1302
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Contents: political eventsreligion |
The Battle of the Spurs at Courtrai in Flanders July 11 follows a massacre of the French (Matin de Bruges). Philippe IV has alienated the Flemish burgers since annexing Flanders last year, Comte Guy de Dampierre leads an army of weavers and members of other craft guilds, they stand their ground on a marshy site whose streams and moats make cavalry charges difficult if not impossible, and they gain victory over a professional army of French and Flemish cavalry that represents the flower of French chivalry. Their golden spurs are taken from the fallen dead, and the burgers' triumph lifts the threat of French annexation, although French influence and patrician economic power will remain dominant.
France's Estates-General convenes for the first time with representatives of the towns in their feudal capacity. They meet to show support for Philippe the Fair in his struggle with Pope Boniface VIII, whose bull Unam sanctam asserts papal supremacy, saying, "Men live on two levels, one spiritual, the other temporal. If the temporal power should go astray, it must be judged by the spiritual power" (see religion, 1296; politics, 1303)
The Black Guelphs (Neri) triumph in Florence and expel the White Guelphs (Bianchi), among them the poet Dante Alighieri, now 37, who fought in the Battle of Campaldino in 1289.
Milan's Della Torre family exiles Matteo Visconti, now 47, who was elected captain of the people 15 years ago but will not be able to return until 1310.
The Peace of Caltabellotta signed August 31 ends a 6-year war between Naples and Sicily; it confirms the Aragonese Federico II as "king of Trinacria" until his death, whereupon Sicily is to revert to Angevin control. Federico has ruled since 1296 and will reassume the title "king of Sicily" when hostilities resume in 1410 (see 1336).
The former Swedish king Valdemar Birgersson dies in exile in Norway December 26 at age 59, having conspired since his ouster in 1275 to regain his throne.
De Potestate Regia et Papali by the Dominican friar Jean de Paris defends the authority of the king, denies the ownership of ecclesiastical property by the pope (whose control is that of an executive acting for the community and who can be held accountable for any misuse of Church property), and denies the papal claim to a unique type of authority.
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