Percorsi della rappresentazione di Ezzelino ed Alberico da Romano tra propaganda, legittimazione e condanna (Treviso, metà XIII sec.)

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of Ezzelino da Romano’s legitimization as a ruler of several cities in the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) in the central decades of the 13th century. With the help of a wealth of secondary literature, it first highlights the patterns for the acquisition of consent that were staged by him. Then, it recalls the successful efforts of de-legitimization of his authority staged by his filo-papal enemies. In its second part (which rests more on the careful analysis of some first-hand sources), the work delves into the peculiar political situation in the city of Treviso, focusing on the rule of Ezzelino’s brother Alberico (first as an enemy, eventually as an ally) and on the delicate issues in the restoration of the status quo ante faced by the city government after the decline of the two, both in terms of assessing its own legitimity and in establishing a widely acceptable image of the brothers as tyrants.