Cola's Speech at the Palazzo Trivio

It is September in the Year of Our Lord 1342. Cola di Rienzo asks his friends at the Palazzo Trivio if he might make use of their balcony for a speech. Spanning the apex of the triangular palazzo that overlooks a modestly sized piazza, it is the spot where crowds last massed to watch Gepetto Bardone leap to his death. In the days before that appointed, he sends out Pino and his gang of urchins to spread the word, and bids the masters of the palazzo to send word to their clienti and have them bid their friends and families also to attend.

The square is thronging at the appointed hour and the streets leading to it are packed with people, each vying with the other to get the best view of the Notaio of the Aventine, and hushing each other that they might hear his words.

Cola walks out onto the balcone, flanked by some of his compares. He raises his arms to signal for silence and the crowd hushes, intrigued to hear what this man has to say to them, for few bother to speak to the folk of the Suburra.

“The government of the City has been stolen by a few powerful men, who rule not by law but by force, and who call their tyranny government. Rome, once mistress of the world, is now the servant of these men and oppressed by those who should defend her. We all know of whom I speak. These men say they are senators, but they are not senators - they are shadows, empty of justice and virtue. Justice has been sold for gold, offices for favour, and the laws of Rome are mute before the swords of the great. It is the people of Rome that are the living body of the City; the nobles are but members, and no member should rule the body."

Cola went on in this vein for over an hour, though he was bound to stop frequently such was the volume of cheering that went up from the crowd at his every word. He spoke of his own struggles in the aid of the people. He referenced his destruction of the "Scimie Volante" ( a nod here to his compares upon the balcony with him) and the recent rescue of the nuns of Santa Bibiana (again acknowledgement) in evidence of his care of the people of Rome, in direct contrast to the inactivity of the baroni. He gives many examples of less martial actions that he has taken as a notary to help the ordinary folk of the Aventine and other areas of the city. He adds many salutary lessons from history to illustrate his points and speaks much of the past glory of Rome and its people.

He leaves the balcony at last to the sound of cheering. At length, when it is clear that he will not appear again that day, the crowd reluctantly disperse, heading for their homes talking animatedly to each other about what they have heard that day.