N. 9. - Inscription which commemorates BELLINCION-BERTI visible on the palazzo Via del Proconsolo N. 9, side front, facing Via del Corso, precisely where the houses of the Berti Bellicioni formerly stood:
Reading edition
Bellincion Berti vid’io andar cinto Di cuoio e d’osso, e venir dallo specchio La donna sua senza il viso dipinto; DANTE, Paradiso, XV, 106–108. I saw Bellincion Berti walk abroad In leathern girdle and a clasp of bone; And without artful colouring on her cheeks His lady leave the glass. H. F. Cary’s translation.
Bellincion Berti in whom Cacciaguida describes a type of the good citizen of Florence in the olden times, was still living in 1266. Villani calls him “the best and most honoured gentleman of Florence.” He belonged to the noble family of the Ravignani, a branch of the Adimari, and was the father of “the good Gualdrada” whose story is told by Boccaccio as follows: “When the Emperor Otho IV, happening about 1208 to be in Florence, attended the festival of St. John to make it more gay with his presence, to the church, with the other city-dames, came the wife of Messer Berto and brought with her a daughter called Gualdrada, who was still unmarried. And as they sat there with the others, the maiden being beautiful in face and figure, nearly all present turned round to look at her, among the rest the Emperor. And having much commended her beauty and manners, he asked Messer Berto, who stood near him, who she was. To which Messer Berto smiling answered: “She is the daughter of one who, I dare say, would let you kiss her, if you wished.” These words the young lady heard, being near the speaker, and somewhat troubled by the opinion her father seemed to have of her, that she would suffer to be kissed by any one in this free way, rising and blushing with shame she said: “father, do not make such courteous promises at the expense of my modesty, for certainly, unless by violence, no one shall ever kiss me except him, whom you shall give me as my husband.” The Emperor, on hearing this, much commended the words of the young lady ... and calling forward a noble youth named Guido Beisangue, afterwards called Guido the Elder, who as yet had no wife, insisted upon his marrying her, and gave him as her dowery a large territory in Casentino and made him Count thereof. It is uncertain what arms Bellincion Berti bore.”
GIANFIGLIAZZI