The psychological profile of a warrior driven by intelligence rather than blind courage
Natural son of Paolo Vitelli; brother of Niccolò Vitelli; father of Paolo Vitelli; uncle of Chiappino Vitelli, Adriano Baglioni and Astorre Baglioni; cousin of Vitello, Giovanni and Chiappino (1) Vitelli. Count of Montone. Lord of Montone, Citerna, and Amatrice.
Born: 1500
Death: 1554 (february)
| Year, Month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
| 1514 | |||||
| Aug. | Umbria | He is hosted in Perugia with his brother Niccolò by their kinsman Gentile Baglioni. | |||
| 1520 | |||||
| June | Umbria | He meets in Perugia with Gentile Baglioni to assess the consequences of the death in Rome of Giampaolo Baglioni. | |||
| June | Umbria | He meets in Perugia with Gentile Baglioni to assess the consequences of the death in Rome of Giampaolo Baglioni. | |||
| 1521 | Florence | France Venice | 25 light horse | ||
| 1522 | |||||
| Jan. | Perugia | Comp. ventura | Umbria and Tuscany | He defends Perugia from the attack led by Malatesta and Orazio Baglioni, assisted by Francesco Maria della Rovere and Camillo Orsini. He leaves the city for a raid and is surprised and put to flight at Civitella d’Arno: he re-enters Perugia via Ponte Val di Ceppi. He is forced to leave the city with Gentile Baglioni. In the same days, he helps Braccio, Galeazzo, and Sforza Baglioni to kill three sons of Giovanni Orso da Montesperelli near Perugia, who, already confined to Città di Castello, had obtained permission to return to the capital. At the end of the month, he joins Giovanni dei Medici and Guido Vaina to counter della Rovere and Orazio Baglioni in their effort to take Siena. | |
| … | He commands the personal guard of Cardinal Giulio dei Medici (the future Pope Clement VII). | ||||
| 1526 | |||||
| June | Church | Empire Colonna | 100 light horse | Emilia | He is part of the Black Bands of Giovanni dei Medici. He confronts the Imperials at Piacenza. |
| July | Lombardy | At the camp of Lambrate. He is wounded in the leg by an arquebus shot during a sortie by the opponents from Milan. | |||
| … | Lazio | He confronts the Colonnas. | |||
| 1527 | |||||
| Jan. | Lazio | Renzo di Ceri assigns him to the defense of Frosinone with Giovambattista Savelli and Pietro da Birago (1800 infantry) to prevent an attack from the south on the Papal States by the Viceroy of Naples, Charles de Lannoy. Commanding 300 infantry and part of the light horse, he leaves the city with the two captains to catch 500 Spanish infantry by surprise at Arnara: in the clash, 80 enemy infantry are killed along with Captain Peralta; there are numerous prisoners. The papal forces also seize two banners. | |||
| June-Aug. | Lazio and Umbria | With the withdrawal of the French and Venetian troops to Monterosi, he abandons the confederate army and defects to the Imperial side with Piermaria dei Rossi and 200 light horse. In mid-July he is in Foligno. In August he is reported near Todi; with Piermaria dei Rossi, he captures Bino Mancino Signorelli with 20 horses in an ambush. | |||
| Sept. | Umbria | Still with Piermaria dei Rossi (200 horse and 400 infantry), he entrenches himself in the abbey of San Pietro Bovario (San Pietro in Valle) near Trevi: he is attacked there by the Marquis of Saluzzo, Francesco Maria della Rovere, and Federico Gonzaga da Bozzolo with 400 horse and 1500 infantry. Vitelli sends 150 arquebusiers to sack a nearby castle; the opponents take advantage of their absence and, with a long night attack, force him to surrender on terms. He is taken to Ponte San Giovanni because he was wounded by an arquebus shot that crippled his arm. | |||
| 1528 | |||||
| May | Puglia | Under the command of Pier Luigi Farnese, he unsuccessfully defends Manfredonia from the attacks of Camillo Orsini. During this period, with his brother Niccolò, he obtains from Pope Clement VII the title of perpetual vicar of Montone. | |||
| 1529 | |||||
| Aug. | Empire | Florence | Tuscany and Lazio | He escorts Cardinals dei Medici and Farnese (the future Paul III) from Piombino to Rome. He joins the troops of the Prince of Orange with 3000 infantry in his expedition against Florence (in total 300 lances, 500 light horse, 2500 German infantry, 2000 Spanish infantry, 3000 Italians). | |
| Oct. | Tuscany | He besieges Poppi with Sciarra Colonna. He camps at the Franciscan convent of Certomondo; he conquers the castle after a series of repeated attacks; he moves to the siege of Florence. He places his camp at Giramonte. He is wounded again in the knee by an arquebus ball during a sortie by the opponents led by Marzio Orsini. | |||
| Nov.-Dec. | Tuscany | He leaves Arezzo to curb the incursions of Napoleone Orsini: he meets him secretly at Monterchi. He attacks that location after having 5 pieces of artillery sent from Città di Castello. Having obtained the surrender on terms of the defenders, in December he turns to Anghiari; he falls into an ambush. The arrival of the Imperial cavalry puts the opponents (150 horse and 700 infantry) to flight. Among the Florentines, 2/3 light horse and 16/20 infantry are killed; among the Imperials, 50 arquebusiers are captured. In a few days, Vitelli also obtains Anghiari and Pieve Santo Stefano on terms. At the end of the month, with Count Francesco di Bevignano (at the head of 150 horse and 3000 infantry), he sacks and sets fire to some villages near Borgo San Sepolcro (Sansepolcro), including Trebbio, San Martino, and San Patrignano. Twenty-four bells are taken to Arezzo: their bronze is used to cast cannons. | |||
| 1530 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Tuscany and Emilia | He attacks Montepulciano. In February, he breaks into the territory of Volterra with the ecclesiastical commissioner Taddeo Guiducci at the head of thirteen companies of soldiers. Sansepolcro, Montepulciano, and all the castles of the Valdarno and Val di Chiana surrender to him after he has put everything to fire and sword. He raids the territory; he loses several days at Sant’Anastasio, sacks Villamagna and other castles which he puts to fire and sword. Also in that month, he goes to Bologna to attend the imperial coronation of Charles V in San Petronio. | |||
| Mar. | Tuscany | He demands the surrender of Volterra through Roberto Acciauoli; he is repulsed by Francesco della Brocca. He approaches the Cecina, captures San Dalmazio, and attacks the castle of Pomarance where there is a large quantity of livestock: his men are repulsed by the inhabitants. | |||
| Apr. | Tuscany | He stops at Laiatico, pushes part of his bands to Orciatico and Chianni; he leaves 200 infantry under Volterra, takes the road to Val d’Elsa, reaches Santa Maria a Monte. He moves towards Poggio by Ponte a Signa; he joins with Fabrizio Maramaldo and enters Volterra with the favor of the inhabitants. He besieges its fortress and places arquebusiers and small artillery around it; having left a garrison there under the command of the Sienese exiles Giovambattista and Carlo Borghese, he heads for Pistoia to aid the pro-Medici Panciatichi. Volterra is recovered by Francesco Ferrucci. | |||
| May-June | Tuscany | The Marquis of Vasto Alfonso d’Avalos sends him with Diego Sarmiento (1500 Italian infantry, 2000 Spanish, 1500 cavalry, and six pieces of artillery) to attack Empoli, defended by 600 infantry. He positions himself with the Italian infantry in front of the church of Santa Maria; the Spanish burst into the center, Alessandro Vitelli follows them with his men when the sack is almost complete. Perhaps the commissioners Andrea Giugni and Pietro Orlandini sold out to the Imperials: what is certain is that Empoli falls without resistance and that Giugni and Orlandini are depicted in Florence as traitors. | |||
| July | Tuscany | At Fucecchio. He is contacted by the Panciatichi to fight the Cancellieri, supporters of the Florentine cause, in the Pistoia area. In Pistoia, he is reached by an order from the Prince of Orange to take under his command some Spaniards who had mutinied at Altopascio. He brings them back to obedience with the hope of defeating the Florentines led by Francesco Ferrucci and Giampaolo di Ceri. | |||
| Aug. | Tuscany | He pursues the opponents with Fabrizio Maramaldo. He takes part in the battle of Gavinana (among the Imperials 7000/8000 infantry and 400 lances, against 3000 infantry and 400 cavalry of the Florentines): he appears at the rear and on the right of the opponents with the Panciatichi bands commanded by Niccolò Bracciolini. The clash is uncertain; the Prince of Orange dies from two arquebus shots and Maramaldo is also repulsed; 2000 Landsknechts, left in reserve, come to help. With them and the troops of Maramaldo himself, Alessandro Vitelli united attacks the Florentine rearguard commanded by Giampaolo di Ceri. The outcome of the battle is reversed. Ceri and Ferrucci are captured: the latter is killed, or ordered to be killed, by Maramaldo. With the victory, he moves to Pisa with Maramaldo and Cucchero Albanese: Michele di Montopoli comes out of the Porta di San Marco and repels the attackers. Vitelli moves again to the Pistoia area; in the middle of the month, he is present at Santa Maria a Montici with other Caesarean captains at the signing of the republic’s surrender terms stipulated between Malatesta Baglioni on one side and the new Imperial captain-general Ferrante Gonzaga and the pope’s commissioner-general Baccio Valori on the other. | |||
| Sept. | Tuscany | In Florence at the time of Baglioni’s departure from the city. His squads soon clash with the Perugian ones led by Braccio Baglioni and those of Pirro Colonna. He then remains for some time guarding Pistoia. In this year, he marries Angela dei Rossi, daughter of Troilo and widow of his cousin Vitello Vitelli. | |||
| 1531 | Florence | Tuscany | In Pistoia. Some of his soldiers rob a servant of Captain Giovanni Scarfavitoni of a sack of legumes, with whom two young men of the Brunozzi family are having lunch. The latter beat the soldiers; Vitelli becomes furious and wants to avenge the affront. He meets with Ansideo Panciatichi and demands the handover of the Brunozzi, followers of the latter. Panciatichi in turn gets angry and draws his sword; only the intervention of Atto Bracciolini saves Vitelli’s life. The Panciatichi rise up and the condottiero is forced to have the Palazzo dei Priori guarded by 200 of his armed men. | ||
| 1532 | 1000 infantry | Tuscany | He places himself in the service of Duke Alessandro dei Medici, of whom he becomes practically the right-hand man. His soldiers take every possible liberty in Florence. | ||
| 1533 | Tuscany | He is tasked with arresting Filippo Strozzi: he manages to dissuade the duke from carrying out this plan. | |||
| 1534 | Tuscany | On the death of Pope Clement VII, he strengthens the garrisons of the Duchy of Florence to prevent any disorders against the Medici. Also in that year, on the duke’s orders, he has the Fortezza da Basso built in Florence, using the work of engineers Pietro Francesco da Viterbo and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. | |||
| 1535 | Tuscany and Umbria | At the instigation of Alessandro dei Medici, he organizes the assassination of Cardinal Ippolito dei Medici, which is materially carried out by poison in Itri by Giovanni Andrea di Borgo San Sepolcro. In these years he usually resides in Città di Castello where he takes part in public life. | |||
| 1537 | |||||
| Jan.-Mar. | Tuscany | Duke Alessandro dei Medici of Florence is assassinated. On hearing the news, he leaves Citerna, where he is at the time, and enters Florence with many soldiers from Mugello loyal to the Medici house. He has the house of Cosimo dei Medici and that of the duke’s killer Lorenzino dei Medici sacked. Initially, he is inclined to have Alessandro dei Medici’s son Giulio, aged three, ascend to the duchy, then Ottaviano, of whom he is a great friend; in the end, he leans towards Cosimo dei Medici, whom he escorts to Florence with 500 infantry. He occupies the citadel in the name of the emperor and has Otto da Montauto enter with 100 arquebusiers; the latter expels the previous constable Paolantonio da Parma. Vitelli hosts the duke’s widow Margaret of Austria, the natural daughter of Charles V; he forces Cardinal Salviati, who intended to reduce Cosimo dei Medici’s powers, to flee Florence. Vitelli surrounds his palace and has it devastated by his armed men. He also sacks the palace of the deceased duke; he keeps a part of the money while another part goes to the soldiers, whose behavior, moreover, is considered intolerable by the authorities. The total loot is valued at 300,000 scudi, of which 60,000 in cash. It takes several days to transport his spoils on mules to Citerna (of which Alessandro Vitelli was enfeoffed by Clement VII). Emboldened by his power, he treats the new duke arrogantly, sends his brother-in-law Niccolò Bracciolini (of the Panciatichi) to Pistoia to govern the city, and fuels factional struggles in Città di Castello and Sansepolcro with the aim of taking over the two locations at the first opportunity. | |||
| Apr. | Tuscany | He heads to Sansepolcro and Anghiari, threatened by possible incursions of the exiles of Piero Strozzi. | |||
| … | Tuscany | He negotiates with the Spanish ambassador in Rome to keep the citadel of Florence in the name of the emperor; he hands over the fortresses of Livorno and Pisa to the Imperials. He tries to convince Filippo Strozzi, to whom he is bound by ties of kinship and friendship, not to risk offensive actions against the duchy. | |||
| July | Florence | Exiles | Tuscany | Informed by Niccolò Bracciolini of Piero Strozzi’s attempts to join with the Cancellieri, with Pirro Colonna and Rodolfo Baglioni, he leaves Florence with 3000 Spanish infantry commanded by Diego Sarmiento, 2 banners of German infantry, and many horses. He rests the troops at Prato. He sends Pozzo on reconnaissance with his company of horse. | |
| Aug. | Tuscany | He arrives in great silence at Montemurlo just as Strozzi is leaving to head for Pistoia: he attacks the castle in which, among others, Filippo Strozzi, Bartolomeo Valori, and Antonfrancesco degli Albizzi have shut themselves up. He sets fire to the gate and forces the exiles to surrender. Vitelli returns to Prato and Florence with the prisoners. He gives Filippo Strozzi (who surrendered into his hands) hope of saving his life, treats him with liberality; large sums of money are given to him. He reserves a similar treatment for Baccio Valori, with whom he is bound by an old friendship. He refuses to release Filippo Strozzi into the duke’s power because he demands (it is said) a ransom of 80,000 scudi. On the contrary, he hands Baccio Valori over to the authorities. The latter will be beheaded at the end of the month, with other exiles, in Florence in the courtyard of the Palazzo del Bargello. | |||
| 1538 | |||||
| … | Tuscany | He is convinced by the emperor’s envoy Lopez Hurtado de Mendoza to also hand over Filippo Strozzi and the fortress of Florence to the duke in exchange for 25,000 ducats and the fief of Amatrice in the kingdom of Naples (annual income of 3,000 scudi). Cosimo dei Medici finally removes all his assignments in favor of Giovanni di Luna. Vitelli passes into the service of Pope Paul III. | |||
| Nov. | Church | Urbino | Umbria | He opposes the Duke of Urbino Guidobaldo della Rovere in the war of Camerino. | |
| 1540 | |||||
| Apr.-May | Church | Perugia | Umbria | He is hired by Pope Paul III to quell the rebellion of Perugia, which rose up due to the increase in taxes (the so-called Salt War). The captain-general of the expedition is the pope’s son Pier Luigi Farnese. He is flanked by Girolamo Orsini and Count Niccolò da Tolentino. The lieutenant general at the camp on behalf of the pontiff is the bishop of Casale Bernardino Castellari della Barba. The army consists of 8000 Italian infantry, 4000 Spanish, and 800 Germans. Alessandro Vitelli arrives at Ponte San Giovanni and begins to besiege Torgiano. After some unsuccessful assaults, he is left alone to direct the siege operations. At the end of the month, Ascanio della Cornia, due to a lack of provisions and ammunition, surrenders on terms, saving property and people. The departments leave Torgiano. As soon as they cross the Tiber, they are plundered of their weapons and personal belongings, while della Cornia is held prisoner. | |
| July | Umbria | He sets out for Ponte Pattoli: while his soldiers are engaged in sacking the surrounding territory, they are attacked by a sortie of Pantaleone da Perugia which throws his troops into disarray. Rodolfo Baglioni, who is defending Perugia, is soon forced to surrender unconditionally. Vitelli enters the city with Pier Luigi Farnese; he looks for a pretext to sack it: the papal commissioner Girolamo Orsini and Niccolò da Tolentino thwart his plans. He returns to Città di Castello, taking with him a chandelier placed on the door of the Palazzo dei Priori. | |||
| … | Umbria | In Perugia with the task of building a new citadel there in place of the Baglioni houses and many other homes. In September, in Città di Castello, he is given permission to build some farmhouses and stables for cattle outside the city in front of the small gate of the keep. In exchange, he cedes some houses he owns in the city. | |||
| 1541 | |||||
| Feb. | Umbria | Guarding Perugia with 500 infantry. | |||
| June | Church | Colonna | Lazio | He confronts Ascanio and Fabio Colonna; with Farnese, he takes part in the sieges of Marino and Paliano; all the lands that Ascanio Colonna owns in the Papal States come into his power. He captures Lucio Savelli near Paliano; with Farnese, he defeats 700 infantry who came out of Genazzano at Monte Cambrito; he enters Rocca di Papa, which has been captured by Bombaglino. | |
| 1542 | |||||
| June | Empire | Ottoman Empire | Emilia | He is stationed in the Modena area at San Martino: the city authorities give him two barrels of wine, sixteen ‘stara’ of spelt, one hundred salamis, two calves, and four flasks of malvasia so that he crosses the territory without causing damage. He is sent with 3000/3500 infantry to aid Archduke Ferdinand of Austria to face the Turks in Hungary. | |
| … | Hungary Austria Umbria | Under the command of Joachim of Brandenburg, he participates in the attack on Pest. A bridge is thrown over the Danube; he has the task of seizing the island of Saint Andrew while Gian Giacomo dei Medici must occupy the island of Saint Margaret. The Turks come out of Buda, attack his infantry, and inflict considerable losses on them. He decides to prepare an ambush for the enemies: the trap is sprung following a new attack from the city with the help of the cavalry. He retreats pretending to be frightened, the Spaniards of Pietro Pereno come out of the ambush, Vitelli’s infantry pushes forward with the arquebusiers among the enemies with the Hungarian horses and the German infantry. There are 400/500 dead among the Turks, of which 100 belong to the corps of janissaries. Vitelli is noted in the combat for his valor, also noted on the same occasion by the Ottoman captains. The Imperials batter the walls of Buda with 40 pieces of artillery; Vitelli asks to be the first to lead the assault with the militias of Filippo Tornielli. The Italians are repulsed with many losses, also due to the lack of support from the German infantry and the Hungarians. 700 are dead among the men of his companies, even more numerous are the wounded, many of whom will die in the autumn during the return journey to Italy; still others fall ill crossing the Alps before arriving in Villach. On departure, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria gives Vitelli and his treasurer Giovanni Angelo dei Medici some gilded cups. He arrives in Città di Castello with half the number of men with whom he left the town months before. | |||
| 1543 | |||||
| … | Lazio | In Rome to oversee the construction of the section of walls connecting Trastevere with the Leonine Borgo. | |||
| July | Emilia and Umbria | He meets Emperor Charles V at Busseto. He returns to Perugia. | |||
| 1544 | |||||
| Sept.-Dec. | Umbria | He is always reported in Perugia. In December, he is granted permission in Città di Castello to build a palace in the main square and to buy two shops to be demolished to make it larger. | |||
| 1546 | |||||
| July | Empire | Protestants | Emilia Lombardy Trentino A. Adige Germany | He gathers troops in Modena to take to Germany to fight the militias of the Schmalkaldic League. He is appointed lieutenant of the Duke of Camerino Ottavio Farnese. He attends the review of his men carried out in Bologna near the bridge over the Reno outside Porta San Felice; he arrives in Germany, touching the Duchy of Mantua, Bussolengo, and Rovereto. In that city, he is informed that Pier Luigi Farnese has had all the revenues of the abbey of Chiaravalle della Colomba seized due to the long delay (several years) in the payment of the census. Having resolved the matter in Trent, he continues to the front. | |
| Aug. | Germany | With Giovambattista Savelli, he has continuous skirmishes with the Protestants of the Schmalkaldic League, one day managing to penetrate the pavilion of the Duke of Saxony John Frederick. He participates in the battle of Nördlingen. In command of the papal infantry, he leads a vain attempt with Savelli to conquer the plain of Gerolfingen; he distinguishes himself at Ingolstadt where he leads an offensive action with Savelli and Giovambattista Borghese. He attacks the camp of Philip of Hesse with 1600 infantry and 1600 cavalry: he enters a nearby forest at night, again with Savelli; at dawn, he aims to penetrate it. The men of the Duke of Saxony, who are camped near the abbey of Saint Victor, have the same objective. Alessandro Vitelli positions himself on a bridge over a tributary of the Danube. A skirmish breaks out at the end of which the Italian infantry retreat to a village and the cavalry to the immediate vicinity. Left isolated, the soldiers reach the imperial camp with a sortie. | |||
| Sept. | Germany | He moves on reconnaissance towards Ulm with Giambattista Castaldo, Giulio Orsini, Pirro Colonna, Cesare da Napoli, and Paolo Vitelli (600 Italian arquebusiers and 60 light horse). | |||
| Oct. | Germany | He camps near Wendingen. He attacks Donauwörth under the command of Ottavio Farnese; he has 10 pieces of artillery, 2000 Italian infantry, and 4000 Germans under Colonel von Schonburg. The garrison of 800 infantry abandons the town and takes refuge in Augsburg. The inhabitants surrender unconditionally. | |||
| … | Germany | He moves to Landshut; desertions begin due to delayed pay; he can no longer restrain his infantry despite the severity exercised. Many fall ill and die of hardship; numerous are those who sell their weapons and clothes to survive. | |||
| 1547 | |||||
| … | Germany | He confronts the troops of the Schmalkaldic League in Bavaria at the head of 12,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Emilia | He returns to Parma with Ottavio Farnese following the assassination of Pier Luigi Farnese, son of Pope Paul III. He is appointed lieutenant general. | ||
| Nov. | Emilia and Lazio | He leaves Parma to head to Rome with 60 horse. | |||
| 1548 | Lazio | He has the task of supervising the smooth running of the conclave in Rome. | |||
| 1551 | |||||
| June | Church | France | Emilia | He opposes Ottavio Farnese in the War of Parma. At Crevalcore to counter the raids of Strozzi; he abandons San Giovanni in Persiceto; he has numerous clashes with the French cavalry. | |
| July | Captain General of Artillery | Emilia | He moves on Mirandola with 9000 infantry and 600 cavalry; he besieges Termes, who has 4000 infantry and 600 cavalry at his disposal. He sets fire to the crops in the countryside. He seizes the camp of Sant’Antonio with Camillo Orsini; in the middle of the month, he captures Guglielmo Corso, Ludovico Carissimi, Collatino da Collalto, and Ottaviano da Thiene between Mirandola and Concordia; Orazio Farnese himself barely escapes in another ambush set for him by Vincenzo Nobili with 300 arquebusiers and 100 horse. On his advice, four forts are built around Mirandola to keep the besieged under pressure and hinder their provisioning. | ||
| Aug. | Emilia | He narrowly escapes a sortie by the French one evening when he has stopped outside the fort of Sant’Antonio. He prevents Orazio Farnese from leaving Mirandola to go to the defense of Parma; he has some major skirmishes with Turchetto and Giovanni Gagliardo in which Chiappino is killed among his men. | |||
| Sept. | Emilia | He falls with 50 horse and many infantry into an ambush prepared by Ravella near his trenches: among the papal forces, 50 infantry and two light horse are killed. | |||
| Oct. | Emilia | With the captain-general Giambattista del Monte, he is put to flight by Turchetto in the vicinity of Mirandola. He tries to resort to other means to obtain the surrender of the opponents whose resistance he is unable to overcome: he has a drummer and a bombardier desert to the enemy camp with the aim of setting fire to the fortress’s powder magazine. They are discovered and hanged. In the same days, Giovanni Gagliardo takes some gentlemen from Città di Castello prisoner, not far from the fort of Sant’Antonio, who had gone out hunting with Vitelli: indignant, he orders his men to take no more prisoners and to put them to the sword. The opponents’ reply is immediate. | |||
| Dec. | Emilia | With Giambattista del Monte, he surprises 200 soldiers who had gone out to gather wood: they are rescued by Turchetto’s cavalry and once again Alessandro Vitelli’s companies must retreat. He tries to raid numerous head of cattle grazing at Tagliata: he pursues the herdsmen and falls into yet another ambush by Gagliardo where his infantry are left alone by the cavalry at the mercy of the opponents. | |||
| 1552 | |||||
| Feb.-Mar. | Empire | France | Master General of the Field | Tuscany | With the peace, he passes into the service of the Imperials in the War of Siena. He holds the title of Master General of the Field. On the death of the Viceroy of Naples, Don Pedro de Toledo, he commands the troops with the latter’s son, Don García de Toledo. He attacks Follonica, defended by Sertorio da Thiene with 100 infantry. He has 1000 infantry with 3 pieces of artillery at his disposal. After eight days, he obtains its surrender on terms, saving people and property. Follonica, however, is sacked, and the opposing captain is imprisoned with 2 Sienese nobles. He enters Val di Chiana, moves between Borghetto and Ossaia, and seizes numerous castles; he approaches Monticchiello from which he is initially repulsed by Adriano Baglioni and Clemente Monaldeschi, suffering heavy losses. In March, due to snow, he has to retreat with his troops for a few days. He returns to Monticchiello; his camp is characterized by disorder and poor discipline among his men, Italians, Spanish, and Germans, who take part in the war operations. In mid-March, the artillery fire against the town resumes. A new imperial attack is repulsed; 300 infantry come out of the gate and another 100 Imperials are killed. The town is now bombarded from three sides for several hours. A further assault follows. The garrison surrenders on terms. Vitelli then moves to the siege of Montalcino, where Giordano Orsini has taken refuge. He vainly demands its surrender. He has trenches built around the castle, places the Spanish towards Pienza, the Germans towards Montepulciano, and the Italians with the artillery on the road to Chiusi. |
| Apr. | Church | France | Captain General | Emilia | He returns to besiege Mirandola; he commands the troops on the death of Giambattista del Monte. He repels a sortie by the defenders; he negotiates peace with the opponents on behalf of the pope and ensures that the forts abandoned by the papal forces are occupied by the Imperials. He returns to Tuscany to the siege of Montalcino. |
| 1553 | |||||
| May | Empire | France | Tuscany | He goes into a casemate to check the artillery fire; he narrowly avoids falling into the hands of Giordano Orsini, who had managed to learn of his movements in advance. | |
| June | Tuscany | Given the futility of his efforts, he must lift the siege of Montalcino. He refuses command of the Medici troops when Don García de Toledo is recalled to Naples due to threats from the Turkish fleet. | |||
| 1554 | Umbria | He obtains Montone as a fief. He dies in the first days of February in Citerna. He is buried in the cathedral of Città di Castello with solemn obsequies. In correspondence with Pietro Aretino and Giorgio Vasari. Portrayed by the latter in the Hall of Cosimo in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Fresco by Prospero Fontana in the hall of the Palazzo Vitelli in Città di Castello, at the Cannoniera, built in 1530 on the occasion of his marriage to Angela dei Rossi, widow of Vitello Vitelli. The facade is by Cristoforo Gherardi, perhaps based on a design by Vasari. Guglielmo Cerboni dedicates Roberto Orsi’s “De obsidione Tifernatium” to him, printed in Città di Castello by Antonio Mazzocchi and Niccolò Gucci. |
Sources
-“Capitano molto esperto.” SEGNI
-“Feroce e indefesso aiutatore di tirannicidi.” BONAZZI
-“Bellicoso e valente Capitano..E’ annoverato fra pochi valorosi Capitani d’Italia.” GIOVIO
-“Tratta l’armi con gran gloria.” ALBERTI
-“Che nelle guerre del suo tempo fu di gran stima e riputatione, e però molto grato all’imperatore.” MISSAGLIA
-“Guerriero sperimentato.” OROLOGI
-“Nelle occasioni tutte che in guerra se gli appresentarono, si portò così egregiamente, che acquistò nome dignissimo di Capitano..Non pugnò mai senza vincere e non vinse mai, senza esser non men del tempo, che de’ suoi nemici vittorioso. Era Alessandro di statura alta, di volto pallido, d’occhi e capelli castagnicci, di barba rossa.” ROSCIO
-“Capitano di molto nome e valore.” SANSOVINO
-“Famoso nelle guerre di quel secolo.” PROMIS
-“Honor e gloria della militia Italiana.” ULLOA
-“Hominem strenuum et militare gnarum.” A.M. GRAZIANI
-“Guerriere molto esercitato e cauto.” ADRIANI
-“Con riputazione di condottiere di gran valore e di gran sagacità.” LITTA
-“Condottiero di gran valore e di grande sagacità.” BOSI
-“Il quale fu nei suoi dì per prudenza e per virtù Capitano di guerra molto eccellente, e per la chiarezza dell’opre sue grandemente celebrato.” CIRNI
-“Espertissimo e molto valoroso nell’armi.” “…giovan pregiato/ de ogni virtù: d’ogni potentia adorno.” ROSEO
-“Sarà nominato sempre un glorioso splendor della militia Italiana.” RUSCELLI
-“Rozzo e imperioso soldato mercenario, solo avido di stipendi, legatissimo alla parte imperiale, di moralità estremamente dubbia, niente affatto ben visto in città (Firenze) né amico, per parte sua, dei Fiorentini di cui diffidava, non perdonando loro di aver mandato a morte, decapitandolo, suo padre Paolo Vitelli.” CANTAGALLI
-“Buon soldato vassallo.” GOSELLINI
-Con Giambattista Savelli, Sciarra Colonna e Piermaria dei Rossi “Tutti Colonnelli valorosissimi dell’Imperatore.” CARRARI
-“Era uomo d’azione, ma anche venalissimo. Egli non rendeva mai nulla se non al suono di molti ducati.” RENDINA
-Con Giovambattista Savelli “L’un e l’altro di questi Cavalieri degni per conseglio per valore e per isperentia di gradi supremi nell’armi.” CONTILE
-“Nelle occasion tutte, che in guerra se gli appresentavano, si portò così egregiamente, che acquistò nome dignissimo di Capitano..Era Alessandro di statura alta: di volto pallido, e capelli castagnicci: e di barba rossa.” CAPRIOLO
-“Famoso capitano di quei tempi.” LAZARI
-“Persona pratica nel mestiere della guerra.” G.A. PECCI
-“Era piuttosto un barbaro che un capitano di guerra…Saccheggiatore vile delle sue cose (di Cosimo dei Medici)..(l’) occupatore fraudolento della fortezza (di Firenze),..esattore avaro della taglia di Filippo Strozzi..rubatore impenitente di paghe di soldati finti.” BOTTA
-“…el degno, e gran signore/ Alessandro vitel tanto nomato.” Da “La rotta di Filippo Strozzi” in GUERRE IN OTTAVA RIMA
-“Uno dei più famosi capitani del secolo XVI, stette ai servizi dell’imperatore Carlo V in molte e specchiate imprese guerresche, ed in particolar modo nelle valide difese dello Stato di Toscana che gli era stato affidato per la morte del Duca Alessandro de Medici.” PANSA
Featured image: wikipedia
