The Cerchi are the family of the White Guelphs in Florence in 1300 — plebeians enriched by banking, opposed to the old military nobility of the Donati.
History
- On 1 May 1300 (Calendimaggio) the new rival clans, Cerchi and Donati, came into opposition: new money against old blood. The Donati were in decline, ruined but “rich in honor”; the Cerchi are characterized by their violent, warlike side.
- They guarded the council before it was moved, and so kept loyal servants or guards inside the sealed palace. One infiltrator, Irina, a peasant woman among the Cerchi servants, was killed by the Marzocco, the lion of Florence, which left its claw marks on her torn body.
- Dante recommended voting to exile both families. The next day the names were published: among the Whites, three Cerchi, but not their leader Vieri.
See also
- Neri — the rival party