The Ruthless Rise of Francesco di Vico in Medieval Papal Territories
Francesco di Vico, Prefect of Rome. Lord of Viterbo, Montefiascone, Tuscania, Amelia, Terni, Civita Castellana, Tarquinia, Vetralla, Civitavecchia, Trevignano Romano, Montalto di Castro, Rocca Respampani. Son of Giovanni di Vico, son-in-law of Giordano Orsini, and brother-in-law of Antonio da Montefeltro.
Death: 1387, March
| Year, Month | State, Mercenary Company | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1347 | |||||
| July | Vico | Rome | Lazio | He is given as a hostage by his father Giovanni to Cola di Rienzo during his relative’s surrender. He goes to Rome. | |
| Nov.-Dec. | Lazio | He is in Rome with his father. He is imprisoned by Cola di Rienzo during a banquet because he is suspected of treason. He will be released later upon the promise to marry Perna Orsini, daughter of Giordano. | |||
| 1353 | |||||
| Nov.-Dec. | Vico | Church | Umbria | His father Giovanni leaves him to defend Orvieto. He defends the city from attacks by the papal forces and exiles commanded by Petruccio and Nerone di Pepo. The inhabitants beg him to seek peace. | |
| 1354 | |||||
| Mar. | Umbria | He suppresses an insurrection in Orvieto orchestrated to strike the city’s Guelphs. He is besieged in the city by the papal forces. | |||
| June | Umbria | He must surrender to Cardinal Egidio Albornoz. He attends his father Giovanni‘s act of submission and returns to Viterbo with him. | |||
| Sept. | Church | At the papal forces’ pay with 20 cavalry. | |||
| 1355 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Church | Rimini | 20 cavalry | Lazio and Marche | He serves under Giordano Orsini. He leaves Viterbo and moves to the Marche to fight the Malatesta family. |
| Mar.-June | Lazio and Tuscany | He leaves the field and goes to Rome for the coronation of Charles of Bohemia. He accompanies the emperor to Pisa; as a result, Corneto (Tarquinia) is taken from him by the papal forces. | |||
| 1360 | |||||
| Apr. | Church | Milan | Romagna | ||
| Sept. | Lazio and Marche | He leaves Vetralla to follow Cardinal Egidio Albornoz in the Marche of Ancona. | |||
| 1366 | |||||
| Apr. | His father Giovanni dies; he inherits the title of Prefect of Rome. | ||||
| 1368 | |||||
| Sept. | Lazio | Under pressure from Pope Urban V, he reconciles at Montefiascone with his rivals Pietro and Francesco dell’Anguillara, Francesco and Busio Orsini, along with his relatives and Luca Savelli. | |||
| 1369 | Vico | Church | Lazio | He allies with the Perugians and Simonetto Orsini to confront the troops of Pope Urban V. | |
| 1370 | |||||
| Apr.-May | Lazio | The papal forces besiege Vetralla; attacked in May, he must make an act of submission to the Papal States at Montefiascone. He abandons the alliance with the Perugians. The Pope prevents him from fighting a duel with Francesco Orsini. | |||
| 1372 | |||||
| Dec. | Lazio | In mid-month, his marriage is celebrated in the castle of Galeria with Perna Orsini, daughter of Giordano and sister of Francesco. He receives a dowry of 3,500 florins; in turn, he delivers Bieda (Blera) to Francesco Orsini. | |||
| 1374 | Lazio | The Pope restores Vetralla to him. | |||
| 1375 | |||||
| Summer | Lazio | Five Ghibellines of Viterbo contact him and promise him the lordship of the city on the condition of expelling the General Treasurer of the Curia of the Patrimony, Angelo Tavernini, and eliminating papal dominion. | |||
| Nov.-Dec. | Florence | Church, Naples | Lazio | He serves under the Florentines against the papal forces in the War of the Eight Saints. In mid-month, with the rebellion of Città di Castello, he secretly enters Viterbo on a Sunday, the day of Saints Peter and Paul, disguised as a peasant. He enters through a breach in the walls where the Arcione ditch passes (near the Porta di San Matteo di Sonza); his brother Battista enters through the Porta di San Sisto disguised as a woodcutter with mules loaded with wood. In two days, he gathers 50 followers and boldly rushes through the streets; soon followed by a large crowd, he reaches the Piazza del Comune and has himself proclaimed lord. The book of criminal sentences is burned in the square. Angelo Tavernini and the Rector of the Patrimony Niccolò Orsini take refuge in the fortress built by Cardinal Albornoz. Giovanni di Vico begins the siege and takes up residence in the Treasurer’s palace (near Santa Maria del Paradiso). The official’s goods are confiscated, and the populace devastates his villa near Santa Maria del Paradiso, demolishing it. After a few days, Giovanni Acuto (John Hawkwood) arrives, bursting into the city with 3,000 cavalry through the Porta di Santa Lucia, set on fire by attackers. The papal forces are forced to retreat. The Florentines send 200 lances and 30 Hungarian crossbowmen under Enrico Paher to support him. With reinforcements, he continues the siege, capturing the fortress in December after a general assault preceded by digging tunnels from the square to the fortress’s foundations. The Rector exits safely; the Treasurer escapes. The fortress is razed, leaving only the stump of the great tower near the Porta di Santa Lucia. | |
| 1376 | |||||
| Jan. | Lazio | Tuscania, Tarquinia, Amelia, and Terni acclaim him as their lord. At Tarquinia, the inhabitants massacre the men of Bernardo della Sala‘s company. | |||
| Feb.-Mar. | Lazio | He is attacked by Roman militias led by Giovanni Cenci, camping between Tuscania and Montalto di Castro. He loses Tarquinia but seizes the fortress of Carcari from the Romans. The opponents are forced to guard territories between Montalto di Castro and Tuscania to thwart threats from Viterbo‘s army. | |||
| Apr. | Lazio | Pope Gregory XI imposes an interdict on Viterbo. | |||
| June | Lazio | Reinforced by Florentine contingents led by Enrico Paher and L’Olfo, he moves toward Vetralla. He defeats the Angevin forces sent by Queen Joanna of Anjou at Capranica, capturing 150 men-at-arms, 600 horses, and many supplies. Following the victory, he assaults Montefiascone, destroying mills and vineyards; Vitorchiano, Ronciglione, Tarquinia, Bracciano, and Palazzolo suffer the same fate. | |||
| Nov. | Lazio | He devastates Montefiascone‘s territory again, constantly opposed by Giovanni Cenci, captain general of the Roman people. | |||
| Dec. | Umbria | He defeats papal forces near Orvieto. Simultaneously, Tarquinia‘s inhabitants warmly welcome the Pope returning from Avignon. | |||
| 1377 | |||||
| Jan. | Lazio | He repels an attack on Viterbo by 400 lances: opponents lose 200 horses between dead and prisoners. He obtains Bolsena through negotiation; feigns moving toward Viterbo and spreads rumors of returning to Bolsena with a small escort. Papal forces attack with 300 lances led by Raimondo di Turenna; ambushed, he surprises them, defeating and capturing Raimondo di Turenna and 20 noble knights, all relatives of the Pope and cardinals. The Pope excommunicates him, adding all spiritual penalties already incurred, notably for piracy practiced from Civitavecchia against pilgrims. The Florentines, after his ambiguous threats to leave the alliance, send numerous infantry to support him against the ecclesiastics. He exploits the victory with continuous raids in the Bolsena and San Lorenzo valleys. | |||
| Feb. | Nobles | Rome | Lazio | He allies with Luca Savelli and Onorato Gaetani, who has 400 men, to assault Rome‘s Capitoline Hill. He is forced to retreat due to the firm reaction of the popular party members. | |
| Mar. | Lazio | After L’Olfo returns to Tuscany, he asks the Florentines for money to better support their cause against the ecclesiastics. Coluccio Salutati responds on behalf of the commune, urging him to persevere as L’Olfo would soon be sent back to support him. | |||
| May-June | Vico | Church | Lazio | He resumes hostilities against Montefiascone, damaging vineyards and olive groves. He plunders Rome‘s countryside and repels an assault by Niccolò Orsini leading 400 lances. In June, he besieges Vitorchiano with bombards, seizing 600 loads of wheat and considerable quantities of barley, flax, and legumes. He is attacked by Breton bands led by Jean de Malestroit and Sylvestre Budes, who rush into the Patrimony after sacking Bolsena and massacring its inhabitants. Attacked in Viterbo by Sylvestre Budes, he exits the city with 700 poorly armed men. His initial attack pushes back the opponents, but Budes reorganizes his cavalry and massacres Vico‘s infantry; 200 Viterbesi are killed or captured. Francesco di Vico is forced to retreat into Viterbo. Three days later, he returns to Vitorchiano‘s territory with bombards operated by two Viterbesi. |
| Aug. | Lazio | He reconciles with the papal forces (with the mediation of Guido da Pruina and the podestà of Viterbo Pietro dei Tolomei); he abandons the alliance with the Florentines. | |||
| Oct.-Dec. | Lazio | Pope Gregory XI issues his sentence from Anagni. Francesco di Vico signs the peace agreement, renouncing Carcari, Rocca del Sasso, and Trevignano Romano; he must compensate for damages caused by him, his uncle Ludovico di Vico, and his brother Giovanni Sciarra di Vico; he must pay overdue rents and return Fabrica taken from the Hospital of Santo Spirito. Three cardinals are appointed to arbitrate ownership of the castle. Confiscations and fines on Rocca Respampani and Civitavecchia are annulled; he must pay an annual rent to the Roman people for their possession. A truce of 100 years seals this apparent reconciliation. Vico ratifies the treaty despite the Florentines’ harsh reaction. At the end of December, Gregory XI suspends ecclesiastical penalties against the Vico family, Viterbo, Amelia, and Terni. The prefect goes to Rome. | |||
| 1378 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | ….. | Lazio | He hosts in Viterbo the Cardinal of Amiens Jean de la Grange. The pope acts as godfather to his daughter, named Gregoria. | ||
| Apr.-May | Vico | Church | Lazio | Urban VI is elected pope. The pontiff aims to recover Viterbo for the Papal States, focuses on the Guelph party, and sends Bernardo della Sala‘s company to support the Church’s cause. A revolt erupts; Francesco di Vico quells it, imprisons many political rivals, and forces others to flee. Urban VI imprisons his wife Perna and daughter Giacoma in Rome; he also detains four ambassadors sent by Vico to request their release. Even a Franciscan friar’s intervention fails. In retaliation, Vico devastates Corneto (Tarquinia), arrests Pietruccio di Raniero (papal ambassador and revolt organizer), confiscates his goods, condemns him to death in absentia, and tortures one of his nephews, releasing him after a 1,000-florin ransom. | |
| July | Lazio | He openly supports the French cardinals opposing Urban VI. He reclaims Ancarano and Castel Glorio between Tarquinia and Tuscania without resistance. | |||
| Aug.-Sept. | Lazio | Controls Civitavecchia, sheltering pirates who plunder ships along the Lazio coast, especially those from Pisa. His sister Maddalena Tradita, widow of Giovanni dell’Agnello, suffered thefts by Pisan merchants. Pisan corsair Filippo Agliata attacks his ships, burning them in Pisa. Vico justifies himself, leading to a pacification. | |||
| Oct. | Vico | Church | Lazio | Attacks Church-controlled lands in the Patrimony. Reclaims Ancarano and Castel Glorio. | |
| Nov. | Antipope | Church | Lazio and Umbria | Urged by the Cardinal of Amiens, he sides increasingly with Antipope Clement VII. Viterbo revolts against him; he retaliates by imprisoning citizens and hanging a papal ambassador with others. He confiscates Church property, enlists Breton bands, and besieges Tuscania. Betrayed during an entry into the city, he loses 50 horsemen. With Giovanni Rinaldo, Giordano Orsini, and Onorato Gaetani, he besieges Rome, cutting off access and causing famine. Giordano Orsini deserts, shifting the war’s focus. At month’s end, Vico is excommunicated, stripped of his prefect title, and declared infamous. | |
| Dec. | Lazio | The antipope sends 227 Breton cavalry to support him in Viterbo. From there, they raid towns loyal to Urban VI. | |||
| 1379 | |||||
| Jan.-Apr. | Lazio | Allied with the Bretons, he devastates Tarquinia twice, captures 50 peasants, and raids the Roman countryside, seizing 12,000 sheep, 600 cows, 400 buffaloes, and many mares—all taken to Viterbo. He plunders the Val Tiberina. In April, the Bretons seize Lubriano, turning it into a supply base. Vico brings significant wheat and forage into Viterbo. | |||
| June-Aug. | Lazio | Besieged in Viterbo for 62 days by the Company of Saint George under Alberico da Barbiano. He fortifies the city while mercenaries devastate the countryside. To pay troops, he levies 5,000 florins from the clergy, melting 14 pounds of silver ex-votos to meet the sum. | |||
| Sept. | Lazio | After opponents withdraw, he sacks Ronciglione, seizing grapes. He surprises Tarquinia and Tuscania, destroying vineyards and gardens, and sacks Vetralla. The Bretons sell Vetralla to the Romans; Vico retakes it and captures Bracciano, giving it to Guglielmetto della Sala‘s Bretons. Returns to Viterbo laden with provisions amid famine caused by prior devastations. Residents resort to eating herbs and animal blood. | |||
| 1380 | |||||
| Apr. | Lazio | Plunders Vitorchiano for three days, returning to Viterbo with grain. | |||
| … | Umbria | Joins Corrado Monaldeschi, the Beffati of Orvieto, and Ghibellines of Viterbo to invade Todi; assaults the Degli Atti in Castelfranco. | |||
| 1382 | |||||
| May | Tuscany | Devastates territories of Count Guido Orsini of Soana. | |||
| July | The Sienese complain of Breton abuses and the capture of citizen Angelo Mini, imprisoned in Castellaccia, a fortress owned by Francesco. Vico promises intervention but takes no action. | ||||
| Dec. | Lazio | Tired of inaction, the Sienese under Guido d’Asciano attack Vico‘s territories up to Acquapendente. | |||
| 1383 | |||||
| May | Vico | Siena | Lazio | Camps under Montefiascone with Rinaldo Orsini; transports large quantities of grain to Viterbo. Sends uncle Ludovico di Vico to Acquapendente to incite rebellion. While advancing, he’s ambushed by Guido d’Asciano, defeated, and flees. Ludovico is captured and executed in Acquapendente. | |
| June | Lazio | Occupies Palazzolo near Bassano in Teverina. Joins Bernardo and Guglielmetto della Sala to raid the Sienese Maremma. Attacked near Viterbo by Guido d’Asciano and Niccolò Malatesta; seizes opportunity to defeat them near Lake Bolsena, capturing Malatesta, many infantry, 1,000 horses, and the Siena war chest. | |||
| Aug. | Tuscany and Lazio | Signs peace with Siena at San Quirico d’Orcia, excluding the Breton captains. Allies with Rinaldo Orsini. The excluded captains plunder Montefiascone‘s territory for eight days. Looted grains are brought to Viterbo. | |||
| 1385 | |||||
| Mar. | Vico | Church | Lazio | Attacks Montefiascone, defended by Simonetto da Castel di Piero. Seizes livestock and destroys crops by grazing flocks and using oxen to plow over furrows. Sends Bishop Pierre de Auguisson to urge surrender, threatening continued devastation. | |
| Apr. | Lazio | Montefiascone surrenders, sending three nobles as hostages to Viterbo. Residents assist in besieging the fortress using tunnels and bombards. They breach the walls; papal rector Simonetto da Castel di Piero is captured and handed to the Bretons, imprisoned in Marta. Grateful, Vico sends 100 loads of wheat to the city. | |||
| June | Lazio | Devastates Tuscania and Tarquinia, burning everything outside the walls. | |||
| 1386 | |||||
| Feb. | Lazio | In Viterbo, the church of Sant’Angelo in Spata offers the blessed candle to him and his son Rolandino. | |||
| Apr.-July | Lazio | Conquers Tuscania and Montalto di Castro. To celebrate, coins called bolognini are minted in Viterbo. Vico is attacked by Cardinal Tommaso Orsini and Taddeo Pepoli (200 lances). He defeats them at Civitella d’Agliano and San Michele in Teverina. They retreat to Alviano and regroup. They then capture Montefiascone with local support; Simonetto Orsini becomes castellan. Revolts spread among Vico‘s vassals, tired of Breton plundering. | |||
| Aug. | Lazio | Fortifies himself in Viterbo with Bernardo della Sala. Captures conspirators Tuccio di Pepo and Bishop Francesco Bellanti, too important to execute. Various cities intercede for their release. | |||
| 1387 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria and Lazio | His behavior grows tyrannical; forces Terni‘s clergy to pay tithes owed to the Church. Devastates the Campagna with Onorato Gaetani. Amelia and Terni rebel, admitting Cardinal Tommaso Orsini and Niccolò Orsini. Papal forces invade the Viterbo area with 1,500 cavalry and 8,000 infantry. | |||
| Mar. | Lazio | Viterbo is poised for uprising. Citizens assault his palace near San Silvestro. Giovanni di Vico deploys Breton troops to repel them. Feeling secure, he sends Bernardo della Sala to scout, triggering a new rebellion. Exiles enter, attacking his infantry. A fallen banner during Archangel Michael‘s feast inspires the rebels. His troops flee; Vico, unhorsed, is overwhelmed, flees, and is killed by exile Angelo Palino. His body is desecrated, left exposed, and eventually buried without rites by Franciscans in unconsecrated ground due to excommunication. Some sources suggest he’s buried in Santa Maria in Grado alongside family. |
Sources
-“Soldato e capitano valoroso al pari degli altri del suo casato; diplomatico sottile e volpino. Sapeva bene di essere odiato; ma reputava che l’odio fosse la naturale posizione dei vassalli verso chi li dominava. Seguiva diritto la sua strada, non curando le ire e le lacrime da lui seminate nel suo passaggio. La questione religiosa non lo interessava in modo particolare. Benché legato da tanti interessi alla causa dell’antipapa, si mantenne neutrale nelle diatribe di carattere religioso. Prendeva parte indifferentemente alle funzioni sacre delle due fazioni, anche se, come era naturale, sceglieva i suoi commissari nel clero seguace della causa di Clemente VII.” PINZI
-“Era costui molto malvagio e molto trattava male i Viterbesi, e sempre poi che n’era istato signore, sempre li avea tenuti in guerra.” MINERBETTI
-“La presa della rocca di Montefiascone segnò l’apogeo della potenza dei di Vico. Egli .. domina su una gran parte di territorio, oltre a queste terre che sono il nucleo della sua potenza, infatti ha conquistato anche Tuscania e Montalto..; al di là dei monti Cimini egli possiede Civita Castellana, Amelia e Terni. E’ un territorio di città, porti, fortezze, monti e campi coltivati, servito dalle vie consolari Cassia e Aurelia: ha tutte le carte in regola per essere uno dei molti stati che costellano la penisola, ma, e non è un ma da poco, egli domina su un territorio che vuole sia il popolo di Roma che il papa (Urbano VI).” CIUCCIOVINO
Fonte immagine in evidenza: wikimedia
.JPG){kind=link}