Ghibelline Rebellions  (1308-35)

In the Ghibelline rebellion that followed the election of Henry of Luxembourg in 1308 (the future Emperor Henry VII), Città di Castello provided troops for the Perugians as they attempted to suppress the Ghibelline rebellion led by Bishop Guido de' Tarlati di Pietramala of Arezzo and his brother Pier Saccone Tarlati.

Brancaleone de' Guelfucci, the despotic head of the Guelf party, controlled the city.  Among his opponents was Rigone II del Monte, whom Henry VII invested with the castle of Petriola in 1312. 

Blessed Margherita of Città di Castello died in 1320.

In 1323, a group of citizens of Città di Castello who were in rebellion against Brancaleone de' Guelfucci, the despotic head of the Guelf party, betrayed to city to Pier Saccone Tarlati, Rigone II del Monte and Gerio di Tano degli Ubaldini.  The Guelfs were driven out of the city.  After the defeat of the Ghibellines of Spoleto in 1324, Città di Castello became the centre of war in Umbria between the Guelfs led by Perugia and the Ghibellines.  Pope John XXII excommunicated Bishop Guido in 1324.  He died in September 1327, by which time both sides were exhausted.  In the peace that they negotiated, Città di Castello remained in the hands of Pier Saccone Tarlati and Gerio di Tano degli Ubaldini and his brothers.

In March 1328, John XXII excommunicated the Emperor Louis IV, Pier Saccone Tarlati and Castruccio Castracani.  In December 1328, Louis IV recognised Pier Saccone Tarlati as Lords of Arezzo, Città di Castello and Borgo Sansepolcro.

War between Pier Saccone Tarlati and Perugia erupted again when he attacked Cagli in 1335.  Perugia negotiated a secret alliance with Ranieri Casali, Lord of Cortona and other enemies of  Pier Saccone Tarlati (some of whom were Ghibellines), and made a successful surprise attack on Borgo Sansepolcro (April 1335).  When the Perugians attempted to take Arezzo, they were driven back to Cortona, and the army of Pier Saccone Tarlati ravaged the Perugian contado.  However, when reinforcements from Florence and other Guelf cities arrived, Perugia returned the compliment in the contado of Arezzo, and finally took Città di Castello (September 1335). 

Submission to Perugia (1335-53)

In 1339, Città di Castello submitted formally to Perugia, granting that city the right to elect the Podestà and Capitano di Popolo and giving it custody of the citadel and the keys of the city for twenty years.  The wisdom of this move became evident in 1343, when the Perugians protected Città di Castello from the army of German mercenaries under Werner of Urslingen that ravaged central Italy at that time.

Città di Castello lost perhaps a third of its population in the black death (1348).  An attempted coup in 1350 resulted in the expulsion of the Ubaldini and the resubmission of Città di Castello to Perugia.

Archbishop Giovanni Visconti attacked Città di Castello in 1353, but by that time the tide had turned against him. 

Angelo da Orvieto:  Palazzo Comunale (1334-52); Palazzo dei Podestà (finished by 1368 

Papal Reconquest (1353-75)

Cardinal Gil Albornoz was determined to bring Città di Castello (among other “clients” of Perugia) into direct subservience to the papacy, and this led to a sharp deterioration in his relations with Perugia in around 1362. 

Albornoz died in 1368, but his successor continued his assault on Perugian power at the instigation of Pope Urban V. 

In July 1368, he incited Brancaleone Guelfucci to drive the Perugian garrison from Città di Castello.  Brancaleone Guelfucci, who was installed as Lord of Città di Castello, took cruel revenge against to pro-Perugian faction.  Those that could not flee the city hid in the campanile but were forced to surrender when Brancaleone Guelfucci threatened to demolish it.  Their leaders were beheaded.

Città di Castello was among the first cities to revolt against papal government in what became known as the War of the Eight Saints in 1375.  The papal garrison in the city was attacked with great ferocity and Brancaleone Guelfucci was ejected.  The city successfully withstood the subsequent assault on it by the papal legate, Robert of Geneva and his Breton mercenaries.

An earthquake devastated the city and its surrounding territory in 1389.