Editing Anagni (section)

===Outrage of Anagni===
Anagni is connected to the events in the life of [[Pope Boniface VIII|Boniface VIII]], the fourth Pope to be born in the city, and a member of the powerful [[Caetani Family]]. He was elected after the abdication of [[Pope Celestine V|Celestine V]], but opposed by French Cardinals and by the powerful Colonna Family.

In 1300, Boniface VIII, set up the first Jubilee and founded the first Roman university, but also began a feud with the King of France, [[Philip IV of France|Philip the Fair]], who had arrogated the right to tax the French clergy. In response, in 1302 Boniface delivered the Bull ''[[Unam Sanctam]]'', which proclaimed absolute papal supremacy over the earthly power of kings.  In anger, Philip organized an expedition to arrest and remove the pope.

In 1303, the king's advisor [[Guillaume de Nogaret]] and [[Sciarra Colonna]] led a band of two thousand mercenaries on horse and foot. They joined locals in an attack on the palaces of the pope and his nephew at Anagni. The Pope's attendants and his nephew Francesco all soon fled; only the Spaniard [[Pedro Rodríguez (cardinal)|Pedro Rodríguez]], [[Cardinal of Santa Sabina]], remained at his side. The palace was plundered and Boniface was nearly killed (Nogaret prevented Sciarra Colonna from murdering the pope). Still, Boniface was held prisoner and starved of food and drink for three days. This incident is called the ''Outrage of Anagni''. According to a legend, during the imprisonment, the Pope was slapped by Sciarra Colonna with his [[Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlet]], called the ''Schiaffo di Anagni'' (Slap of Anagni). The imprisonment of the Pope inspired [[Dante Alighieri]] in a famous passage of his [[Divine Comedy]] (Purgatory, XX, vv. 85-93), ''the new Pilate has imprisoned the Vicar of Christ''.

The people of Anagni rose against the invaders and released Boniface. The pope pardoned those captured. He returned to Rome in 1303.
 
The old pontiff, already infirm, developed a violent fever and died in Rome on 11 October 1303.

After the death of Boniface VIII, both the splendor of Anagni and the dreams of power of the Caetani Family collapsed and the doctrine of ultimate papal suzerainty was weakened.

The [[Avignon Papacy|transfer of the papal court]] to Avignon marked for Anagni the beginning of a long decline lasting through the entire 15th century. The town was sacked by the troops of Duke [[Werner von Urslingen]] in 1348, and depopulated.