Iacopo Corso’s service to the Papal States and his contributions to the defense of Genoa
Iacopo Corso (also known as Jacopo di Bozi and Giacomo della Fica), nicknamed Jacometto, was of the Corso family from Bozio.
Death: 1529, November
| Year, Month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1478 | |||||
| Aug. | Florence | Naples | 30 infantry | Tuscany | He is sent to the defense of Cacchiano with Cornelio Peruzzi. Each of the two captains has twenty provisioned troops and ten arquebusiers. Pier Giovanni Ricasoli is also at the defense of the location. The Florentines surrender to the Aragonese after nine days of siege. |
| 1484 | |||||
| Aug. | Venice | He serves the Venetians. He receives a regular provision. | |||
| ………….. | He fights in the Vitelli companies. | ||||
| 1500 | |||||
| ………….. | France | Sforza | |||
| Apr. | Pisa | Florence | Tuscany | ||
| 1503 | |||||
| Oct. | With his brother Lanfranco, he obtains permission to leave Corsica and move with his family to Florence or the Venetian territory. | ||||
| 1507 | |||||
| ………….. | Genoa | France | Liguria | He is appointed lieutenant in the company of Corrado Tarlatini. | |
| Apr. | Captain General | Liguria | He is placed in command of 8,000 infantry to defend Genoa, attacked by the French forces of Chaumont, La Palisse, and Francesco Gonzaga (800 lances, 1,800 light cavalry, 6,000 Swiss infantry, and 6,000 of other origins). The enemy assault starts from the Certosa of Rivarolo Ligure on the left bank of the Polcevera. The Swiss launch repeated offensives over two hours, suffering heavy losses to crossbowmen. However, the French manage to position two artillery pieces above, striking the defenders from behind. At the same time, a new general attack is unleashed: the Genoese flee, leaving 300 men dead. A war council is convened; the following day, the Genoese attack the opposing lines, aiming to outflank the entire enemy position and the camp at Sampierdarena. Iacopo Corso skirmishes with Mercurio Bua, who feigns retreat and draws Corso’s men into an ambush by 3,000 German infantry. Unable to maintain formation, the Genoese infantry flee. Iacopo Corso also retreats into the nearby hills with Corrado Tarlatini and Pietro Gambacorta. The campaign lasts only eight days and ends with the unconditional surrender of Genoa. | ||
| Oct. | France | 450 infantry | Tuscany and Emilia | He serves under the French. In mid-month, he is in Pontremoli with 800 infantry. His men camp outside Porta Nuova as far as Vigato, behaving poorly toward the population. Two days later, he arrives in Parma, staying at the palace of Galeazzo Pallavicini. He now has 900 infantry—crossbowmen, spearmen, and arquebusiers. He leads them to the Prato della Nunziata and conducts a mock skirmish to drill his company. On this occasion, his infantry are housed in the neighboring quarters and villages, living off the local populace. After two more days, he departs with his units toward Lodi, fearing an Imperial offensive. | |
| Nov. | 250 infantry | Emilia | In mid-month, he returns to Parma leading 400 infantry. He lodges in the monastery of the Humiliati at Codiponte. Part of his infantry stay in the Palazzo della Scrittura near San Vitale, part in the Maleficio; 150 men camp in the fortress, while others remain in the Franciscan monastery of San Giovanni di Codiponte and in the workshops of the new hospital. At the end of the month, his company is reviewed by Gian Giacomo da Trivulzio and Galeazzo Pallavicini. Because pay is scarce and many are discharged, the total number is reduced to 250 infantry. Pallavicini provides his men with the furnishings (beds, tables, tablecloths, etc.) necessary for their quarters. | ||
| 1508 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Emilia and Lombardy | He is summoned to Milan. He leaves Parma with Galeazzo Pallavicini, returns there, and continues on to Mantua. | |||
| Mar.-Apr. | France | Empire | Trentino | He supports Gian Giacomo da Trivulzio against the Imperial forces, aiding the Venetians in the Trentino. Stationed at the Brentonico passes with Dionigi Naldi and Vincenzo Vitelli, he is surprised by numerous German infantry from Calliano. He abandons his positions after setting many houses on fire. | |
| May | Trentino | Together with Mancino da Bologna, he takes part in the attack on Castel Pietra, commanding 2,500 infantry (Spanish, French, and Italian) alongside another 1,700 infantry, 100 men-at-arms, and many mounted crossbowmen led by Giovambattista Caracciolo. | |||
| 1509 | |||||
| May | Mantua | Venice | 500 infantry | Lombardy | He commands 500 provisioned troops. |
| 1510 | |||||
| Mar. | Veneto | He is at Valeggio sul Mincio with 300 infantry and 500 sappers to strengthen local defenses. He captures Legnago and remains there with 400 infantry for its defense. | |||
| May | 500 infantry | Veneto | He is first noted in Verona, then in Badia Polesine, prepared to move into the Polesine. | ||
| June | France | Venice | 99 infantry | Veneto | At the camp of Minerbe with 99 provisioned soldiers. He recruits additional men, including some dissatisfied ones from the opposing side. |
| Aug. | 60 infantry | Veneto | Stationed at Porto and Legnago with 60 infantry, out of a planned 300-man force. There is a high desertion rate in his company. | ||
| Sept. | 250 infantry | Veneto | On guard in Montagnana. He is defeated at San Zeno, where 150 French troops are reported killed. | ||
| ………….. | 200 infantry | Veneto | Still at Porto and Legnago. The French grant him an annual pension of 400 livres tournois. | ||
| 1512 | |||||
| Apr. | Veneto | In Legnago. | |||
| July | Veneto | He leaves Legnago and surrenders to the Spanish forces of Viceroy Raimondo di Cardona. The remainder of the garrison negotiates terms with the Venetians. | |||
| 1514 | Florence | Tuscany | At the suggestion of Niccolò Machiavelli, he is appointed captain of the infantry and militias of Florence. | ||
| 1515 | |||||
| Aug. | Tuscany | In Florence, his troops are mustered. When some unrest arises, he enters the citadel with numerous infantry. | |||
| 1517 | |||||
| Aug. | Florence | Comp. ventura | Tuscany | He goes to defend Borgo San Sepolcro with 3,000 infantry when the city is attacked by Francesco Maria della Rovere. | |
| Sept. | 500 infantry | Marche | He takes part in the siege of San Leo with 500 infantry (Corsican and Spanish). Along with Francesco del Monte at Santa Maria and Meo da Castiglione, he organizes a night assault on the fortress, which is repelled. | ||
| 1525 | |||||
| Sept. | Empire | France | 600 infantry | Piedmont | In Bruggi. He commands 600 infantry with Marco Antonio da Napoli. |
| 1526 | |||||
| Feb. | He does not join the general mutiny targeting Fabrizio Maramaldo and other captains over delayed wages, choosing to stay out of it. | ||||
| Mar. | He unsuccessfully offers his services to the Venetians. | ||||
| June | Church | Siena | Tuscany | He tries to prevent the siege of Siena by the papal forces, relying on his knowledge of the city’s defenses. | |
| July | Tuscany | In Siena. The troops camp in a suburb with no side exits; the only way out is blocked by sutlers’ stalls, leaving an exit of fifteen feet. Disorder in the camp is such that Pope Clement VII orders the artillery withdrawn. Iacopo Corso is in charge of escorting this convoy. Four hundred Sienese infantry exit the city and attack the artillery on the move. The oxen hauling the cannons become agitated, making any movement impossible. The Corsican infantry flee; the sutlers, seeing the Sienese approach, scramble to save their belongings, adding to the chaos. The Sienese achieve a complete victory, seizing ten cannons provided by the Florentines and seven by the Perugians; all are brought into Siena in triumph along with the baggage. Iacopo Corso retires to Castellina in Chianti. | |||
| ………….. | Church | Empire | He serves in the Bande Nere. | ||
| 1528 | |||||
| Apr. | France | Empire | Campania | Still with the Bande Nere, he first assists Lautrec in the Kingdom of Naples. He is noted in Acerra. In the same month, he moves to Apulia as a squad leader in the companies of Simone Tebaldi. | |
| 1529 | |||||
| Nov. | Florence | Empire | Tuscany | He again confronts the Imperial forces for the Florentines. He is killed by an arquebus shot fired by one of his own men, due to personal resentment and the bounty offered by the Sienese. The soldier is immediately hanged. He is buried in Florence in the church of the Annunziata. He is portrayed by Giorgio Vasari in the Sala di Giovanni of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. |
Sources
-“Capitano di valore incredibile.” VARCHI
-“Capitan di fanteria huomo di mirabil prontezza.” GIOVIO
-“Huomo assai intendente delle cose militari.” FOGLIETTA
-“Capitano di valore incredibile.” A. VALORI
-Con Corrado Tarlatini “Viris sane strenuis et industriis.” FLORO
-“Guerriero intrepido e valoroso.” VARESE
-“Jacomo Corso el primo reputato,/ che sempre al suo consiglio ogn’un s’attenne/ con molti condottieri accompagnato (a Siena).” MANGO
-“Iacomo Corso’ el primo reputato/ che sempre al suo consiglio ogniun s’aténe”.” Da “Battaglia di porta Camollia” in GUERRE IN OTTAVA RIMA
-“Capitano ricordato per il suo incredibile valore.” ADAR
Featured image: Trentino
