orig. Nicola di Lorenzo
born 1313, Rome
died Oct. 8, 1354, Rome
Italian revolutionary leader.
The son of a tavern keeper, he became a minor Roman official. He plotted a revolution to restore the glory of ancient Rome, declared himself tribune in 1347, and began to rule Rome as a dictator. Cola made judicial and political reforms and prepared for the election of a Roman emperor of Italy. The nobles rose against him, however, and the pope declared him a heretic. He fled to the mountains, then traveled to Prague to ask Charles IV for help. He was arrested (1352) but was absolved of heresy by the Inquisition . Given the title of senator, he was sent back to Rome in 1354 to help restore papal authority there. He ruled arbitrarily and was soon killed by a mob. A novel of his life by Edward Bulwer-Lytton was made into an opera by Richard Wagner .