The Dalmatian campaign and Orsini’s unforgiving stance on insubordination
Son of Paolo Orsini, brother of Fabio Orsini, father of Giovanni Orsini, Latino Orsini, and Paolo Orsini, cousin of Camillo Pardo, brother-in-law of Vitellozzo Vitelli, Malatesta, and Orazio Baglioni, son-in-law of Giampaolo Baglioni, and father-in-law of Baldassarre Rangoni.
Born: 1492
Death: 1559, April
| Year/Month | State/Comp. ventura | Opponent | Conduct | Activity Area | Actions Taken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1502 | Campania | Upon the tragic death of his father, he is brought to Naples to King Ferdinand the Catholic of Spain; he is granted an annual pension of 300 ducats from the revenues of Gravina. This will be regularly paid to him until 1528. | |||
| ….. | Venice | His apprenticeship in the art of warfare takes place under the orders of Niccolò Orsini. | |||
| ….. | Venice | He serves under Bartolomeo d’Alviano, who entrusts him with the command of a company of men-at-arms. | |||
| 1508 | |||||
| Feb. | Venice | Empire | Veneto | He takes part in the Battle of Tai di Cadore. | |
| 1510 | |||||
| July | France | Venice | Veneto | He is at the camp of Santa Croce sul Brenta with Gian Giacomo Trivulzio; he secretly informs the Serenissima about the movements of the French army. | |
| 1512 | |||||
| Mar. | Lazio | He lives in Bracciano. | |||
| May | Church | France | 50 lances | The condotta is granted to him by Pope Julius II. | |
| 1513 | |||||
| Feb. | Umbria | Upon the death of the pontiff, he offers to return to Spoleto the Castle of San Giovanni, controlled by the commune of Trevi. | |||
| Apr. | Church | He contacts the Venetians to enter their service. Instead, he accepts a condotta from Pope Leo X, who assigns him the command of some light cavalry. | |||
| 1515 | |||||
| May | Church | France | He gathers German and Spanish infantry on behalf of Giuliano de’ Medici. | ||
| Sept. | Emilia | In Piacenza. | |||
| Nov. | Tuscany | At the side of Pope Leo X during his solemn entry into Florence. | |||
| 1516 | |||||
| ….. | Umbria | He reaches Spoleto; he manages to bring peace between factions in the city after the failed efforts of Giovanni degli Albizzi and Pietro Ridolfi, papal commissioners. | |||
| 1517 | |||||
| Jan. | Church | Mercenary Company | Marche | He opposes Francesco Maria della Rovere, intent on reconquering the Duchy of Urbino. He operates in the vicariate of Mondavio to cut the enemy’s supply lines. | |
| Feb. | Marche | He leaves Fano and reaches Montalboddo (Ostra) with 1,500 cavalry. After some discussion, the inhabitants allow him to enter with some soldiers. He stays there for fifteen days; he treats the countryside at his discretion; numerous raids towards Senigallia. | |||
| Mar. | Marche | He is reported between Fossombrone and Senigallia. Captain General Lorenzo de’ Medici sends him with 700 light cavalry to raid the territory near Mombaroccio, where Francesco Maria della Rovere is entrenched. The operation does not yield the desired results. | |||
| May | Florence | Mercenary Company | Tuscany and Marche | He goes to Florence with Gherardo Bartolini Salimbeni seeking money for wages; he is given 12,000 florins, which he brings to the camp. The money is insufficient to prevent the desertion of the Gascon infantry. Orsini intervenes with some light cavalry to assist Camillo Trivulzio, who is in difficulty; his action at San Remulo allows 600 repentant Gascon infantry to return to the papal camp. Also sent with many men-at-arms and 200 light cavalry to Perugia to support Giampaolo Baglioni, attacked in the city by della Rovere and Carlo Baglioni. | |
| 1518 | Lazio | In Rome, he offends Girolamo Mattei in the house of a courtesan, Giulia la Patrizia. | |||
| 1519 | |||||
| Mar. | Lazio | Giovanni de’ Medici kills in Rome one of his squad captains, Brancaccio. Orsini, in retaliation, positions himself in front of Ponte Sant’Angelo and blocks Medici’s passage with 200 men armed with pikes. Medici, at the head of 20 infantry, attacks his men with Girolamo and Marcantonio Corso, puts them to flight, and enters the castle. | |||
| 1520 | |||||
| Mar. | Umbria and Lazio | He marries at Castiglione del Lago with Elisabetta Baglioni, daughter of Giampaolo; his brothers-in-law Orazio and Malatesta are also present at his wedding. When his father-in-law is summoned to Rome by the pontiff, he persuades him to go there with a safe-conduct. He accompanies him to the city. | |||
| June | Lazio | With the capture and beheading of Baglioni, he enters into conflict with the papal forces. His assets are confiscated and granted to his brother Roberto; the relative renounces the archiepiscopal dignity he enjoys, marries, and refuses to recognize anything to Camillo. | |||
| Oct. | Orsini | Church | Lazio | He threatens the Papal States at the head of 300 men between infantry and cavalry; he connects with Orazio Baglioni, and together they carry out raids near Rome. He goes to Cittaducale. He is approached by papal emissaries Raimondo Capodiferro and Pietro Santacroce; he refuses the command of the light cavalry of the Papal States offered to him by the French on the condition of reconciling with Pope Leo X. Fearing capture and the same fate as his father-in-law, he departs. | |
| 1521 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Veneto | He meets in Cittadella with Malatesta Baglioni; goes to Venice in the Collegio dei Pregadi. Meanwhile, his wife, residing in Cittaducale, frees with some women a faction leader of the Orsini, captured on the orders of the Pope by Romages, commissioner of the Viceroy of Naples. In Feb., with Onofrio di Santacroce, he begins gathering troops in Spoleto’s territory to seize the castle of Foglia from Cardinal Franciotto Orsini, who has taken possession to the detriment of the heirs of Troilo Orsini of the Mugnano branch. | |||
| Empire | France | Belgium | |||
| Sept. | He offers himself to the Venetians. His request is supported by Provveditore Generale Andrea Gritti. | ||||
| Dec. | Mercenary Company | Perugia Church | Umbria | Upon the death of Leo X, he joins with della Rovere, Malatesta, and Orazio Baglioni to help them recover their states in Marche and Umbria. He arrives in Spoleto with infantry and cavalry; sends Marzio Orsini to Perugia to seek an agreement between his brothers-in-law and Gentile Baglioni, who governs the city. He crosses the Nera with 200 infantry and 60 cavalry and at San Gemini defeats Angelo da Todi and Dolce da Corbara, who with 2,000 infantry try to block his way to Acquasparta. Proceeds to Montefalco; connects with della Rovere and the two Baglioni (200 men-at-arms, 300 light cavalry, and 5,000 infantry). The first negotiations with Gentile Baglioni fail; returns to Spoleto with Orazio Baglioni. Meets with city authorities and Renzo di Ceri, who also attempt to end the conflict. | |
| 1522 | |||||
| Jan. | Exiles Mercenary Company | Siena Church Florence | Umbria and Tuscany | Having received 500 infantry from the people of Spoleto, he first defeats Vitello Vitelli and then Alessandro Vitelli at Civitella d’Arno; reaches Ponte Val di Ceppi, Ponte San Giovanni, and Bastia Umbra. With reinforcements brought to Gentile Baglioni by Guido Vaina and Vitello Vitelli (120 men-at-arms, 200 light cavalry, and 2,500 infantry), any possibility of agreement fails. Orsini attacks Perugia at Borgo San Pietro, Porta Sole, and Porta Borgna (Eburnea) with 7 artillery pieces borrowed from Alfonso d’Este; a long assault follows, initially repelled. The resistance is broken by the cowardice of Vitello Vitelli, who, wounded by a musket shot to his right toe, takes advantage of the night to abandon the city and flee to Città di Castello. With Malatesta Baglioni, Orsini keeps the troops outside the Two Gates to prevent the sack of Perugia. Afterwards, he reaches Todi to readmit the exiles. With della Rovere, he continues offensive actions against Siena supporting former Bishop of Sovana Lattanzio Petrucci, eager to oust Cardinal Raffaele Petrucci from city lordship. Lack of supplies forces him to desist and return to Umbria. | |
| Feb. | Umbria and Lazio | He takes part in the defense of Perugia when papal forces of Giovanni de’ Medici approach. Positions at Porta San Pietro; converses with the enemy captain to seek a less bloody resolution. A temporary compromise is found; Camillo Orsini returns to Rome. | |||
| Mar. | Lazio | He forces the Cardinal of Santi Quattro to vacate the Palazzo della Penitenzieria within eight hours, which he then occupies. | |||
| July | Venice | 41 lances | The Council of the Sages grants him a condotta of 100 lances for two years: he is granted an annual salary of 60 pounds of gold. His company includes 60 men-at-arms who served with Orazio Baglioni; allowed to expand the contingent by ten units. | ||
| Sept. | Veneto | In Venice, in the Collegio. Doge Marino Grimani receives him courteously. | |||
| 1523 | |||||
| June | Veneto | Returns to Venice to pay homage to new Doge Andrea Gritti. Lodged in a palace on the Grand Canal, at San Felice. | |||
| Sept. | Venice | France | Veneto | Granted permission by the Council of the Sages to increase his company of men-at-arms to 100. | |
| Oct. | 100 lances | Lombardy | At Palazzolo sull’Oglio with his company and 600 infantry. Moves to defend Bergamo. | ||
| Dec. | Lombardy | In action near Lodi. | |||
| 1524 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | Commands troops with Pietro da Longhena. Moves to Treviglio when Captain General of the Serenissima, Duke of Urbino Francesco Maria della Rovere, goes to Milan with other condottieri for a war council with Viceroy of Naples Charles de Lannoy. | |||
| Feb. | Lombardy | He causes 200 stradiots to desert from the French camp; their command is given to Luigi Gonzaga. Crosses the Adda with Francesco Maria della Rovere to join imperial forces in Pavia area. Reported at camp of Lacchiarella. | |||
| Mar. | Lombardy | Participates in the conquest of Garlasco; captures Battistino Corso. Wounded by two arquebus shots. His conduct is highly praised by Provveditore Generale Piero Pesaro. | |||
| Apr. | Piedmont | Reported at camp of Casalino; his horse is wounded in a skirmish. With Mercurio Bua, Luigi Gonzaga, and Farfarello, accompanies della Rovere on reconnaissance towards Vercelli: surprised by French arquebusiers, 8 of his men-at-arms are captured and return without horses. Pursues French retreating from Novara towards Susa; with Paolo Luzzasco, is key in victory at Romagnano Sesia when, leading 150 lances and 2,000 infantry, attacks Bonnivet’s troops while they ford the river. Captures 4 artillery pieces; Pierre du Terrail, seigneur de Bayard is killed (who before dying wishes to meet Orsini), along with 1,000 Swiss infantry; another 500 drown in the Sesia. | |||
| May | Lombardy | Besieges Lodi; with other captains, convinces Federico Gonzaga da Bozzolo to leave since the French army is in rout and retreating towards the Alps. | |||
| June | Veneto | Praised again in Venice by Piero Pesaro. Goes to the city, meets with the Doge, and attends the ceremony in San Marco where della Rovere receives the standard and staff of General Governor. Moves to his lodgings in Conegliano. | |||
| 1525 | |||||
| Jan. | 40 lances and 100 light cavalry | Lombardy | Guards Bergamo. With city captain Tommaso Moro, recruits 2,000 infantry from the valleys for defense. | ||
| Feb. | Lombardy | Takes part in the victorious Battle of Pavia where King Francis I of France is captured. Returns to Lovere and Bergamo. | |||
| May | 35 lances | Lombardy | From Bergamo, establishes an effective espionage network informing the Serenissima about imperial troop movements and political orientations in France. | ||
| Oct. | Lombardy | Heads to Crema with Francesco Maria della Rovere, Giulio Manfrone, Antonio Maria da Martinengo, and Alberto Scotti to inspect city fortifications; returns to Bergamo and sends Giacomo da Vicovaro to monitor the Oglio River banks. | |||
| Nov. | Lombardy | Praised once more in Venice by Provveditore Generale Piero Pesaro for his information network. At Bergamo, strengthens defenses with 1,200 sappers; over six thousand trees cut near walls. Citizens’ discontent grows due to soldiers’ behavior, who, under pretext of seeking materials for bastions, often steal from houses and courtyards. | |||
| ….. | With the death of his brother Roberto, he regains his assets, which will later be invested in him by Pope Clement VII. |
| 1526 | |||||
| Jan. | 40 lances | ||||
| June | Venice | Empire | Lombardy | He arrests two soldiers from the company of Gentile di Carbonara who, along with other comrades, had taken from the hands of Podestà Paolo Valaresso the murderer of Giovanni Antonio Borella; one of the two, found guilty, is hanged by Orsini from a window overlooking the square. His palace is then attacked by the infantry of Rodolfo da Mantova; soldiers from the companies of Gabriele dalla Riva and Marco da Napoli intervene in his defense and beat the rioters. He is tasked with overseeing a treaty aimed at seizing Trezzo sull’Adda; then, at Chiari, he supports Francesco Maria della Rovere and Malatesta Baglioni; assists Ludovico Vistarini in driving the imperial forces from Lodi. He sets up artillery and bombards the castle walls with such force that he compels the besieged to surrender before the arrival of reinforcements sent by Alfonso d’Avalos. | |
| July | 100 lances | Lombardy | At Lambrate among the witnesses of the duel between Sigismondo Malatesta and Ludovico Vistarini. Supports Francesco Maria della Rovere in the siege of Milan; takes part in the attack on Porta Romana. In a skirmish with the Spaniards of Giovanni di Santacroce, he is wounded by an arquebus shot. The Venetians are repelled. Orsini is present at the council of war where della Rovere and Provveditore Pesaro decide to retreat to the camp of Melegnano; he endorses their cautious stance. | ||
| Aug. | 90 lances | Lombardy | Still in Bergamo; moves to Lovere to monitor the movements of the Landsknechts. Despite not feeling well, he is transferred to the siege of Cremona to support Malatesta Baglioni (with whom he is on good terms), as his brother-in-law is encountering significant difficulties. Camillo Orsini commands the second battery (3,351 infantry, 150 lances, and 180 light cavalry) to attack Porta Mosa; alongside him are the Landsknechts of Michele Gaissmayr and the infantry of Antonio da Castello, Antonio Ferramolini, Girolamo da Martinengo, Alessandro da Colorno, Marco da Napoli, Giovanni Albanese, Giovanni Moro, Pompeo Ramazzotto, and other captains. He begins battering the walls with a falconet, a demi-cannon, and two sakers; the assault, agreed upon with Baglioni, is repelled by the moat and lines of arquebusiers defending the gate. The outcome is negative; he criticizes Baglioni’s conduct, who will soon be replaced in command by della Rovere. | ||
| Sept. | Lombardy | In Brescia for medical treatment. | |||
| Oct.–Nov. | Veneto and Lombardy | Recovered, he goes to Venice to the Collegio; he is also received in audience by the Council of Ten. He asks for permission to return to Rome; it is not granted due to his enmity with della Rovere. In Padua, he sets up his lodgings in the Monastery of Santa Giustina. He is tasked with evaluating the state of the city’s fortifications. Moves to the Vicenza area with Cesare Fregoso to face the advance of Georg von Frundsberg’s Landsknechts with 150 lances, 500 light cavalry, and 4,000 infantry; he checks the defenses of the main city and heads to Bassano del Grappa, Thiene, Breganze, and Asiago; inspects mountain passes and defensive possibilities of the Venetian territory. The opponents take other routes and from Trentino penetrate into Lombardy via Anfo. Orsini retreats to the Brescia area; at Padenghe sul Garda, he is forced to stop due to a fall from his horse. He sends troops to Gavardo, who are defeated; he hesitates to pursue the enemies for fear of leaving Salò undefended. He remains essentially inactive between Salò and Lonato while the enemies move away from Venetian territory to reach Castiglione delle Stiviere. Orsini moves to Peschiera del Garda; again asks to go to Rome. The Collegio dei Pregadi opposes his request; he meets with Procurator Alvise Pisani; returns to Bergamo as governor. | |||
| Dec. | Veneto | In Padua for treatment of syphilis; lodges in the Monastery of Santa Giustina. In Venice, Piero Pesaro, in his farewell report, always speaks well of him; on the contrary, he is criticized by della Rovere. | |||
| 1527 | |||||
| Jan.–Mar. | 100 lances | Veneto and Lazio | Alvise Pisani expresses a negative judgment about him for his inactivity in front of the Landsknechts. Orsini obtains permission to return to Rome; he asks to be transported to Ancona on a fusta (small galley) for fear of being killed by the partisans of the Duke of Urbino while passing through the duchy’s territories. Received in the Collegio by Doge Andrea Gritti, he goes to Chioggia; from there, he reaches Rome. His company remains in Bergamo under the orders of Mercurio Bua. | ||
| May | Church | Empire | Lazio and Umbria | He takes part in the defense of Rome against the Landsknechts of the Constable of Bourbon. They break into the city, taking advantage of a thick fog that prevents any possibility of artillery fire from Castel Sant’Angelo. The enemies conquer the city in only two hours of fighting. Orsini is guarding the districts of Ponte and Parione (Borgo Leonino) with 1,000 men, mostly makeshift troops as many are artists and artisans without any military experience. He fights with desperation; captures two enemy banners; follows the imperial counteroffensive; the papal forces are soon slaughtered or dispersed. Of his men, only about a hundred survive. He moves with Valerio Orsini, Simone Tebaldi, and Giovambattista Savelli; with 200 cavalry, he tries to oppose the Spaniards at Ponte Sisto. He leaves Rome through a sewer and gives no news of himself for a few days, so much so that he is believed dead. He takes refuge in Narni; connects at Marsciano with the confederate army of della Rovere. | |
| June | Umbria | He arrives in Spoleto. With few troops at his disposal, he can do nothing against the enemy advance. | |||
| July | Venice | Empire | Veneto | In Venice at the Collegio. Returns to the pay of the Venetians. | |
| Dec. | Lombardy | He rides to Ponte San Pietro and Caprino Bergamasco to monitor with 400 men-at-arms the banks of the Adda River and to provide logistical support to Gian Giacomo de’ Medici and Antonio da Castello, engaged in the siege of Lecco. | |||
| 1528 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He arrives at the camp of Cassano d’Adda for the review of his men; then moves to Brescia (lodged in San Pietro Oliveto) to take part in a war council with Provveditore Generale Tommaso Moro. Around the same time, Lautrec requests his services; Orsini contacts the French captain general through Pandolfo di Civita, who also goes to Venice to have him appointed general governor. | |||
| Feb. | Romagna, Abruzzo, and Apulia | He passes through Ravenna with 30 cavalry to join Lautrec heading to the Kingdom of Naples; appointed governor of Abruzzo. Commands a regiment whose captains are Girolamo da Cremona, Marco Tullio d’Ascoli, Giandomenico da Piacenza. Occupies Civitella del Tronto and Sulmona with Valerio Orsini; in a war council held there, he urges the army to head directly to Naples instead of dispersing forces in a diversionary action in Apulia, even if aimed at facilitating troop provisioning. The latter plan prevails. Leading 2,000 light cavalry, some Estense bands under Francesco Cantelmi, eight companies of German infantry, and others of Italians under Gabriele dalla Riva, he assaults the fortress of Popoli, where Giovanna Carafa, widow of Ristagno Cantelmi, is holed up; he convinces her to surrender after a brief siege. He has the noblewoman (whom he will later marry) escorted to Sulmona; dalla Riva remains in the fortress. Always at the vanguard with light cavalry, he seizes Torremaggiore; stops there with Provveditori Generali Alvise Pisani and Giovanni Vitturi. | |||
| Mar. | Apulia | Persuading (through Pandolfo di Civita) Violante Orsini to cede Sangro, he assists Pietro Navarro in storming Molfetta, where 3,000 people are killed. He moves with the Landsknechts under Venetian pay towards Trani and Barletta, cities that open their gates to him. | |||
| Apr. | Apulia | He obtains the castle of Trani, defended by the Marquis of Corato Ladislao d’Aquino, who is imposed a ransom of 4,000 scudi; reaches San Leonardo with 1,300 infantry and 400 cavalry, destroys the tower, and conquers a fortified church nearby. | |||
| May | Apulia | He positions himself under Manfredonia, where Pier Luigi Farnese is with 1,000 infantry. The siege is conducted by 2,000–4,000 infantry (according to sources) on land and by Captain of the Gulf Almorò Morosini with 25 galleys at sea. Orsini employs all available means of contemporary siege techniques (targeted bombardments, mining) to capture the place; the combined land and sea attack eventually yields positive results. | |||
| Sept. | Apulia | Returns to Trani with Eligio della Marra at the head of 700–800 infantry and 300 cavalry. Tasked with defending the city; has frequent disputes with Provveditore Giovanni Vitturi that escalate into open conflict. Accused in the Senate by Vitturi and Provveditore of the Sea Agostino da Mula of seizing the assets of exiled persons along with Vittore Soranzo. | |||
| Oct. | Apulia | Enters Barletta through the castle and sacks the city. Defends it with 1,500 infantry; meets with Renzo di Ceri there. | |||
| Nov. | General Governor | Apulia | The Council of the Sages elects him general governor in Apulia; in this role, he supports Renzo di Ceri, appointed captain general and lieutenant of King Francis I in the region. Orsini is granted an annual provision of 1,000 ducats. | ||
| Dec. | Apulia | Strengthens Trani, of which he is appointed governor, following threats by Alfonso d’Avalos with 3,000 infantry and many artillery pieces. In this period they served under his orders, as team leaders, Girolamo da Cremona, Marco Tullio d’Ascoli e Giandomenico da Piacenza. | |||
| 1529 | |||||
| Jan. | Apulia | He quarrels with Renzo di Ceri because one of his favorites, captured by the imperial forces (to whom he had promised the command of a regiment and a company of 200 infantry), is accused of complicity in a betrayal attempt organized by Girolamo da Cremona. Convinced of his subordinate’s guilt, Orsini reconciles with Ceri. | |||
| Feb. | Apulia | Francis I grants him revenues of 3,000 ducats in the Kingdom of Naples and a condotta of 3,000 infantry and 200 light cavalry. He unsuccessfully asks Renzo di Ceri for money, who is also without funds. | |||
| Mar. | Apulia | Moves to defend Monopoli with Vitturi; Renzo di Ceri sends him 500 infantry by sea to help him resist the assault of Alfonso d’Avalos, Marquis of Vasto, who has 4,000 Spanish infantry, 2,000 Italians, twelve artillery pieces, and numerous cavalry squads provided by Ferrante Gonzaga. Orsini immediately distinguishes himself through energetic action; works day and night with soldiers and inhabitants to strengthen the defenses. Constructs a false gate in the walls and lowers a bridge over the moat through which 50–60 men pass. They attack enemy trenches, killing many sappers and Spanish infantry on guard. | |||
| Apr. | Apulia | In Monopoli, he builds two more false gates from which Venetian infantry descend to conduct numerous skirmishes, ending with the killing of several opponents. Demonstrates his zeal by lending 1,000 ducats to Vitturi for troop wages. Ceri sends him an additional 600 infantry under Giovanni Caracciolo; Orsini continues strengthening the city’s defenses. After intense artillery fire (366 shots), the imperial forces launch an attack resulting in the loss of 500–1,000 men (about a hundred killed in the trenches with so-called “artificial fires”) and the breaking of three cannons. Orsini requests an increase in his condotta, supported by Vitturi. | |||
| May | Apulia | The imperial forces begin constructing a new trench toward the old gate. Orsini builds a trench to hinder enemy sappers as they try to approach the moat. Continues attacking enemy positions, such as those led by Paolo Antonio da Ferrara and Angelo Santo Corso, causing further losses to d’Avalos’ troops. A few days later, a new sortie of 100 infantry armed with “fire tubes” from the Pignate area results in a fire that consumes enemy positions, nullifying a month’s work. Seeing their efforts in vain, the imperial forces abandon the area and move to Conversano. With the danger gone, disorders arise in Monopoli due to lack of supplies and chronic wage delays, especially for soldiers paid by the French. Two warehouses are looted; Orsini has two men hanged for participating in the act. With Giovanni Caracciolo, he convenes all captains and decides to send the discontented back to Barletta; there is no opposition to their possible defection to the enemy camp. He arrests his former favorite who arrived in Monopoli to justify himself. | |||
| June | Apulia | Boards a galley and reaches Barletta to complain to Renzo di Ceri about the behavior of French infantry; returns to Trani and is struck by the plague. Melo da Perugia’s company mutinies; he brings them back with the promise that no action will be taken against anyone. | |||
| July | Apulia | Sends 200 infantry under Paoluccio da Perugia and 40 cavalry commanded by Francesco da Casale to Ruvo di Puglia to rob 60 enemy cavalry: both captains are captured. Requests permission to go to Venice to avoid serving under Ceri and dealing with French-paid infantry. | |||
| Aug. | Apulia | Changes his mind with the promise of becoming governor of Brindisi. Lands at night and enters the city; with Riccardo da Pitigliano, Giulio da Montebello, Orazio di Carpegna (300 infantry), he seizes the sea castle despite intense defensive fire. Strengthens the castle’s defenses (praised by Admiral Girolamo Pesaro) and, with Giovan Corrado Orsini, besieges the city castle, which is bombarded from the sea. | |||
| Sept. | Apulia | Forced to abandon the siege operations of Brindisi‘s castle because the Venetian fleet is ordered to move to Corfu and the Bay of Kotor. Returns to Barletta, moves to Monopoli and Trani, and recruits 600 infantry formerly under French pay. In Trani, he has new disputes with Vitturi, who seeks greater responsibilities in conducting the war; the Serenissima reaffirms its trust in Orsini and moves Vitturi to Monopoli. | |||
| Oct. | 14 lances | Apulia | Of his 85 lances, only 14 support him in the Kingdom of Naples. The others are engaged in Lombardy. | ||
| Nov. | Apulia and Veneto | With the signing of peace, he leaves Apulia; reaches Venice with Giovanni Caracciolo and presents himself to the Collegio with this captain. Emperor Charles V strips him of his assets, especially the Marquisates of Atripalda and Montefredane. In Venice, he maintains for a period all the captains who fought alongside him in Apulia, consuming much of the wealth he acquired during the war. | |||
| Dec. | Veneto | Of his company, 100 cavalry are stationed in the Treviso area and 196 in Friuli. |
| 1530 | |||||
| Jan. | 50 lances | Veneto | In addition to the grant of a condotta of 50 lances, his annual pension is increased from 1,500 ducats to 2,500 ducats. | ||
| Mar.–June | Veneto | He endures criticisms from Giovanni Vitturi. At the June muster, 4 men-at-arms from his company are dismissed due to their age. | |||
| July–Aug. | Veneto | He quarrels in Venice with Vittore Soranzo over events that occurred two years earlier in Apulia; the Collegio is called to judge the dispute. In August, he is transferred to Vicenza. | |||
| 1532 | |||||
| Mar.–May | Veneto | He complains to the Venetians about delayed pay. In May, he is in Venice to welcome Francesco Maria della Rovere. | |||
| June | Veneto | At Montorio Veronese, at the muster of his troops held by Cristoforo Capello. He then goes to Venice; he is received in the Collegio and by the Council of Ten with some Baglioni, exiled by the Pope and hosted by him in Vicenza. | |||
| Oct. | Veneto | In Vicenza. With his men-at-arms, he monitors the passage through Veneto of the imperial troops returning from the war with the Turks in Austria. | |||
| Nov. | 50 lances and 100 light cavalry | Veneto | |||
| 1536 | |||||
| Aug. | 50 lances | Veneto | In Verona. | ||
| 1537 | |||||
| Oct. | Venice | Ottoman Empire | General Governor | Croatia | He is elected General Governor of Dalmatia when war breaks out with the Turks of Sultan Suleiman. He takes part in the defense of Zara with 3,000 infantry. The enemies besiege Sebenico; Orsini urges concentrating all defenses at Zara and Traù, but his opinion is not accepted by the Senate. |
| 1538 | |||||
| Apr. | Croatia | In Zara, with only 400 infantry due to delayed pay. During Holy Week, during processions, there is a plot favoring the enemies through which 25 Ottoman cavalry are introduced into the city by the garrison of a gate. They are discovered and flee with the deserters. | |||
| June | Veneto and France | In Venice; he heads to Nice, where with Cesare Fregoso and Guido Rangoni, he attends the meeting at Villeneuve between the King of France and Pope Paul III. | |||
| July | Croatia | He returns to Zara following the entry into Hungary of a strong Turkish army; strengthens the city’s defenses. He has portable wooden palisades built for the arquebusiers. He decides to attack Obrovac; his two attempts fail. | |||
| Aug. | Croatia and Bosnia | He spreads rumors of intending to assault Sebenico, reaches Nona with 4,000 infantry, 500 cavalry, and artillery pieces, and lands at Vrana, ancient seat of the Templar priory. From there, he moves inland at night and suddenly assaults the castle of Ostrovaz in Bosnia. The surprise succeeds; in three days, he conquers the fortress, and 700 enemy soldiers are slaughtered. He seizes 3,000 heads of livestock, bringing them to Zara with some prisoners. He narrowly avoids an ambush during a Turkish cavalry assault on a gate of Zara. | |||
| ….. | Croatia | In the continuation of the campaign, he convinces the Morlacchi to abandon the Turks and move to Zara with twenty thousand sheep, personally escorting them with 500 infantry. He quells a soldiers’ mutiny and has a standard-bearer and a lieutenant, who were among the leaders of the rebels, beheaded. The rebels retreat in confusion, allowing him to imprison other ringleaders, some of whom are thrown into the sea and others executed publicly. | |||
| 1539 | |||||
| ….. | Croatia and Veneto | Due to his plundering, he is stripped of the rank of field master by Provveditore Generale in Dalmatia Melchiorre Michiel; he withdraws in disgust to Murano. | |||
| Dec. | Lombardy | In the Crema area. | |||
| 1540 | |||||
| Sept. | Venice | 100 lances and 100 light cavalry | He is recalled by the Venetians, who grant him an annual provision of 4,000 ducats and a condotta of 100 men-at-arms (many of whom previously served under della Rovere), 100 light cavalry, and ten infantry captains; the contract is approved with a narrow margin of votes. | ||
| ….. | Veneto | Appointed governor of Verona, he welcomes Emperor Charles V at Bussolengo on his way to Flanders; he escorts him up to La Chiusa. | |||
| 1543 | |||||
| Feb. | Emilia | He ceases service with the Serenissima when the Venetians appoint Guidobaldo della Rovere as Captain General. He retires to Ferrara, hosted by Duke Ercole d’Este; spends his time studying, hunting, and music. In the city, he connects with the circle around the duke’s wife, Renée of France. | |||
| 1544 | |||||
| June | France | Empire | Piedmont | Participates in the Battle of Serravalle Scrivia. | |
| 1546 | |||||
| Apr. | Emilia | He is in Modena to advise military architect Girolamo Bellarmati on the state of the city’s fortifications; meets with the Duke of Este, supervises the work, and suggests some operational details. | |||
| 1547 | |||||
| Sept. | Church | Captain General | Emilia | With the killing of Pier Luigi Farnese, he enters the service of the Papal States. Appointed governor of Parma; he fortifies Castelguelfo and Borgo San Donnino (Fidenza), which border the Duchy of Milan; arranges for the transport of supplies and troops from Romagna to the capital. Occupies Poviglio, which Ferrante Gonzaga has eyed; however, he is unable to obtain Colorno from Giovan Francesco da San Severino, incited by Gonzaga. | |
| 1548 | |||||
| Jan. | Emilia | Inspects the walls of Bologna. | |||
| May | Emilia | He removes Captain Formichino from Parma and sends him to Romagna, suspecting him of wanting to hand over the city to Duke Ottavio Farnese. | |||
| 1549 | |||||
| Oct. | Emilia | Ottavio Farnese still aims to take over Parma; he is introduced into the city by his supporter, Sforza Sforza, and stays in the houses of the San Vitale family. Orsini becomes suspicious and keeps Farnese under close watch; his hostile conduct persuades Farnese to leave Parma and take refuge in Torrechiara and Felino. Upon hearing the news, the pontiff orders him not to hand over the city to his nephew Ottavio; Orsini gathers numerous soldiers and intensifies guard duties. | |||
| Nov. | Emilia | The Pope changes his mind and sends him, through Bishop of Pula Antonio Delio, a brief ordering him to hand over Parma to his nephew Ottavio. Orsini refuses to obey and wants to receive the order personally from the Pope’s mouth. Paul III dies; the order to hand over is now reconfirmed by the College of Cardinals, signed by thirty-eight prelates. He suspects that this injunction is the work of Cardinal Farnese; to obey, he wants it to come from the new Pope. Both the French and the imperialists (the latter through Ferrante Gonzaga, who offers him 30,000 scudi) try to bribe him to seize Parma. | |||
| 1550 | |||||
| Feb. | Emilia | The new Pope Julius III has him hand over Parma to Ottavio Farnese, including the fortresses, artillery, and munitions. Orsini leaves the city, passes through Modena where he is hosted at the expense of the Duke of Ferrara in the palace of Uguccione Rangoni. In Ferrara. | |||
| Mar. | Lazio | He reaches Rome and is reconfirmed in his positions; he takes charge of supplying the capital afflicted by hunger, raises the prices of foodstuffs, and brings in grain from everywhere. | |||
| 1551 | |||||
| ….. | Church | France | Emilia | He is sent to Bologna as governor of the city. Commands 4,000 infantry. He now opposes the French, who support Ottavio Farnese‘s cause in the War of Parma. He receives 300 light cavalry and 100 mounted arquebusiers in aid from Vincenzo Nobili. On his advice, the pontiff has the county militias armed to defend the Bolognese territory from possible French raids from Parma. Three thousand peasants from the plain and surrounding hills are armed: divided into six companies under the orders of Tempesta da Todi. | |
| July–Aug. | Emilia | He crosses the Panaro River and besieges Mirandola. Around the city walls, eight forts are built with the assistance of engineer Jacopo Fausto Castriota to prevent the place from being supplied. Nevertheless, the pontifical and imperial forces cannot block the flow of supplies and provisions to the defenders (among them is Ludovico della Mirandola). Orsini is tasked by the pontifical Captain General Giambattista del Monte, the Pope’s nephew, to assault the Forte di Sant’Antonio; he places 400 Tuscan infantry at the forefront, commanded by Otto da Montauto and Pietropaolo Tosinghi, and attacks the fortified point with Alessandro Vitelli. He forces the defenders to retreat into Mirandola. He clashes with Giambattista del Monte over the conduct of the war. | |||
| Sept. | Emilia | He stays in Bologna. Remains guarding the city with 3,000 infantry and numerous cavalry. Supervises the county’s castles. | |||
| ….. | Captain General | Emilia | Upon the death of Giambattista del Monte, he again takes command of the pontifical army; he puts an end to the frequent disorders arising in the camp around Mirandola. | ||
| 1552 | |||||
| Apr. | Emilia | Peace is concluded between the pontificals and the French. In eight months of war around Mirandola, just under 12,000 people have died. | |||
| May | Emilia | According to the agreements, he abandons the forts under his control, prevents Gian Giacomo de’ Medici‘s imperial forces from occupying them, and ensures that those of Quarantoli and Sant’Antonio come under French control. | |||
| 1553 | Emilia | The Pope has 8,000 infantry and some cavalry companies enlisted. He is given command of the troops: these are distributed partly to guard Rome and partly Bologna. | |||
| 1554 | Lazio | He returns to Rome and provides for the city’s defense, threatened by the Viceroy of Naples Don García de Toledo, marching towards Siena. He gathers 1,000 infantry in eight days, followed shortly by another 7,000 men. The Viceroy sees the prepared defenses and abandons any offensive intentions; he even sends his son to pay homage to the pontiff. Orsini receives him at the gate with a large contingent of arquebusiers and escorts him to the Vatican. The imperial troops are lodged in the city at different and distant points. | |||
| 1556 | |||||
| ….. | The French want him in their service: he is promised an annual salary of 12,000 francs in peacetime and 24,000 in wartime with the title of Lieutenant General of the Royal Militias in Italy, a condotta of 100 men-at-arms, and the collar of the Order of Saint Michael. The new Pope Paul IV does not grant him permission to join them; thus, he is forced to refuse any command. | ||||
| Aug. | Church | Empire | Captain General | Lazio | Duke of Alba, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, invades the Roman countryside; the French impose him as Captain General of the papal army. Orsini once again defends Rome; he sets up his lodging in an apartment in the Palace of Saint Peter. He refuses any salary and takes charge of guarding Castel Sant’Angelo with 2,000 infantry: personally oversees the work of strengthening the city’s defenses, particularly the works related to the citadel of Castel Sant’Angelo (pentagonal model, with initial fortifications in rammed earth), the bridges over the Tiber, and access to the Borgo Leonino. Many vineyards and buildings adjacent to the walls are destroyed, including the Monastery of Santa Maria del Popolo. A fervent proponent of a defensive strategy, he opposes Blaise de Monluc‘s plan to leave the city to face the Duke of Alba; he exercises his powers decisively; does not hesitate to clash with Cardinal Antonio Carafa, who pushes for a more offensive strategy. |
| ….. | Lazio | At the end of the conflict, he retires to Mentana. | |||
| 1558 | |||||
| Jan. | Lazio | Recalled by Pope Paul IV, he attends a consistory in Rome. | |||
| 1559 | |||||
| Feb. | Lazio | He is elected Governor of Rome; he is entrusted with the direction of the Sacra Consulta. He is granted full powers following some disorders that arose in the city. | |||
| Apr. | Lazio | He dies at the beginning of the month. He is buried in Rome, in the ground as per his will, in the Chapel of the Ascension of the Church of San Salvatore in Lauro, built by his grandfather, Cardinal Latino Orsini. His engraved portrait is in the Ducal Palace of Urbania (Civic Museum Pinacoteca). A friend of Teofilo Folengo, who remained in his service for several years. He marries Brigida Orsini of the Counts of Anguillara branch and Elisabetta Baglioni, daughter of Giampaolo. |
Sources
-“Personaggio di gran vaglia e prudenza.” MURATORI
-“Espertissimo capitano.” BUGATI
-“Capitano di.. lunga esperienza.” ALBERI
-“Capitan vecchio et famoso.” SOZOMENO
-“Grandissimo fu a tempi nostri..Percioché questi per tutto il corso della sua vita, tenendo un medesimo tenor di sincerità in tutte le sue magnanime operazioni, si fece memorabile a tutti i posteri.” GIAVARINA
-“Piangi misera Italia, e ben t’invita/ A questo il gran’ Orsin, ch’ora è sotterra/ Fra duri, e freddi sassi, e secca terra/ Ridotto, e l’età ha pur fornita.” T. Porcacchi, da un sonetto raccolto dal GIAVARINA
-“Nom pur del suo valor alto, e divino/ Ne l’arme, ond’ebbe il più famoso grido,/ E ne’ governi, empié questo, e quel lido,/ ma tutta Europa il gran Camillo Orsini:/ Né maggior gloria al bel nome latino/ Apportò Giulio, o Scipio: e fallo il nido/ De l’antica virtù sì chiaro, e fido,/ Ch’ottenne già del mondo ampio domino.” L. Dolce, da un sonetto raccolto dall’OROLOGI
-“Capitano invittissimo de’ nostri tempi..Capitano di tanta isperienza e un guerriero di tanto valore..Può meritevolmente dirsi, che Camillo Orsino sia stato, non pur il maggior huomo che nascesse dell’antichissima famiglia Orsina, così ne’ maneggi di guerra, come ne’ governi de’ popoli, ma ancora, che stato giammai fosse nell’Italia tutta..Fu..di mediocre statura..; di corpo asciutto e nervoso, di colore che più presto tendeva al macilente: di complessione forte e molto atta a sostenere le fatiche..fatta robusta: non meno con l’esercitio dell’armi in tempo di guerra, che con l’esercitio della caccia e del cavalcare. Fu intendentissimo della fortificatione (Bergamo, Zara, Verona, Trani, Monopoli, Parma, Fontanellato, Roma)..perché vi haveva il suo giuditio tanto pronto e sicuro, che subito riconosceva l’avantaggio e il disavantaggio de i siti..Era ancora, come predominato dalla colera, vehemente nelle operationi e prontissimo nell’eseguire. Fu poi poco dato al sonno, perché dormiva pochissime hore della notte. Fu bellissimo dicitore..Fu più che mediocremente instrutto nelle buone lettere..Si pigliava ancor tal’hora grandissimo piacere della musica così di voci humane, come di strumenti..Amò grandemente la caccia così di uccelli, come da terra; ma sopra tutto si pigliava a piacere di tenere bella stalla di cavalli..; haveva poi l’animo pieno di altissime qualità; e degne in vero di huomo di alto stato, e sopra tutto amava quanto amore si possa la giustizia..Onde era di maniera severo ossevatore delle leggi e de gli ordini..Fu ancora splendido e magnifico..Fu poi così nemico de gli adulatori, buffoni, ch’ingannano il mondo, come grandissimo amico de’ veridici, e di quelli che portavano il cuore nella fronte. Fu ancora amorevolissimo a’ soldati, e si portava con essi loro, ch’era non meno amato dai buoni, ubidienti e disciplinati, che temuto dalli tristi e di disubidienti.” OROLOGI
-“In varie imprese ottenne lode meravigliosa..Hebbe carnagione bianca, gli occhi, barba e capelli castagnicci.” ROSCIO
-“Egli mostrò sempre espedita et incredibil forza di prudenza perfetta, come desideroso di giusta e meritata lode, la qual gli fosse ornamento e passasse anco a suoi discendenti.” SANSOVINO
-“Cor ardito, man pronte, e forze rare,/ Ch’esser ponno in guerrier tra ‘l ferro nato:/ Tutte in lui fur, che ‘n tutte parti ornato,/ sì d’ogn’altro Orso illustramente al pare./ Sallo la Donna nostra alta del mare,/ Che sovente tra suoi ne ‘l vide armato/ Pedestre in schiera, e ‘l primo, e ‘l più lodato,/ E far cose con l’armi eterne, e chiare./ E saulo i due, ch’al Pio moderno inanti,/ Per lui ‘l Tarpeio, e più la grave soma/ Di Pietro, resser contra hosti lor tanti!/ Onde ornando d’allor l’altiera chioma,/ Vero in opre, in valor, atti, e sembianti/ Scorse ad huopo Camillo ancor sua Roma.” C. Passi, da un sonetto raccolto dal SANSOVINO
-“Espertissimo capitano.” ROSEO
-“Fu Camillo valoroso in battaglia, ma cauto e lento ne’ consigli, dando maggior lode ai prudenti che agli arditi: odiatore acerrimo dell’indisciplina, punì nel capo moltissimi soldati suoi in Dalmazia, ed a tal ordine li ridusse che dicevasi che un soldato dell’Orsino pareva un monaco di Francia: fece grande professione di onore, ed in quell’età di tradimenti, il nome suo è fra i pochissimi che passassero incolpati.” PROMIS
-“Stimato savio e fedel Capitano.” ADRIANI
-“Nominato valoroso in tutte le guerre de’ suoi tempi.” GAMURRINI
-“Homo perito nel fortificare una città..Homo ingenioso da fortificare una città e in fare fare bellovardi..Signore di grande descritione et de ingiegno in l’arte militare.” DE’ BIANCHI
-“Maestro di guerra.” BALAN
-“L’Orsino dico, che l’età moderna/ Ha in veneratione, e in tanto pregio,/ Né creder può ch’altrui più sappia, o scerna,/ Di quel ch’à un Capitan convenga egregio:/ Onde la fama sua, ch’al mondo eterna/ Viverà sempre, adorna in gran fregio/ Dagli indi estremi, fino al mar di Batto/ Gli porta il nome per un lungo stratto.” LEGGIADRI
-“Arme, arme, Carlo, arme arme, Imperatore!/ A cavallo a caval grida l’argirino/ Ché il sacrosanto ser Camillo Ursino/ Da i preti è fatto sergente maggiore.” ARETINO
-Alla sua morte “Presto..si diffusero voci relative alle sue opinioni religiose non convenzionali: ne scaturì, all’inizio del giugno 1559, un procedimento inquisitoriale che avrebbe potuto condurre alla riesumazione e al rogo del suo corpo. Di questo processo non sono emersi gli atti, ma è certo che Orsini mantenne una sostanziale libertà di pensiero in materia religiosa: si interessava di questioni teologiche ed era arrivato a un personale distacco dal corredo dei dogmi della Chiesa; considerava invece di fondamentale importanza il ruolo della grazia di Dio, che gli sembrava aver predestinato il numero di coloro che avrebbero raggiunto la salvezza. Erano opinioni fondate sul pensiero di s. Paolo, certamente molto vicine a quelle dei riformati: Orsini però, continuava a rispettare le forme cattoliche di culto. Per questo, è apparso alla storiografia come un nicomedista esemplare.” BRUNELLI
-“Diede non poco saggio del valor suo..Hebbe carnagion bianca: gli occhi, barba, e capelli castagnicci.” CAPRIOLO
-“Was described as “il primo de casa Ursina”, in 1521 (Sanudo).” SHAW
-“Solo dopo la sua morte Paolo IV si rese conto (o volle tener conto) dei trascorsi “sospetti” dell’Orsini, il quale era stato legato ai cardinali Reginald Pole e Giovanni Morone e in generale al circolo degli Spirituali, e tra l’altro era intervenuto in aiuto di Fanino Fanini e aveva ospitato nella sua residenza a Ferrara Pietro Bresciani, seguace di Giorgio Siculo. Nel giugno 1559 venne pertanto aperto un processo inquisitoriale postumo a suo carico, processo di cui non si conservano gliu atti e che avrebbe dovuto portare al rogo del suo cadavere, ma che si interruppe con la morte di Paolo IV.” www.ereticopedia.org>camillo-orsini
SPECIFIC BIOGRAPHIES
-G. Orologi. Vita di Camillo Orsini marchese della Tripalda.
