STEFANO PORCARI. — Born at the beginning of the 15th century in Rome, died in Rome on 9 January 1453. In 1427 he is found in Florence as captain of the people: an enthusiastic admirer of antiquity, in that city he formed friendships with the humanists, especially with Traversari. He then travelled to France and Germany. In 1431 he returned to Rome and the following year Eugenius IV sent him as podestà to Bologna, where he succeeded in restoring peace disturbed by factional strife. In 1434 he was podestà in Siena, in 1435 in Orvieto. Having entered the service of Cardinal Vitelleschi, he was entrusted by him with the governorship of Trani.
Nothing is known with certainty about the circumstances that influenced Porcari’s state of mind to induce him to pose as the liberator of the Urbe from papal dominion; in the end he was merely giving voice to the traditional claims of his fellow citizens against the Curia, which had led in 1142 to the reconstitution of the Senate, had given rise during the Avignonese exile to the creation of the tribunes, and had revived during the Western Schism. The very appeal to the liberty of ancient Rome was not Porcaro’s innovation, but he found in him a more learned and eloquent supporter. In any case, in 1447, during the last illness of Eugenius IV and the subsequent conclave, Porcaro publicly incited the Romans to rebel in order to restore the ancient republic. Nicholas V, however, pardoned him, and since Porcaro did not cease his seditious intrigues, the Pope sent him to Germany and finally confined him to Bologna under the surveillance of Cardinal Bessarion. From Bologna Porcaro maintained contact with friends who shared his ideas, until, having cast aside all hesitation, at the end of December 1452 he fled from the city and on 2 January 1453, arriving in Rome, he hid in his brother-in-law’s house where he completed the plan of the revolt, enrolling mercenaries and fixing the action for Epiphany. The plan was to assault the Vatican, seize Castel Sant’Angelo, capture and, in case of resistance, kill the Pope and the cardinals, and proclaim a republic, with Porcaro assuming the office of tribune. When the Pope was informed in time and had overcome his initial alarm, the camerlengo gathered armed men and in the night of 6 January attacked the rebels in the house where they were gathered; some of them fought energetically, Porcaro sought refuge elsewhere. Discovered and arrested on 7 January, he made a full confession, and on the 9th he was hanged with some companions, without the people stirring. Other conspirators were condemned in the following days.
