On this day, Stamira, also known as Stamura, saved the city of Ancona on the east coast of Italy from a siege by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. During a particularly dire moment of the siege, the inhabitants of Ancona staged a short sortie and managed to throw a barrel containing resin and pitch in front of the besiegers but did not know how to safely ignite it. It was at this moment that the widow Stamira boldly left the protection of the city walls wielding an axe. She broke the barrel and set it on fire thus destroying part of the besiegers’ war machines, but at the price of herself being killed. Thanks to her sacrifice, the Ancona inhabitants were able to leave the city for a short time and supply themselves with food. In this way, the resistance continued until the arrival of reinforcements in mid-October forced the Imperial forces to lift the siege.
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