A Soldier Who Fought Wars with Blades and Blueprints
Ascanio della Corgna (Ascanio della Cornia) of Perugia. Marquis of Castiglione del Lago. Lord of Città della Pieve and Abbadia San Salvatore. Nephew of Cardinal Antonio del Monte a Santa Maria (Pope Julius III). Father-in-law of Montino del Monte a Santa Maria.
Born: 1516
Death: 1571, December
| Year, Month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| …………….. | Lazio | Spends his adolescence in Rome with the family of his mother Giacoma del Monte, at Santa Maria, and with his uncle Cardinal Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, alternating sports (fencing) with classical studies and architecture under Galeazzo Alessi. Takes up the profession of arms. | |||
| 1532 | Umbria | Returns to Perugia. | |||
| 1536 | |||||
| …………….. | France | Empire | Emilia | Reported in Mirandola with the troops gathered by the French to face the imperial forces. | |
| Aug. – Oct. | France | Empire | 200 infantry | Liguria | In the subsequent expedition toward Liguria and Piedmont, serves in the company of Cagnino Gonzaga with the rank of ensign. Takes part in the failed attempt to storm the walls of Genoa. Receives the command of 200 infantry from Cristoforo Guasco. |
| Nov. | Piedmont | At the invitation of Guglielmo da Biandrate and without informing the captain general Guido Rangoni, supports Cristoforo Guasco and “il Burie” in the conquest of Casale Monferrato: at dawn enters the city through a gate left open by the imperial captain Domenico Curiale. The French take possession of the locality; Guasco besieges the fortress. Short on gunpowder and men, he asks Rangoni for aid. Ascanio della Cornia loses his right eye to a wound in the face from a light cavalry lance that pierces his tongue and palate, during the subsequent clash with the forces of Alfonso d’Avalos (marchese di Vasto), stationed in Asti. Taken prisoner, he is ransomed by Pirro Colonna. | |||
| 1537 | |||||
| ……….. | Emilia | Quickly healed, reported in Bologna. There he is mistakenly arrested by a captain under Piero Strozzi, Count Ugo di Carpegna. Dissatisfied with the answers received, challenges him to a duel on the parvis of San Petronio. Strozzi, the sergeant major, tries to dissuade the fighters. Ascanio della Cornia demands official apologies, which Carpegna categorically refuses to give. After several bouts Carpegna is wounded by a thrust to his chest and another to his side. The duel ends with Carpegna’s formal apologies. | |||
| Apr. – July | Exiles | Florence | 200 infantry | Tuscany | Supports Piero Strozzi right after the killing of Alessandro de’ Medici in an attempt to restore the republic in Florence. At the end of July, takes part in the Battle of Montemurlo. Defeated, barely escapes. |
| 1538 | Venice | Ottoman Empire | Croatia | Fights the Turks in Dalmatia under the orders of Valerio Orsini. Boards the galley of Alessandro Contarini and participates in operations against Preveza. Present at the capture of Castelnuovo, near Cattaro (Kotor) in Montenegro. | |
| 1540 | |||||
| Apr. | Perugia | Church | Umbria | Opposes the pontifical forces of Pope Paul III (Paolo III) in the so-called “war of salt.” Placed in defense of the castle of Torgiano with Andrea d’Arezzo and 150 infantry. In the few days available, adapts the castle’s defenses by building a makeshift bastion and digging a semicircular moat to protect half of the city walls. | |
| May | Umbria | Under attack from the papal troops of Alessandro Vitelli. By late month, Torgiano undergoes a third assault. The opponents, now equipped with artillery, begin pounding the city walls. In a further attack, 50 papal soldiers and 2 captains fall. Eventually, only Alessandro Vitelli remains in command with some Spanish infantry companies. At the end of the month, due to a lack of provisions and gunpowder, Ascanio della Cornia is forced to surrender under terms that spare people and property. His soldiers leave Torgiano; as soon as they cross the Tiber, they are robbed (stripped of weapons and personal belongings), while Ascanio della Cornia is kept prisoner. | |||
| 1541 | Church | Colonna | 300 infantry | Lazio | Counters Ascanio Colonna first at Rocca di Papa and later in the area of Paliano. |
| 1542 | Church | Emilia | Sent by the papal authorities to Parma, Rimini, and Piacenza as captain of the local garrisons. Uses his skills as a military architect to restore and improve the fortifications of these localities. | ||
| 1543 | |||||
| July | France | Empire | Piedmont | Serving Francis I, confronts imperial forces in Piedmont. Defends Andezeno, attacked by Pirro Colonna, Ludovico Vistarini, and Cesare da Napoli. Seriously wounded in the right eye. Taken prisoner. | |
| 1545 | Tuscany | Imprisoned in Florence by Duke Cosimo de’ Medici because of his service with the French. | |||
| 1546 | |||||
| May | Empire | France | 500 infantry | Piedmont and Tuscany | Released, enters imperial pay. Receives command of 500 infantry to oppose the French in Piedmont. In Casale Monferrato, Giannino Taddei, who serves under his orders, publicly complains that he obtained the command of a company not so much by Ascanio della Cornia’s desire but through Marzio Colonna’s recommendation. Taddei also expresses a wish to abandon his colonel, probably due to delayed pay. Ascanio della Cornia reaches Taddei in Florence and immediately challenges him to a duel. They fight in Pitigliano, the land of Count Giovan Francesco Orsini, in the presence of 3,000 spectators (600 of whom are brought from Perugia at Ascanio della Cornia’s expense). His seconds are Duke Ottavio Farnese, Paolo Vitelli, Orsino Orsini, and Girolamo da Pisa; Taddei’s seconds include the Count of Santa Fiora and other Roman nobles. Ascanio della Cornia, clad in red, fatally wounds his rival with three thrusts to the right arm and one to the chest; wounded himself, is treated in the same locality. Count di Pitigliano, to celebrate the event, orders an artillery salute. The episode is later depicted by Pomarancio in the frescoes of Palazzo della Cornia in Castiglione del Lago. |
| 1546 | Empire | Protestants | 300 arquebusiers | Germany | Participates in the war against the Schmalkaldic League under Alessandro Vitelli and the Duke of Parma, Ottavio Farnese. |
| 1547 | Church | Marche | Ottavio and Alessandro Farnese persuade Pope Paul III (Paolo III) (belonging to the same family) to entrust him with the governorship of Ancona for two years. | ||
| 1549 | |||||
| Dec. | Church | Fermo | Marche | Defeated in the Fermano area by Federico Nobili, returns to Rome. Fermo, the following January, soon reverts under papal control following the intervention of Antonio da Tolentino. | |
| 1550 | |||||
| June | Church | Lazio, Piedmont | With the accession of his uncle, Pope Julius III (Giulio III), to the papal throne, obtains the territory of the Chiugi (subtracted from Perugian control) in exchange for canceling a 12,000-ducat debt owed to his mother Giacoma, the pope’s sister. Named captain general of the papal guard, while his brother Fulvio, a Knight of Malta, is made cardinal with the title of Santa Maria in Via and Bishop of Perugia; he is granted the lordship of Città della Pieve (appointed its perpetual governor) and a significant part of Perugia’s public revenues. Sent as a hostage to Turin under the pretext of learning to ride under the Termes. | ||
| Nov. | Tasked with welcoming the Queen of Bohemia on her visit to Italy. | ||||
| 1551 | |||||
| Spring | France | Sent by the pope to Saint-Germain-en-Laye to meet King Henry II of France. At court, accused of having killed or having arranged the murder of a royal courier to rob him of his messages; the mission therefore fails. | |||
| …………….. | Church | Farnese | Lazio | Pope Julius III (Giulio III) is disappointed in his efforts to convince Ottavio Farnese to give up the Duchy of Parma for that of Camerino. Ascanio della Cornia is tasked with taking the Duchy of Castro from the Farnese: seizes Montalto di Castro at the expense of Orazio Farnese. | |
| June | Church | France | Emilia | Besieges the French in Mirandola; is defeated in a sortie by the defenders. In the skirmish, his horse is killed by an arquebus shot; he escapes on foot. | |
| July | Emilia, Umbria | Upon hearing of the rebellion in Siena, the city’s governor Diego de Mendoza (then in Rome) contacts him to offer command of 3,000 infantry. Attempts, unsuccessfully, to block Aurelio Fregoso on the Nera River as Fregoso heads to Tuscany. | |||
| Aug. | Empire | Siena | Tuscany | Acting on his own, crosses into the Sienese territory to occupy Chiusi. Withdraws after a few days, following an agreement between Florentines and Sienese. | |
| Nov. | Lazio | In Rome. Presses his uncle, the pope, for the Papal State’s intervention in Sienese affairs. | |||
| Dec. | Emilia | With Alessandro Vitelli and Giambattista del Monte, ambushes 200 soldiers who have sallied from Mirandola. They are rescued by “il Turchetto,” who charges and compels the papal forces to retreat. Thrown from his horse, he is saved by one of his captains, who gives up his own mount. Ascanio della Cornia then goes to Bologna with Vitelli; he wishes to leave the field because the defenders and the French do not take prisoners but kill anyone opposing them. | |||
| 1552 | |||||
| Jan. | Empire | France, Siena | Umbria, Tuscany | Receives an annual provision of 2,000 ducats. The Viceroy of Naples, Don Pedro de Toledo, sends him to Tuscany to help Cosimo de’ Medici fight the Sienese. Moves to Orbetello; after receiving money from Diego de Mendoza, gathers 2,500 Italian infantry around Perugia and raids the area of Cortona between Floriano and Città della Pieve. Occupies Chiusi. Ranges as far as the Paglia River. Blocks the route at Ponte Buratone to Fregoso (1,000 infantry and 100 cavalry), forcing the Termes to send the Duke of Somma against him. The Sienese retreat from Val di Chiana; Ascanio della Cornia plunders the area and even takes the bells, which are sent, along with the loot, to Castel della Pieve. | |
| Feb. | Tuscany | Attacks Montefollonico, defended by Count Sertorio da Thiene and Commissary Niccolò Milandroni; convinces the enemy captain to abandon the town in return for his and his men’s freedom. The captain opens the gate; the imperials, however, break the promise, imprison him, and rob his company. | |||
| Mar. | Tuscany | Besieges Monticchiello, defended by Adriano Baglioni. In a counterattack, Ascanio della Cornia pursues the enemy, who has come out for a sortie, almost to the walls; during the action, he is hit in the mouth by a stone thrown from above. In the same period, captures several horses of Giovanni Gagliardo near Tegoleto but then frees them without arms or baggage, after giving them 10 florins each. | |||
| 1553 | |||||
| Apr. | Tuscany, Lazio | Besieges Giordano Orsini in Montalcino. In mid-month, after Faustino da Perugia leads 300 arquebusiers and 100 Sienese pikemen in a sortie against besiegers who are tunneling to place a mine, Ascanio della Cornia is again wounded in his right thigh by an arquebus shot. Assumed dead, is moved to a house, then carried by litter to Montepulciano, and later travels to Rome for treatment. The pope, in retaliation for the wounding of his nephew, forbids shipments of supplies from Perugia to Siena. | |||
| June | Tuscany | Having recovered, returns to the camp of Montalcino. Forced to halt operations: during the retreat, allows Count of Caiazzo, Giulio Cesare dei Rossi—his prisoner—to escape. | |||
| May | Tuscany | Obtains lordship over Abbadia San Salvatore. | |||
| 1554 | |||||
| Feb. | Florence | France | Tuscany | Recruited by Duke Cosimo de’ Medici, who assigns him command of 6,000 infantry. Arrives in Foiano della Chiana and positions himself near Montepulciano. | |
| Mar. | Tuscany | Dispatched by the new captain general Gian Giacomo de’ Medici, with Rodolfo Baglioni, to the Val di Chiana to attack Lucignano d’Arbia and Sinalunga. Forces the Sienese to vacate Sinalunga, Torrita di Siena, and Montefollonico. Besieges Chianciano; ravages its countryside and nearly captures Captain Saporoso Matteucci, who sorties from the walls to confront him. In the Palude Chianina area, crosses Ponte a Valiano (Valiano) with 300 cavalry and 2,000 infantry (strengthens the place with a bastion) and supplies Montepulciano with provisions and salt. Burns 40 huts at Poggio delle Bettolle in the Val di Chiana. On Maundy Thursday, marches at night with Rodolfo Baglioni (3,000 infantry and 400 cavalry) to surprise Chiusi, where—through Bati Rospigliosi—he has reached an agreement with Santuccio da Cutigliano, a man he previously helped to free in Rome from a murder charge. Promises Santuccio da Cutigliano pardon from any ban in the Duchy of Florence and a reward of 3,000 scudi if he leaves a city gate open. Santuccio da Cutigliano reveals the plot to Strozzi, who stations Cornelio Bentivoglio and Aurelio Fregoso in ambush around the area. Ascanio della Cornia arrives at dawn after a 12-mile night march, crosses a bridge, and halts in a meadow to coordinate his troops: 300 soldiers and his staff in front, 300 arquebusiers under Rodolfo Baglioni in the center, Ercole della Penna with the cavalry and the rest of the infantry in the rear. Sees an open gate as agreed; calls for Santuccio da Cutigliano and sends two messengers forward. No reply. Sends 20 soldiers ahead who discover the ambush. He decides to retreat; his infantry, in the process of withdrawing, is surprised by three more ambushes set between Chiusi, Chianciano, and Monte di Venere. As the defeat unfolds, he dismounts and fights on foot with a pike. Attacked by Galeazzo da Pavia, surrenders to Count Teofilo Calcagnini. Captured along with 1,500 men, taken to the fortress of Sarteano; 12 infantry flags and 2 cavalry standards are seized. From Sarteano he is brought by Aurelio Fregoso and Paolo Orsini to Siena and imprisoned, along with his brother-in-law Ercole della Penna, in Palazzo della Dogana; other, less important prisoners are held on the ground floor of Palazzo Spannocchi. One man, Captain Bagaglia da Uliveto—who had previously defected from the Sienese to the Florentines—is hanged from the windows of the Palazzo Pubblico. Ascanio della Cornia is treated courteously by Strozzi, who grants him a certain freedom of movement. | |||
| Apr. | Tuscany | Moved to the same building in which Piero Strozzi resides, in a room with high windows and a broad view. | |||
| May | Tuscany, France | Attempts to bribe Caporale Lupo da Napoli to escape by climbing down from the palace walls. Discovered, he is confined under stricter security, while his accomplice is hanged from the windows of the Palazzo Pubblico. Leone Strozzi, leaving for Porto Ercole with the Duke of Somma and 1,100 soldiers, transfers him and his brother-in-law to a new prison. He tries to flee once more; Leone Strozzi places him on a galley, taking him to Marseille. | |||
| …………….. | France, Lazio | Presented to King Henry II, who frees him without ransom in honor of Pope Julius III (Giulio III), his uncle. Returns to Rome. The pontiff grants him the title of Custode della Santa Chiesa, equivalent to the city’s governorship. | |||
| 1555 | Church | Lazio | At the end of March, Julius III (Giulio III) dies. Elected to the papal throne are first Marcello II (who confirms him in his military and civil offices) and, after a month, Cardinal Giovanni Pietro Carafa (Paul IV). He soon falls out of favor with the new pope, also because his brother Fulvio opposed Carafa’s papal candidacy in the conclave. Castiglione del Lago reverts to the Apostolic Camera. The condottiero must remain in Rome, providing a guarantee of 1,500 ducats. Carlo Carafa, a nephew of the pope once imprisoned under Julius III (Giulio III), is appointed head of the Apostolic Secretariat. Ascanio della Cornia stays clear of the intrigues of the court. | ||
| 1556 | |||||
| Jan. | Church | Bagno | Romagna | In command of 3,000 infantry, assists Duke of Paliano Antonio Carafa in seizing Montebello Azzurrina and three other castles from Giovanni Francesco da Bagno, declared deposed by the pope. | |
| Summer | Church | Spain | Commander of infantry | Lazio | Sent to Nettuno and Velletri to oversee and improve fortifications in view of an upcoming war with the imperial forces. Recalled to Rome because a search of the home of Duke of Alba’s ambassador, García Lasco de la Vega, yields one of his messages. Feigns illness and gains time. |
| Aug. | Spain | Church | Maestro di campo of Italian infantry | Lazio | Suspected of betrayal (or perhaps because Pope Paul IV needs his considerable funds deposited in local banks). Papirio Capizucchi, with 400 infantry, is ordered to arrest him in Velletri and bring him to Rome. Warned by his brother Cardinal Fulvio, Ascanio della Cornia leaves Velletri (after a brief clash with papal troops at Porta Romana) and heads to Nettuno, recently occupied from the Colonna family. Tricks the castellan, Count di Montorio, by claiming he is pursued by some of his light cavalry who mutinied and went over to the imperial side. Papirio Capizucchi is blocked by the garrison. Ascanio della Cornia escapes by boat to Terracina, a fief of Marcantonio Colonna, and from there flees to Naples to the Duke of Alba, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo. The pope condemns him in absentia for felony; excommunicated, his holdings in Chiugi are confiscated. His brother the cardinal is removed from the bishopric of Spoleto and imprisoned; his mother Giacoma is likewise deprived of her assets; his wife Giovanna Baglioni and his sister Laura (married to Ercole della Penna) are imprisoned in Castel Sant’Angelo or Castiglione del Lago. Ascanio della Cornia enters the service of the imperial forces, named maestro di campo general of the Italian infantry. Defends himself in a public statement against accusations of treason. |
| Oct. | Lazio | Under Vespasiano Gonzaga, compels Vicovaro, defended by Francesco Orsini, to surrender. Gains Ardea and Porcigliano (Castelporziano). The first site is used to store flour from Gaeta and from Marino; the second to concentrate all baking ovens. Also in Porcigliano, repels a sortie of 2,000 men attempting to recapture the place, led by the Duke of Somma and Aurelio Fregoso, inflicting some losses. Moves with 1,200 cavalry and 1,200 infantry to Tivoli, surprising Blaise de Monluc along the way. | |||
| Nov. | Lazio | Attempts an attack on Rome. Ordered by King Philip II of Spain to withdraw, he besieges the fortress of Ostia instead. After 14 days of artillery bombardment, Orazio dello Sbirro is forced to surrender at discretion. Heads to Nettuno; by the end of the month is at Fiumicino, negotiating a first 10-day truce, followed by another of 40 days, between Cardinal Carlo Carafa and the Duke of Alba. | |||
| 1557 | |||||
| Feb. | Abruzzo | In anticipation of the Duke of Guise’s attack in Abruzzo, is tasked with reinforcing the defenses of Atri and Civitella del Tronto. Moves to Chieti, where he orders the demolition of the city’s crumbling walls to replace them with strong bastions, using the resulting stone and timber cut from nearby plantations and vineyards. | |||
| Apr. | Abruzzo | Operating between L’Aquila and Cantalice, as the Duke of Guise mounts a fierce siege of Civitella del Tronto. | |||
| …………….. | Lazio | The swift reconquest of many towns by papal forces under Piero Strozzi drives Ascanio della Cornia to Velletri with some infantry and cavalry companies. There, too, he has the dilapidated walls torn down and replaced by strong bastions. | |||
| Aug. – Sept. | Lazio | From Velletri, moves to join the siege of Segni with Sforza Sforza, backing Marcantonio Colonna. With the town’s fall, is tasked with advancing on Rome and scaling its walls at Porta Maggiore, opposed by Strozzi. The plan is postponed. In mid-September, peace is reached with the Treaty of Cave, signed in Palazzo Leoncelli. | |||
| 1558 | Belgium, Lombardy | King Philip II of Spain sends him to the Low Countries and northern Italy to reorganize the fortresses and border posts. Appointed “Head of the Fortifications of All the Realms of Philip II,” with an annual pension of 7,000 scudi; also secures an additional stipend of 1,000 scudi per his mother. In the Low Countries, inspects the frontier forts of Béthune, Arras, Gravelines, and Bourbourg with the Spanish engineer general, the Italian Francesco Paciotto. | |||
| 1559 | Spain | ||||
| Aug. | Umbria, Lazio | At the death of Paul IV, mid-month, assembles men at Monte San Savino (controlled by his cousin Bartolomeo del Monte) and quickly regains Castiglione del Lago, Città della Pieve, and the Chiugi, receiving an honorable reception everywhere. By late month, proceeds to Rome to advocate his cause during the papal vacancy (Cardinal Angelo de’ Medici becomes Pius IV, brother of Gian Giacomo de’ Medici). His trial is reviewed; Ascanio della Cornia is acquitted of all charges, absolved from excommunication, and reinstated in all his possessions and titles. Also named perpetual governor of the Chiugi, upon payment of 15,000 scudi to the Apostolic Camera. | |||
| 1560 | Umbria | In Perugia, chosen as “primus mercator,” head of the city magistrature. | |||
| 1561 | Spain | Lombardy | |||
| 1563 | |||||
| ……………. | Romagna | In Ravenna. | |||
| Nov. | Umbria | Pope Pius IV grants him the title of Marquis of Castiglione and the Chiugi. | |||
| 1564 | Umbria | His haughty and contemptuous behavior causes constant protests from the inhabitants of the Chiugi. An inquiry is opened, unfavorable to him. | |||
| 1565 | |||||
| Jan. – June | Lazio, Sicily | In Rome, riding one day in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, he is imprisoned in that fortress by order of Pope Pius IV. In the ensuing trial, accused of a host of misdeeds (including those of his youth, such as attempted and actual murders, beatings of rivals, kidnappings, attempted rape, and various abuses), he is released after six months only thanks to the intercession of Emperor Ferdinand of Austria, the kings of Spain and France, and the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Jean Parisot de la Valette, in exchange for a 20,000/25,000 scudi bond and the surrender of Città della Pieve. Goes to Messina under the Viceroy of Naples, Don García de Toledo, to fight the Turks in defense of Malta. Musters 400 men, mostly Perugians; named maestro di campo. Accompanied by his nephews Diomede and Cesare della Penna. | |||
| July | Spain | Ottoman Empire | Maestro di campo | Malta | Departs from Messina with the Spanish fleet (18 galleys). With Álvaro de Sande, lands on the island of Gozo at the head of 10,000 Italian and Spanish infantry; from there crosses to Malta. Disembarks in the Marsa Muscietto harbor with Colonel Paris von Lodron’s German infantry. With the Knight of Malta Vincenzo Anastagi, moves ahead to the area of Medina to provision the beleaguered defenders. His men quarter in a village near St. Paul’s Bay and Benurato, where most houses lie in ruins. Clashes with Álvaro de Sande over overall command; both appeal to the Grand Master of the Order of St. John. Ascanio della Cornia advises waiting in defensive positions for the enemy, while de Sande and Chiappino Vitelli suggest otherwise. After a few days, Mustafa Pasha quietly disembarks 10,000 men from the Ottoman galleys under cover of darkness, aiming to surprise the Christians; likewise, Piali Pasha’s fleet leaves harbor heading north to blockade St. Paul’s Bay. Ascanio della Cornia places his troops in defense of Medina. |
| Sept. | Spain | Ottoman Empire | Malta | Having organized his infantry, attacks the Turks advancing up the slope, routing them together with Álvaro de Sande. Wounded by a stone during the fight. The Christian advance is unstoppable. Mustafa Pasha tries in vain to halt his men’s flight—he kills his own mount to show retreat is impossible. The fleeing troops are driven into the shallows; Maltese and Spanish forces enter the water to kill the enemy. They are finally repelled by artillery fire from Piali Pasha’s galleys, which rescue the survivors. Ascanio della Cornia finally helps besiege Fort St. Michael. For his valor, King Philip II of Spain grants him 50,000 scudi. With the Turks’ withdrawal, he returns to Italy on three galleys plus the Grand Master’s flagship, the “Parona.” | |
| 1566 | |||||
| Spring – Summer | Umbria, Lazio | Moves between Castiglione del Lago and Rome. Still faces problems and the prison of Castel Sant’Angelo. In June he is again arrested, along with his adopted son Diomede, accused of ordering the murder of Captain Flaminio Graziani. Declares himself innocent; cleared by the intervention of his brother, Cardinal Fulvio, and an old friend, Doge of Venice Girolamo Priuli. | |||
| 1567 | Contacted by the Doge of Venice to enter the pay of the Republic. | ||||
| 1569 | Negotiations continue with the Venetians for a campaign against the Turks in the Levant, even after the death of Priuli. No agreement is reached. | ||||
| 1571 | |||||
| Spring/Summer | Spain | Ottoman Empire | Maestro di campo | Campania | In Naples awaiting embarkation with the Spanish fleet; appointed maestro di campo by the commander of the Holy League, Don John of Austria (Don Giovanni d’Austria). In July, sails from Naples to Messina aboard the papal flagship of Marcantonio Colonna, which is commanded by the Maltese corsair Mathurin Romegas. Captain general of artillery Gabrio Serbelloni also sails on that ship. In Messina, takes part in the council of war; does not believe the moment is right for a naval campaign against the Turks. Always reluctant to risk an open-sea engagement, arguing the difficulty of assembling a Christian fleet strong enough to face the Ottoman navy and claiming that any Mediterranean conquest is pointless. Prefers a land campaign to engage the enemy. |
| Sept. | Campania, Sicily | Boards the galley of Bendinello Sauli with 70 of his veterans and 70 Spaniards. Arrives in Messina. | |||
| Oct. | Greece | In mid-month, with Gabrio Serbelloni, tasked by Don John of Austria to inspect the fortifications of Lepanto. The plan for a land campaign is abandoned. Ascanio della Cornia takes part in the Battle of Lepanto; consistent with his views, supports Giovanni Andrea Doria’s position of postponing the fight. Nearly captured when his galley is encircled by four enemy ships. After the victory, moves to the island of Santa Maura (Leucada) and advises against further operations. Don John of Austria grants slaves to him and other officers, angering many sailors. | |||
| Nov. | Lazio | Returns to Rome (late month) via Terracina, falling ill with a fever. Does not receive from Pope Pius V the welcome he expected. | |||
| Dec. | Lazio | Dies in Rome at his brother Fulvio’s palace, between Piazza Colonna and the Trevi Fountain. More than 3,000/4,000 scudi are spent on his funeral. His body is embalmed; the coffin is covered by his brother with cloth woven with gold thread. The pope orders the Apostolic Camera to bear the funeral costs. Buried in Perugia in the family chapel in the Church of San Francesco al Prato. Many Perugian men-at-arms attend the ceremony. Rites are conducted by the Bishop of Cagli and his brother the cardinal. The funeral oration is given by Orazio Cardarati. Together with his brother the cardinal, built a palace in Città della Pieve whose interiors are decorated by Salvo Savico and Pomarancio, who also frescoed another of his residences in Castiglione del Lago, originally a hunting lodge he received as dowry from his wife. The poet Cesare Caporali mentions him in a song composed for his death. Guido Postumio Ferri also writes about the same theme in “Canzone in morte dello illustriss.mo sig. marchese Ascanio della Corgna.” Matteo Spinello dedicates “Elegia de singulari certamine Ascanii Cornei, et Ioanninni Thadei florentini” to him. Mambrino Roseo dedicates to him the Italian translation of the three books of military discipline by Fourquevaux. His biography is written by Cesare Fortunio. Marries Giovanna Baglioni, from the Baglioni family of the Teverina branch. |
Sources
-“Fu uno dei più rinomati capitani del secolo XVI.” ARGEGNI
-“Fu non solo un eccellente fortificatore, ma anche primo inventore di nuove fortificazioni nel primo secolo dell’ artiglieria.” BONAZZI
-“Famoso capitano.” NONES
-“Dimostra di essere buon soldato, e discorre molto bene delle cose della guerra; è persona anco che sa parlare, e mostra ottimo ingegno e destro intelletto; è senza un occhio, che lo perse nelle guerre di Germania d’un’archibusata, e poi ha combattuto in steccato ed ammazzato il suo nemico; ma non è di molta presenza, perché è piccolo e negretto.” ALBERI
-“Specializzato in architettura e in ingegneria militare, allievo dell’Alessi, maestro d’arme e di torneo, Ascanio della Corgna riassumeva in lui la veemenza del capitano di ventura non distolte, ma ingentilite, da quella vena umanistica tipica del Rinascimento, presentandoci una figura di guerriero impavido ma scaltro, violento e diplomatico, altero ma anche colto parlatore, aggressivo ma anche sostenitore delle lettere e mecenate.” WWW.Ascaniodellacorgna.it
-“Ascanio riassumeva in sé tutte le caratteristiche dell’uomo del Rinascimento, la veemenza del capitano di ventura e l’intelligenza dell’uomo di cultura. Egli, infatti, fu da un lato condottiero impavido e scaltro, violento e diplomatico, e dall’altro colto oratore e grande sostenitore delle lettere e mecenate. Allo stesso tempo la sua figura aveva anche un lato molto oscuro, come testimoniano le reclusioni a più riprese per delitti, stupri e altri reati. Durante una delle tante battaglie a cui prese parte, perse l’occhio destro, cicatrice di cui non ebbe mai vergogna ma che anzi ostentava con vanto, come si vede nel ritratto a Casteglione del Lago.” WWW.Terredel perugino.it
-Con Chiappino Vitelli “Capitani famosissimi, e di grande esperienza nell’arme.” P. GIUSTINIAN
-“Nobilissimo Capitano.” SANSOVINO
-“Soldato di somma vigilanza..Huomo segnato in arme e prudente nel discorrere.” ROSEO
-“Virum militari virtute, gloriamque clarissimum.” G. ROSSI
-“Generale ed ingegnere militare di buona fama del secolo XVI.” BOSI
-“Prode e valoroso.” ADRIANI
-“Questo signore per la grande intelligenza e valor suo nella disciplina militare era tenuto in assai estimatione.” CIRNI
-“Cavaliero di valore e soldato.” MONTALVO
-“Allobrogum post bella ducum, post Saxonis arma,/ Perruptasq. acies ter Solimane tuas,/ Occidit Ascanius Perusinoe gloria gentis./ Quem Mars non potuit sternere, morte cadit.” Da un epigramma riportato dal SARACENI
-“Ascanio della Corgna fu un eroe della violenza.” MELOGRANI
-“Ci fu chi dubitò delle sue qualità di strategia (a torto); ma nessuno mai dubitò del suo coraggio. Forse godeva a ferire e ad ammazzare, forse gli faceva piacere l’odore del sangue, quasi per un istinto animale; certo; per lui il combattimento era un bisogno fisico. Fatto sta è che ancor giovane era pieno di ferite, tagli, bozzi e lividi, come di medaglie; per tutto il corpo, perché tante ne aveva date ma tante anche ne aveva ricevute.” CATTANI
-“Meno di due mesi dopo Lepanto.. si spegne una delle figure iconiche del XVI secolo, capace di guadagnarsi l’odio di intere famiglie di nobili e il rispetto di categorie di persone molto diverse tra loro. Esperti di duello, ingegneri militari, ammiragli e semplici soldati hanno compreso il valore di Ascanio della Corgna, un uomo incapace di chinare la testa e sempre teso verso quegli ideali di grandezza che hanno portato alla gloria o alla rovinatanti uomini di valore della sua epoca.” CAMPAGNANO-FERRARA
-“Fu più un uomo d’armi che di penna e arte, seppure con alcune eccezioni di cui sono testimonianza il palazzo fatto costruire a Città della Pieve, e in particolare quello di Castiglione del Lago realizzato su progetto dell’architetto perugino Galeazzo Alessi.” SABBA
-“Tra le famiglie patrizie in Perugia..aveva acquistato rinomanza quella della Corgna, sin da tre secoli; e nel sedicesimo, per virtù di Ascanio, suonò famosa tra le illustri d’Italia nelle principali città d’Europa…Il suo corpo, chiuso in una cassa coperta di tela d’oro e posto in una lettiga..fu recato a Perugia: ebbe onori per via, specialmente in Narni e in Todi. Con sontuoso apparato i Perugini accolsero le fredde spoglie di Ascanio, e con ogni maniera di pietosi offici a Dio a alla memoria de’ posteri lo raccomandarono.” FABRETTI
-“Apprezzato condottiero esperto nell’arte delle fortificazioni”. A. MONTI
Specific Biographies
G.Z. Campagnano-F. S. Ferrara. Ascanio della Corgna. I padroni dell’acciaio
Featured image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ascanio_della_Corgna_condottiero_italiano.png (autore: Eleonora3)
