The Brutal Campaigns of Jean de Malestroit in Renaissance Warfare
Giovanni di Malestroit/Jean de Malestroit (Giovanni Malastracca)
A Breton, belonging to a cadet branch of the lords of Chateaugiron. His name is derived from the castle of Malestroit, located near Rennes.
Death: 1385 ca.
| Year/ Month | State/Comp. ventura | Adversary | Role | Area of Activity | Actions Taken and Other Notable Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1371 | |||||
| Jan., Feb. | Anjou | England | France | Takes part in the Hundred Years’ War. With Sylvester de Budes, he is placed by Duke Louis of Anjou in charge of guarding the castle of Saint-Bazile in Périgord. When the Duke of Lancaster besieges Montpont-en-Bresse (Montpaon) in the same region, the two condottieri leave the fortress to aid the defenders of the town. Their intervention proves futile. From this moment on, their names are connected to each other. | |
| 1373 | |||||
| Jan. – Aug. | France | Is hired by the Duke of Bar with his brother Hervé. Urged by the damsel (a noble not yet knighted) of Pierrefort, he attacks Barrois, loots Bassinty and plunders Gondrecourt. In mid-March, he negotiates with the Duke of Bar. Dismissed (August), he returns to Languedoc to rejoin the troops of Louis of Anjou. | |||
| 1374 | |||||
| June | Anjou | France | He is reported in Montpellier in the company of Bertrand du Guesclin with Sylvester de Budes and other Breton captains. | ||
| Aug. – Nov. | Majorca | Aragon | France and Spain | In August, still under the orders of du Guesclin and with Budes, he places himself under the orders of King James of Majorca, who claims the crown of Aragon. He leaves Narbonne, enters Roussillon, occupies some centers like Prades, Mont-Carrigou, Villefranche. He then moves to Cerdanya. In November he occupies Urgell. | |
| 1375 | |||||
| Feb. – May | Spain and France | James of Majorca suddenly dies in Soria at the end of February. The troops lack supplies, so the campaign has no prospect of success. The army disbands. Jean de Malestroit is commissioned by the Marquise of Montferrat, sister of the deceased, to bring the troops back to France. In May he is reported in Béarn. | |||
| 1376 | |||||
| May | Church | Florence | Captain General | France | Remains inactive in France due to the peace concluded between the French and English in the Hundred Years’ War. He then enters the pay of the cardinal legate Robert of Geneva to fight the Florentines in the conflict of the Eight Saints. He is given 31,000 florins to provide for the pay of the various Breton companies. Other sums are promised to him upon his arrival in Bologna. The so-called Company of the Bretons, of which he is appointed Captain General with a monthly provision of 1,500 florins, initially consists of 6,000 horses and 4,000 infantry. Under his orders also serve Norman, Burgundian, English and Gascon captains. Among his Breton lieutenants are Soraye, Trémagon, Treffily, Calvaric, Lo Crist, Le Carias, Jacques Le Noir, Taleverne, Chiquet, Kaerouare, Trogorant, La Haye, Thomas, Pansart, Daviz. Jean de Malestroit leaves Avignon, crosses the Dauphiné, the Alps at the Susa pass and the lands of the Count of Savoy; he arrives in Italy with Sylvester de Budes. During the march he attacks Cuneo: the Green Count Amadeus of Savoy does not intervene in the defense of the locality. |
| June | Piedmont Lombardy | Arrives in Asti at the head of 12,000 Bretons led by Stefano Colonna, the Bishop of Narni and Angelo da Bibbiena. He takes the road to Alessandria and Tortona; he moves to Ferrara where his soldiers are well received and refreshed by Marquis Niccolò d’Este. During the journey the Bretons indulge all their violence: they devastate villages, live at the expense of the local population, burn, kill, rape. In the castle of Montegiorgio all the inhabitants are massacred, including children over six years old. | |||
| July | Emilia | At the beginning of the month he crosses the areas of Parma and Reggio. He marches along the banks of the Enza: a first clash with the adversaries takes place at the passage of the Panaro, in which 67 adventurers are killed or taken prisoner. He enters the Bologna area with the cardinal of the Twelve Apostles Robert of Geneva. He camps near Bazzano. In mid-month the Bretons are reported at Borgo Panigale. They are hungry because Niccolò d’Este is unable to provide all of them with the necessary victuals. The newcomers push as far as the Ghiaia di Reno and Sant’Alò. A sortie by the Bolognese is repelled with many losses among the inhabitants. The clash takes place between Casalecchio and a small hospital called the Cross of Cervia. With Bernardon de la Salle and Sylvester de Budes he begins to besiege Rodolfo da Varano and Guido d’Asciano in Bologna. He occupies one after the other the castles of Crespellano, Oliveto and Monteveglio which surrender on terms: however, the capitulations are not observed by the pontificals and all the localities are sacked and set on fire. He conquers Pizzano; the inhabitants, including children, are killed. | |||
| Aug. | Marche | He obtains Montegiorgio through a treaty with a priest. The population is massacred. | |||
| Sept. | Emilia and Tuscany | He returns to besiege Bologna. Robert of Geneva understands the futility of continuing operations and pushes him into Tuscany. Jean de Malestroit resists with Sylvester de Budes; in the end he lets himself be corrupted by the money of the Florentines. The latter, for greater security, hire 1,400 lances, 200 mounted archers and another 1,000 infantry who are put on the heels of the Bretons. | |||
| Oct. – Dec. | Romagna | In mid-October he renews his commitment to the pontificals for six months: the lances under his orders are now 1,600; each of them is recognized a salary of 18 florins per month. Moreover, Malestroit, appointed Captain General of the company, is granted, for the period of service July-September, a monthly provision of 1,500 florins. He asks to bring his men to the winter quarters; the legate forces Galeotto Malatesta to let him enter Cesena with the Bretons. Provisions are scarce; the soldiers complain about the lack of food and fodder for their mounts. Cardinal Robert of Geneva authorizes the Bretons to take revenge on the population as they see fit. A brawl breaks out between some soldiers and the city’s butchers. In the fight 4 of the latter are killed. During the period he has command with Sylvester de Budes of 1,844 lances. | |||
| 1377 | |||||
| Feb. | Romagna | At the beginning of the month the people of Cesena rebel and kill 300 to 400 Bretons; others of them save themselves from the fury of the inhabitants by shutting themselves up in the citadel, the Murata. Galeotto Malatesta persuades the citizens to open the gates to the soldiers with the promise of a general pardon: Robert of Geneva does not keep faith with what was assured by the lord of Rimini and orders a collective massacre. John Hawkwood, called from Faenza, also participates in it. From 2,500 to 8,000 people, according to the estimates of the various chroniclers, are put to the sword. The wells of Gattolini and Belpavone are filled with Breton corpses. The killed inhabitants are thrown into wells or buried in large pits dug in the squares of the churches and in the central square. | |||
| July | Romagna | Jean de Malestroit is in Montefiore Conca, guest of Galeotto Malatesta; he attends the ceremonies that take place in honor of the son of the lord of Rimini Galeotto Novello. | |||
| Aug. | Romagna, Marche, Umbria and Lazio | In mid-month he leaves Cesena in command of 2,000 men; he goes to the defense of the fortress of Faenza besieged by Astorre Manfredi and John Hawkwood, who now serves the Florentines. The Bretons are repulsed. He then descends along the coast to Cattolica; after stopping near Rimini he advances towards Urbino and Città di Castello. 400 lances camp 4 miles from Gubbio, while another part of his troops conquers the Metauro valley with Mercatello. Having reunited the two trunks, the Bretons march on Castiglione del Lago and Perugia. Driven back from these localities, he descends further south to join up with other companies of compatriots who for a month have been devastating the countryside around Spello and Bevagna. The intention of Jean de Malestroit and his men is not to fight the troops under the orders of Sylvester de Budes. Having remained for several months in a city without resources like the looted Cesena, his only desire is to take advantage of the ongoing conflict to obtain a pay and give himself to looting at his own pleasure. Bolsena is targeted. His men come to an agreement with some Friars Minor and some exiles to be secretly introduced into the keep and the nearby convent of San Francesco. The assault on the walls and the conquest of the city follow. Houses are set on fire. The soldiers are granted general looting. 500 inhabitants of all sexes and ages are slaughtered. Numerous prisoners useful for ransoming are taken. The castle is set on fire. | |||
| Sept. – Oct. | Umbria | He is ordered by Cardinal Robert of Geneva to join Raymond of Turenne and Sylvester de Budes for joint action in Tuscany against the Florentines. The 3 condottieri, envious of each other, refuse to join together, each preferring to choose his own objective. Sylvester de Budes and Raymond of Turenne head for Todi, while he, who continues to demand from the prelate 10,000 florins that have been promised to him, prefers to burst into the Duchy of Spoleto with 4,000 men. John Hawkwood and Lucio Lando come against him. He is finally given the sum requested, so he re-enters the pay of the pontificals. He takes the oath of allegiance to the Holy See and moves towards the Marche in order to support there the cause of the lord of Camerino Rodolfo da Varano, in great difficulty in front of the adversaries. | |||
| 1378 | |||||
| … | Lazio | During the conclave, which takes place at the death of Pope Gregory XI, he camps in the surroundings of Rome; several times the French cardinals think of resorting to his men to resist the violence of the Romans who want an Italian pope. The transalpine cardinals, lastly, take refuge in Anagni. JJean de Malestroit embraces the party of the new elect, the antipope Clement VII (the cardinal of Geneva) against the pope elected in Rome (Urban VI). | |||
| July | Antipope | Church | Lazio | He defeats the Romans at the Salario bridge (500 dead among the adversaries). | |
| 1379 | |||||
| Apr. | Lazio | He is defeated for the first time by Alberico da Barbiano at Carpineto Romano. With Bernardon de la Salle and Louis of Montjoie he is definitively defeated by Barbiano at Marino in a cavalry clash that lasts five hours. | |||
| Aug. | Campania and Lazio | He serves Queen Joan of Anjou of Naples. He leaves the Benevento area and devastates the Roman countryside with Rinaldo Orsini. | |||
| 1385 | |||||
| … | Campania | He ends his days obscurely in Naples due to an unforgiving illness; he is buried in that city. According to some sources, he would have instead returned to France and in 1382 would have fought for King Charles VI against the Flemings: in this capacity he would have flanked Enguerrand de Coucy in the battle of Roosebeke. |
Sources
-“El detto anno 1381, morì la maledetta creatura miser Gohenne Malestretto. El qual fu quello che messe Cexena a saccomanno a posta del cardinale (Roberto di Ginevra). Morì a Napoli, e li fo sopellido, la cue anima credo ne portasse Satanasso.” G. DI M. PEDRINO
-Con Silvestro di Budes “Ils acquirent une sinistre réputation. Le massacre qu’ils organisèrent en répresailles contre la population de Cesena..reste dans les mémoires.” BUTAUD
-“Questi bretoni hanno fama di essere i più feroci venturieri di allora. Certo sono i più spavaldi, come ne fanno fede le parole dette al papa dal Malestroit, il quale, chiesto se i suoi soldati sono capaci di entrare a Firenze, rispose: “Se v’entra il sole, vi entreremo anche noi” ed aggiunge che entro un mese la città sarebbe stata occupata.” BASSETTI
-Con Silvestro di Budes “Rien n’égalait la brutalité et l’outrecuidance des ces aventuriers. Comme le Pape demandait à Jean de Maléstroit, avant son départ, s’il se croyait capable d’entrer à Florence: “Le soleil entre-t-il à Florence, rèpondit superbement le chef de bande? Nous y entrerons donc aussi.” DURRIEU
-Strage di Cesena “Nulla è stato rispettato, né età né sesso. Vecchi, bambini, infermi, uomini, donne, nessuno è stato risparmiato. Le donne incinte furono sventrate: le loro viscere furono strappate e gettate nel fuoco. Inseguite, le fanciulle caddero preda della furiosa lussuria dei soldati. Le porte della città erano chiuse. Gli abitanti credevano di fuggire attraverso le mura: ma furono scagliati nei fossi. Quasi tutti morirono lì. La Porta di Cervia offriva loro una via d’uscita attraverso la quale avrebbero potuto raggiungere la campagna. Il nemico li stava aspettando lì, tutti vi furono massacrati. Altrove, i fuggitivi hanno cercato di bloccare un ponte che dava accesso alla città. Tentativo vano: tutti vi perirono..Nessuno sapeva dove seppellire i morti; furono gettati alla rinfusa nei pozzi che furono poi ricoperti di terra. Molti furono gettati alla rinfusa nei pozzi che furono poi ricoperti di terra. Molti furono bruciati, altri caddero prede di cani e uccelli rapaci. Poi la città fu saccheggiata.” MIROT
-Strage di Cesena: conseguenze per i bretoni “Ovunque giunge la notizia della strage, provoca disgusto e pietà, le città fanno dire messe per i poveri defunti, solenni processioni seguono le vie delle città. Gli scampati sono segnati da un odio feroce per i Bretoni; da Cervia, che dista sole dieci miglia da Cesena, organizzano e tendono agguati ai soldati bretoni ed a quelli dell’Acuto, uccidendoli e facendone scempio. Ne uccidono, 25 o 50 alla volta, non vi è strada che non sia segnata da improvvise stragi; e “n’empiro uno pozo cupissimo, el quale pozo è in luogo detto Gattolino, presso a Cesena sei miglia, che più volte l’empiro de’ morti de’ Bretoni”, lo stesso in un’altra località detta Bel Pavone, a nove miglia da Cesena, “dove un altro viene rempito dei cadaveri de’ Bretoni.” Cronache Senesi, riportato da CIUCCIOVINO
-“I Bretoni, beffeggiando la bandiera vermiglia di Firenze che inneggia alla libertà, issano una bandiera bianca, con un’iscrizione che recita: “Hor si vedras chi puoda mas, o los Berton, o la Libertas”. I comandanti militari delle compagnie bretoni sono Giovanni Malastretta (Maléstroit), Silvestro Buda (Budes), Ugo della Terza e Gasparo Ubaldini. Richiesti se avessero cuore di entrare in Firenze, i mercenari rispondono orgogliosamente: “Se v’entra il sole, vi entriamo anche noi.”” CIUCCIOVINO
