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And indignantly returned to the king, who swore he would abandon Florence «But not yes either! », replied the others; by his soldiers. », commented Giuliano Bugiardini. «It was Piero de' Medici and Lorenzo Tornabuoni. Piero offered the King of France, who to be plundered had already occupied Sarzana, the castles of Sarzanello and Pietrasanta. The French king wanted confirmation by the Signoria, and Lorenzo Tornabuoni was sent to get it from them in writing». But the Signoria, incited by Piero 's cousins, who had just been exiled to a place a mile outside of the city walls for conspiracy, refused to confirm anything.

Every so often, at the cry of «Lock up! », the people barricaded themselves in their houses ready for defense. Then the news turned out to be a false alarm, and doorways and shops opened up every night left its toll ways, now from one men again. But lying in the dark alley- now from the other. came when the king, side, The turning point Savonarola to leave, of dead set exhorted by conditions judged unacceptable by the Signoria. Pier Capponi, risked his life, who was ambassador tearing the paper for the Florentines, on which those hard condi- were written into pieces in the presence of the king.

Black famine reigned in the city. Wheat was not to be found at any price. As if this were not enough, Piero de' Medici was galloping about under the walls, between the Certosa and San Gaggio, at the head of two thousand mercenaries. His brother Giuliano, on the other side of the city, was trying to enroll volunteers. Then came the first breach, the first protest. A group of young Angry Ones entered the Duomo by night, forcing the door of the bell tower, and covered with a donkey skin and strewed with nails the pulpit where Savonarola was to preach next morning, on Ascension Day.