(2) For Beatrice, sister of Enrico II.,
was given in marriage to Count Bonifazio of Canossa, then Signor of
Mantua; the Countess Matilda was their daughter, a lady of rare and
singular prudence and piety; who, after the death of her husband
Gottifredo, held in Italy (besides Mantua) Lucca, Parma, Reggio, and part
of Tuscany, which to-day is called the Patrimonio of San Pietro; and,
having in her lifetime done many things worthy of memory, died and was
buried in the Badia of San Benedetto, beyond the walls of Mantua, which
abbey she had built, and largely endowed.
II. Messer Simone then, of this family, coming to Florence as Podesta(3)
in the year 1250, was deemed worthy of being made a citizen, and head of a
_sesitiere_ or sixth part of the town, for into so many wards was the
township divided at that time; to-day the wards are _quartieri_ or fourth
parts. The Guelph party were in power in Florence, and he, from Ghibelline
that he was, became Guelph, because of the many benefits he received from
that faction, changing the colour of his coat-of-arms, which originally
was gules, a dog rampant with a bone in his mouth, argent--to azure, a dog
or; and the Signoria afterwards granted him five lilies, gules, in a
Rastrello, and at the same time the crest with two horns of a bull, the
one or, and the other azure, as may be seen to this day painted on their
ancient shields; the old arms of Messer Simone may be seen in the palace
of the Podesta, carved in marble by his orders, according to the custom of
those who held that office.
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