As spokesman for the Roman populace he attempted to lead a revolution in 1347. Taking the title of tribune, he sought fiscal, political, and judicial reform. Rejected by the papacy and the powerful Orsini and Colonna lords, he was deposed in November 1347 and excommunicated. In 1350 he gained the support of the new pope, Innocent VI, who encouraged him to restore papal authority in Rome. He returned there in triumph in 1354 only to be killed by the mob. He was remembered in the 19th century as a symbol of Italian unity.