejected the proposal almost immediately. He explained that such an arrangement would further weaken the Papacy’s already fragile influence over the governance of the city. He also feared that the Church might not receive its rightful share of the taxes and tithes collected within Rome. Above all, he was concerned that the Roman Commune would eventually wield greater authority than the Church itself, allowing it to overrule both the Papacy and the authority of Holy Mother Church.

Frustrated by the lack of cooperation, Johannes wrote a missive to Emperor Frederick, reporting what he had found upon his arrival in Rome and expressing his frustration over the unwillingness of the city’s leaders to work together. He wrote:

My Emperor,

I have returned to Rome from the court of Louis VII, King of France. While I found considerable opportunity for trade between our two realms, I discovered little interest at his court in pursuing an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France.

As you commanded, I returned to Rome. The journey was completed in a month’s time. Much of the voyage was by sea, and I found it far less arduous than crossing the deep snows of the high mountain passes.

Upon my arrival, I found that much of the work we accomplished toward unifying the city under a shared government of the Papacy, the Roman Commune, and the Imperial Crown has unraveled. There is deep mistrust among all parties involved. The Pope’s authority is continually challenged by the Roman Commune, which itself is divided by constant rivalry, shifting loyalties, and internal conflict. The greatest obstacle to a unified government remains the Pierleoni family, who continue to be the principal supporters of the Roman Commune.

I attempted to open discussions with them to determine whether a mutual effort to establish a stronger central government might be possible. My proposal was met instead with threats upon my life. Many still seek revenge for the suppression of the rebellion at your coronation and remember my role in those events.

After careful consideration, I have come to believe that the Holy Roman Empire should commit only the forces necessary to preserve the Papacy of Pope Adrian IV and avoid expending additional resources in an attempt to govern Rome at this time. The greater part of Italy remains favorable toward the Empire. Rather than exhausting its strength in a city so divided, the Empire would be better served by consolidating its authority throughout the rest of the Italian peninsula. Once that foundation has been firmly established, Rome may then be brought peacefully back within the Empire’s sphere of influence.

My days in Rome seem numbered, and I believe I could better serve the Imperial Crown as your right hand—the Hammer—elsewhere within the Empire.

Your faithful servant,

Johannes Braun

Imperial Knight

Johannes carefully folded the vellum on which he had written his missive and addressed it to the Emperor. In the morning, he would take it to the imperial fortification that supported Pope Adrian IV. From there, it would be entrusted to a courier, who would deliver it to the imperial court at Aachen.