At this time, Charles II. of Naples died, and was succeeded by his son
Robert. Henry of Luxemburg had been elected to the empire, and came to
Rome for his coronation, although the pope was not there. His coming
occasioned great excitement in Lombardy; for he sent all the banished
to their homes, whether they were Guelphs or Ghibellines; and in
consequence of this, one faction endeavoring to drive out the other, the
whole province was filled with war; nor could the emperor with all his
endeavors abate its fury. Leaving Lombardy by way of Genoa, he came
to Pisa, where he endeavored to take Tuscany from King Robert; but not
being successful, he went to Rome, where he remained only a few days,
being driven away by the Orsini with the consent of King Robert, and
returned to Pisa; and that he might more securely make war upon Tuscany,
and wrest the country from the hands of the king, he caused it to be
assailed by Frederick, monarch of Sicily. But when he was in hope of
occupying Tuscany and robbing the king of Naples of his dominions, he
died, and was succeeded by Louis of Bavaria. About the same period, John
XXII. attained the papacy, during whose time the emperor still continued
to persecute the Guelphs and the church, but they were defended by
Robert and the Florentines. Many wars took place in Lombardy between the
Visconti and the Guelphs, and in Tuscany between Castruccio of Lucca
and the Florentines. As the family of Visconti gave rise to the duchy of
Milan, one of the five principalities which afterward governed Italy, I
shall speak of them from a rather earlier date.

Milan, upon recovering from the ruin into which she had been thrown by
Frederick Barbarossa, in revenge for her injuries, joined the league
formed by the Lombard cities for their common defense; this restrained
him, and for awhile preserved alive the interests of the church in
Lombardy. In the course of the wars which followed, the family of La
Torre became very potent in that city, and their reputation increased