Historical hints
Often, just like
certain hazy sunrises, history and legend mingle and are lost in the mist centuries.
Thus in the shadow of a legend, Jesi was born, even before Romulus' boundary-line
on the hills of Latium, marked the foundation of the Rome of the Ceasars. As
the legend goes, in fact, during the IX century B.C., during the Hellenic immigration
to the Italian coasts, a legendary king called Esio, leader of an army of adventurous
argonauts, along with the mystical "Pelasgi" established here a new
residence foe himself and his people, giving his name to the river and to the
town.
Historians and scholars maintain, however, that in the foundation of Jesi
was most likely due to an immigration of Umbrian people. One thing is certain
though: at the beginning of our history, the Esino river marked the border between
the Piceno region and the Maritime Umbria, respectively in the south and in
the North. Later on Jesi got to known the cultured and refined civilization
of the Etruscans, who had moved toward the Adriatic coast, around about the
VII century B.C., when their power was at its height. At the end of the IV century
B.C., the Senoni Gauls arrived from the North.
They
took up position along our river, ransacking the invaded areas and fixing the
southern boundary of their territory here. Jesi, having been occupied shortly
afterwards by the Roman legions, became an important Roman military garrison
(the town was in a strategic position in as much as it was an obligatory thoroughfare
for all Tirreneum bound traffic). It became a Roman Colony together with the
Velina tribe, governed by a principal.
It then assumed the countenance of a rich and architecturally sumptuous centre.
Strabone noted that the probity of the inhabitants, the grandeur of the town
and the great wealth testified to the value and good quality of this zone, therefore
the Roman inhabitants excelled over other Italians.
With the fall of
the Roman Empire, all amenities of imperial Jesi and its prosperous economy
were swept away and lost due to the ferocity of the Barbarian invaders: Goths,
Huns, Vandals, Eruls and Ostrogoths spread across the Vallesina. Horror and
devastation did not spare this town and its territory, which were moreover both
flagellated by epidemies, earthquakes, famine and last but not least, by the
brigantage problem.Under the reign of Giustiniano, Italy was reduced to a kind
of colony belonging to the Eastern Roman Empire, and Jesi was included in the
12th Byzantine province "provision pentapolis", along with Urbino,
Fossombrone, Cagli and Gubbio. Jesi did not escape the fierceness of the Longobards
who took possession if this town until - under the reign of the Franks, Jesi
was included by their King Pipin, in the famous "donation" to the
Pope, thus becoming part of the Papal States. In the meantime, the area saw
the introduction of the Benedictine Monks' organization. The monks built abbeys
here, reclaiming land from swamps, cutting down forests and giving back fertility
to the land which had been uncultivated for so long. Yielding strength to the
Vallesina 's agriculture, the Benedictines gave quite push to the economic renaissance
of the town and to its civil and cultural revival. According to tradition in
847, Jesi was destroyed by earthquake; survivors found refuge in the Terravecchia
district outside the ancient towns walls, near St. Nicholas' Church (at the
time consecrated St. Salvatore). The return to the original settlement began
a century later to allow escape from the Saracens incursions that were threatening
the peninsula's coasts.
From the last years of the Millenium up to half if the XII century, Jesi was
ruled by a dynasty of earls. In 1150 c., the town became a free council.
Jesi had its own administration, "its own consuls, School of Arts, Councils
and its own mayors" - and Jesi was soon to have its own district. The extension
of the territory of Jesi, aided by the protection of Frederick II (born here
in 1194) was rapid: many castles were subject to the Jesi people who extended
their jurisdiction over the Vallesina within less than 40 years - from the "Gola
dell Rossa" to the sea. The "Great Republic of Jesi" lived through
its most prosperous period because as well as the territorial extensions, there
was an economic revival. In the beginning of the XIV century, practically all
the territories between the Appennines and the Adriatic, the Musone and Misa
Rivers had become the property of Jesi.
The whole population
of the district was obliged to testify its loyalty to our town by officially
intervening at the Ceremony of the presentation of the St. Florian Contest,
held every year on the 4th. of May in the main square. For the security of the
town and its district, there was the "Council Army" well armed, well
equipped and always led by a valiant captain of the zone (born in Jesi). The
heroic militia of the Republic represented the security and the pride of the
people of Jesi".
The interests of Jesi inevitably ended up countering those of Fabriano, Senigallia
and Ancona. It was mostly against this last town that Jesi came into conflict.
The war between the Jesini and the Anconitani was to continue for 250 years,
and was caused over border disputes and over the possession of the Abbey of
Chiaravalle . The war was fought with arms and verbally with "official
papers" in the Papal Court. The Jesini nearly always won the physical battle
whilst the Anconitani won the legal battles. The first and the most dreadful
battle was fought in Camerata in 1309 - the Anconitani were defeated and they
lost 4000 soldiers.
Jesi sided with
Frederick and his sons who were overwhelming the town with privileges and therefore
often came into conflict with the Church which inflicted terribles penalties
and a load of excommunications on offenders. Jesi was also tormented by internal
battles between the most influential local families - the Baliganis and the
Simonettis who supported the Guelphs and the Ghibellines and fiercely contended
the dominion of the town.
In the long run, the most powerful Italian families, who were in turn in continuos
conflict for power, took advantage of this situation. These people were the
Malatestas from Rimini, Fortebraccio da Montone from Perugia and finally Francesco
Sforza from Milan. They ruled the town in their own way, involving it in their
military manoeuvres and wars. Francesco Sforza, who governed this town from
1433 to 1447, betrayed the Jesini's loyalty, selling it to the Pope for 35 thousand
ducats.
Having been returned to the Church's power, and after having avoided a Ghibelline
attack led by Francesco Colocci and Fioranio Santoni, who tried to take possession
of the town in 1486 to deduct it from the Pontifex, Jesi in 1517 underwent the
worst plunder of its history due to the troups of Francesco Maria della Rovere
from Urbino; the town and its district suffered every kind of raid for eight
days.
In 1585 Jesi Was finally freed from the governer of the "Marca"
(county). He was hated by the town's population because of his favouritism towards
Ancona during the disputes.
Our town had its own governer at this stage and had a self-governing administration,
at least formally.From this moment, the town's history can be basically identified
with the history of the Papal States.
A continuation of Jesi's most interesting historical events was to come during
the Napoleonic period; this was when the town was to lose its district. In 1808,
on the 4th May, the "Pallii" (Jesi's flags) waved for the last time.
The ancient and glorious "Free Council of Jesi" was then to end for
ever.