Raffaele Maffei was an Italian humanist, historian and theologian. He was also a member of the Servite Order. The Commentariorum urbanorum from 1506 is an encyclopedia. It consists of three parts: in “Geography,” Maffei writes about history and the whole world arranged by location; the second part, “Anthropology,” is devoted to contemporaneous history; and the third part is called “Philology” and deals with science and natural history. Maffei tells the story of how the emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned on the expedition and that Archbishop Ubaldo Lanfranchi founded the Camposanto with earth brought back from the Holy Land. /SB

Maffei (excerpt)

Source: Raffaele Maffei, Commentariorum urbanorum Raphaelis Volaterrani octo et triginta libri (Rom: Besicken, 1506).

Liber V. Hetruria – Res Pisanorum

“Deinde Gregorio VIII sequestro qui ea tempestate Pisas venerat pax inter utrunque populum facta, mox ad Hierosolytanam expeditionem cum eodem Frederico classem L. triremium una cum Ubaldo Lanfranco Urbis presule miserunt quae Imperatore in flumine casu demerso statim domum revertit. Sub eodem Presule Campum sanctum dicavere ex terra, quam Hierosolymis adduxerunt, injecta nuncupatum.”

Book 5 Etruscia – on Pisans

Hereupon peace was made between the nations through the mediator Gregory VIII, who had come to Pisa at that time. Then, the campaign went with Frederick to Jerusalem with a fleet of 50 triremes, one with the bishop Ubaldo Lanfranchi, where the emperor fell into the floods and drowned, after which they returned home. Under the same bishop the Camposanto was consecrated with the earth they brought back from Jerusalem and was distributed, as has been said.