Chronicles of a Condottiero: Pietro Navarrino’s Battles and Alliances
Pietro Navarrino (Della Navarra)
Death: circa 1465
| Year, Month | State, Mercenary Company | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1407 | Fermo | Marche | With Angelo della Pergola, he holds the position of lieutenant general of the companies of the lord of Fermo, Ludovico Migliorati. | ||
| 1422 | |||||
| May | Church | 100 horsemen | Marche | In Macerata. His company is quartered in the houses of noble citizens. | |
| Oct. | 100 horsemen | Marche | He escorts the cardinal legate in Macerata. | ||
| Dec. | Marche, Umbria | Leaves Macerata to move to Spoleto. | |||
| 1423 | |||||
| Mar. | Church | King of Aragon | 71 lances | Still in the pay of Pope Martin V. Faces Braccio da Montone. | |
| May | Abruzzi | He is sent to aid L’Aquila with numerous troops and many supplies: while descending from Rocca di Mezzo towards the Valley of the Aterno, he is attacked near Fontecchio by Niccolò Piccinino. Forced to take refuge in the castle of Stiffe. He leaves after a few days, thinking the enemies have left, but falls into an ambush set by Braccio da Montone. Captured despite fierce resistance, imprisoned in the castle of Ocre; most of his company is taken prisoner to Montereale. | |||
| 1424 | |||||
| June | Church | Abruzzi | Liberated only after the death of Braccio da Montone at the Battle of L’Aquila. Returns to the service of the Papal States. | ||
| July | Church | Conti | Lazio | Arrives at Gallicano nel Lazio alongside the pope. Seen with Andrea della Serra and Gattamelata; heads toward Valmontone against Avernino Conti. | |
| Oct. | Lazio, Abruzzi | After subduing the rebels against the Papal States, returns to Abruzzi. | |||
| Nov. | Abruzzi | At the side of Antonio Caldora. | |||
| 1425 | |||||
| Apr. | Florence | Milan | 150 lances and 100 foot soldiers | Tuscany | Repeatedly contacted by the Florentines, he enters their service to fight the Visconti. |
| July | Umbria | Moves in Umbria with Ardizzone da Carrara; heads toward Tuscany. The Papal forces oppose his passage by order of the legate of Perugia. | |||
| 1426 | |||||
| Milan | Venice | Lombardy | Tasked with supporting the defenders of Brescia from Carmagnola‘s attacks. | ||
| Nov. | Florence | Lombardy | After his term with the Visconti, approached again by the Florentines. Pressured not to join Ardizzone da Carrara and Giovanni da Varano, with whom he was to harass their territory. Offered accommodations in the county of Ravenna and a pay of two florins per lance in reserve. | ||
| 1427 | |||||
| May–Sept. | Venice | Milan | 150 lances | Lombardy | Supports Carmagnola; at Gottolengo, falls into an ambush by Niccolò Piccinino, Angelo della Pergola, Francesco Sforza, and Guido Torelli. Piccinino unhorses him; Navarrino barely escapes capture. The battle seems lost until Gianfrancesco Gonzaga intervenes. In September, deserts the Venetian ranks. His image is hung upside down in the public brothel of Rialto. |
| 1428 | |||||
| May | Milan | Venice | 200 lances and 300 foot soldiers | Lombardy | Fails to renew his contract with Venice. Returns to the service of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti of Milan. |
| 1430 | |||||
| July | Lucca | Florence | 100 lances | Tuscany | Hired by Paolo Guinigi, lord of Lucca. Supports Francesco Sforza in defending the city from the Florentines. |
| Aug. | Tuscany | Involved in a conspiracy against Paolo Guinigi: mid-month, at a set signal, arrests Ladislao Guinigi in his pavilion at the Sant’Alessio camp; hands him over to Sforza, who chains him to deliver to the Visconti. Navarrino enters Lucca’s citadel. | |||
| Nov. | Venice | Milan | 150 lances | Emilia and Veneto | Goes to Ferrara; contacted by Giacomo delle Correggie to serve Bologna against Pope Martin V with 500 horsemen. Initially accepts but then prefers a more lucrative contract with Venice for 150 lances. Granted a pay of 12 ducats per lance in Vicenza, Padua, or Treviso; 10 in Friuli; 13 in Verona. Contract signed in Venice at the Doge’s Palace after full absolution for past offenses against Venice. |
| 1432 | |||||
| Mar. | Informed in advance of Carmagnola‘s imprisonment by Venetian authorities. | ||||
| 1434 | |||||
| Aug. | 190 lances | His contract is renewed, including the six-month extension period. | |||
| 1436 | |||||
| Sept. | Church | Sforza | Emilia | Fights for Pope Eugene IV. Assists Baldassarre da Offida in an attempt to kill Sforza at Ponte Poledrano (Bentivoglio). Sforza evades the trap and days later surprises Navarrino at La Riccardina. | |
| 1437 | |||||
| Apr. | Venice | Milan | Lombardy | Follows Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, captain-general of Venice, against the Visconti. Crosses the Adda River. | |
| 1438 | |||||
| July | Lombardy | Defends Brescia. | |||
| Aug. | Lombardy, Trentino, Veneto | At Bornato; supports Gattamelata at Rovato, defeating the enemy. Sent to defend Orzinuovi with commissioner Gerardo Dandolo; the town is bombarded and besieged. Receives reinforcements from Guglielmo Capriolo. After a few days, Piero da Lucca surrenders Orzinuovi to Piccinino. Navarrino returns to Brescia, stations at Porta Pile. Moves to Nave and assists Gattamelata, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Guglielmo Cavalcabò, and Antonio da Martinengo in a famed retreat from Val Sabbia to Trentino and the Verona area. | |||
| 1439 | 900 horsemen | Veneto | |||
| 1440 | |||||
| July | Veneto | Conquers Lazise, besieged by land and from Lake Garda. The town is sacked. | |||
| 1441 | |||||
| Apr.–Oct. | Contract renewed from April to October, with a monthly provision of 400 ducats as commander. | ||||
| 1443 | |||||
| Emilia | Treacherously captured at Castel San Pietro Terme by Luigi dal Verme, sent to Bologna by Niccolò Piccinino. Ordered imprisoned by Francesco Piccinino. | ||||
| June | Bologna | Milan | 500 horsemen and 300 foot soldiers | Emilia | Bologna rebels against the Visconti. Ducal forces led by Luigi dal Verme and Guidantonio Manfredi advance. Navarrino is freed by citizens. Annibale Bentivoglio grants him a contract of 500 horsemen and 300 foot soldiers. |
| Aug. | Emilia | In Bologna, Annibale Bentivoglio rallies the people to attack Visconti forces at San Giorgio di Piano. Navarrino commands the second line, defeats dal Verme. | |||
| Oct. | Captain General | Emilia | Captures San Giovanni in Persiceto. Returns to Bologna and is appointed captain general. | ||
| Nov. | Romagna | Invades Imola’s territory to plunder and seize the city; repelled by Manfredi, returns to Bologna laden with spoils. | |||
| 1445 | |||||
| June | Bologna | Canedoli | Emilia | Rides to Budrio with 300 horsemen during the Canedoli rebellion against the Bentivoglio in Bologna. After Annibale Bentivoglio is killed by Gaspare Canedoli, supports Galeazzo Marescotti, gathers more troops, enters the main square, and fights the rebels. | |
| July | Emilia | Gaspare Canedoli is forced to flee Bologna. | |||
| 1446 | |||||
| Mar. | Bologna | Milan | 800 horsemen | Emilia | Attacks San Lorenzo in Collina with Taddeo d’Este; raids Crespellano and Bazzano, seizing livestock and prisoners. Ambushed by peasants on return; 40 peasants killed, the rest flee. |
| May | Emilia | After a ten-day siege, captures San Lorenzo in Collina; Crespellano surrenders. Engages Visconti forces near San Giovanni in Persiceto. | |||
| 1447 | |||||
| June | Emilia | Imprisoned by the Bologna senate with his son Giovanni and his chancellor on suspicion of plotting to hand over Castelfranco Emilia to exiles. | |||
| Emilia, Lombardy | Released, retires to the Duchy of Milan, where he lives several more years. | ||||
| 1462 | |||||
| Mar. | Lombardy | Reported to be in Milan. | |||
| 1465 | Dies. |
Sources
-“Ottimo guerriere.” COLLENUCCIO
-“Il quale era ottimo guerriere.” CAVALCANTI
-“Homo valentissimo in arme.” BORBONA
-Con il Gattamelata, Tiberto Brandolini, Astorre Manfredi, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Guido Rangoni, Guerriero da Marsciano, Antonio da Martinengo “Condottieri esperti e di provato valore.” BELOTTI
-“Erat enim vir cupidus rerum, sed bellicae gloriae cupidissimus.” FONTICOLANO
-“Era valente e savio capitano.” BROGLIO
-In soccorso dell’Aquila “Della Rocca di mezzo era vallata,/ Si calò quello magno, e pellegrino/ Facendovi di guerra smisurata./ Che vi era gionto ben facea tapino./…/ Non fé mai Pietro questo battagliare,/ la veritade dev non si nasconda,/ Che cinque lancie di sua man spezzare/ Prima che si arrendesse per prigione.” CIMINELLO
-In soccorso dell’Aquila “L’uny colli altry le lance infrontando,/ Scy como ardity e magistri de guerra/ Et l’uni e l’altri tollendo e dando,/ Chi è ferito e chi caduto in terra,/ El bon Petry se vende recessando/ Ad Estoffa, la storya me disserra./…/ (E’affrontato da Braccio di Montone) Ma adosso lo fo jà tanta gente,/ Che lly soi ruppe e luy remase prysu,/ Et fancy alcun altro veramente/ Che per ly culpy fo in terra destisu.” VALENTINI
