The Fierce Life of Taliano Furlano
Taliano Furlano (Vitaliano Furlano, Italiano Armuzzi). From San Vito al Tagliamento, he was nicknamed “Grande.” Of humble origins, historians from Forlì claim he was son of Muzio Armuzzi, in the parish of Quinto, near Forlì, where he would have worked as a farmer. Regarding his nickname Furlano, according to some sources, it means originally from Friuli, those of Romagna originally from Forlì. He was the lord of Urbisaglia, Pizzighettone, Castelleone, Piadena, San Giovanni in Croce, Vighizzolo, Castellazzo, Corte Madama, Casteldidone, and Spineda. He was the uncle of Antonello da Forlì (Antonello Zampeschi).
Death: 1446, August
| Year, month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Conduct | Activity Area | Actions taken and other salient facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ……… | He served in the companies of Facino Cane. | ||||
| 1408 | France | Parma | 60 cavalry | Emilia | He fought in the company of Muzio Attendolo Sforza against the lord of Parma, Ottobono Terzi. He was sent to Scandiano with 60 horsemen to aid Guido da Fogliano. Upon hearing that the castle inhabitants were being attacked by enemies while engaged in harvesting operations, Furlano left the fortress to confront the adversaries. He fell into an ambush set by the governor of Reggio Emilia, Guido Torelli, and was captured along with 25 horsemen. |
| 1418 | Naples | Perugia | He faced the troops of Braccio di Montone under the command of Francesco Sforza. | ||
| 1419 | |||||
| June | Lazio | Alongside Muzio Attendolo Sforza, he was besieged in Viterbo by Braccio di Montone and Tartaglia. | |||
| Aug. | Calabria | He accompanied Francesco Sforza with other condottieri to Calabria, where Muzio’s son was to marry Polissena Ruffo, Countess of Montalto. | |||
| 1421 | Naples, Kingdom of Aragon | Kingdom of Aragon, Naples | Calabria | He again supported Francesco Sforza in Calabria in his attempt to organize the Angevin party against the Aragonese. Upon hearing the (false) news that Sforza had died, he left the service of the Queen of Naples and joined the lieutenant of the Aragonese in Calabria, Giovanni di Issera. After the victory of Sforza, Micheletto Attendolo, and Luigi da San Severino in Cosenza, he was pardoned. | |
| 1423 | |||||
| Sept. | Naples | Kingdom of Aragon | Abruzzo | He commanded a squad under Lorenzo Attendolo. He was sent to aid L’Aquila, which had long been besieged by the troops of Braccio di Montone. | |
| Oct. | Abruzzo | He joined forces with Muzio Attendolo Sforza. | |||
| 1424 | |||||
| Jan. | Florence | Milan | Abruzzo | After the death of Muzio Attendolo Sforza, he served under the Florentines to counter the troops of the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti. | |
| Spring | Romagna | ||||
| July | Romagna | He took part in the siege of Forlì and participated in the Battle of Zagonara, where he was captured by the Visconti forces. He was soon released. | |||
| Aug. | 62 lances | ||||
| 1425 | |||||
| Feb. | Romagna | He followed Niccolò Piccinino in an action in the Val di Lamone; surprised by the inhabitants at Pieve d’Ottavo, he was disastrously defeated. He carried out a new raid in the Imola area, which ended with the capture of 100 men and the seizure of much livestock. | |||
| Oct. | Tuscany | He was again defeated and captured in the Battle of Anghiari. | |||
| 1426 | |||||
| Spring | Emilia | He stood alongside the Marquis of Ferrara, Niccolò d’Este, on the Panaro River to try to block the passage of Guido Torelli and Angelo della Pergola who were returning to Lombardy. With one of his men-at-arms, Belacqua, he informed the captain general that the Visconti had left the Bologna area and arrived on the riverbanks. The Marquis of Ferrara did not want to alert the Florentine army, allowing the Visconti to cross the Panaro near Vignola without any obstacles. | |||
| 1427 | |||||
| Apr. | Venice | Milan | 450 cavalry | Lombardy | At the camp of Castenedolo under the command of Carmagnola. |
| May | Lombardy | He was surprised at Gottolengo by the Visconti forces, led by Angelo della Pergola, Guido Torelli, Niccolò Piccinino, and Francesco Sforza, while his men were in disarray. The outcome of the clash remained uncertain only due to the intervention of Gian Francesco Gonzaga. | |||
| July | Lombardy | In the Cremona area, at Castelsecco, he noticed that the Visconti forces, now commanded by Carlo Malatesta, were approaching the Venetian camp. Furlano repelled the first assault and informed Carmagnola of the event, who then prepared the troops for battle. | |||
| 1429 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria | He married Elena Tomacelli, niece of the lord of Foligno, Corrado Trinci, who brought a dowry of 1000 florins. | |||
| Mar. | Venice | Milan | 110 lances | He was contracted by the Venetians for six months of active service and six months of reserve; at the end of his service, he pledged not to fight against the Venetians for six months. | |
| 1432 | |||||
| Feb. | Venice | Milan | 125 lances | Lombardy | With Orso Orsini, he conquered Calcio, Pontelongo, and Romanengo. |
| Nov. | Friuli, Lombardy | He opposed the Hungarians of Emperor Sigismund. Returning to Lombardy, he was defeated and captured at Delebio by Niccolò Piccinino and Guido Torelli after his horse was killed. Mid-month, he was granted a stipend of 200 ducats per month to move his family to Verona. | |||
| 1433 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He was contacted by the Duke of Milan through Francesco da Bologna. | |||
| ……… | Milan | Venice | 300 cavalry | He abandoned the Venetians to enter the service of the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti. | |
| Summer | Comp. ventura | Church | Romagna | Apparently dismissed by the Duke of Milan, he attempted, along with Antonello Ruffaldi, to enter Forlì by night to establish Antonio Ordelaffi as the lord of the city. They were repelled by the inhabitants who remained loyal to the Papal States. | |
| Dec. | Milan | Urbino, Church | Romagna, Marche, Umbria | He moved through the Rimini area with 1000 horsemen, burst into the Marche, occupied many castles, including Mondavio, and drove out the troops of Guidantonio da Montefeltro. He then moved, still with Ruffaldi and Giacomo da Lonato, into the Spoleto area, where he attacked the forces of Pope Eugene IV under the pretext of being in the service of the Council of Basel. | |
| 1434 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria | He besieged Montefalco and, along with the other two captains, secured Spoleto. | |||
| Spring | Umbria, Marche | Niccolò Piccinino sent him with 500 horsemen to the lord of Foligno; he entered Serravalle di Chienti and took it by deceit at the expense of Berardo da Varano. His presence was reported in the territory of San Ginesio. | |||
| 1435 | |||||
| Jan. | Church | Fortebraccio | Marche | He abandoned Niccolò Piccinino with 500 horsemen and 400 infantry to serve the Papal States. | |
| Aug. | Marche | Francesco Sforza sent him with 1000 horsemen and 500 infantry to aid Camerino. After a 74-mile march, he engaged Niccolò Fortebraccio at Fiordimonte: the opposing captain was defeated and killed in the clash. Taliano Furlano took 800 horses as war spoils. After the victory, he began extorting the mountain villages; he advanced to Urbisaglia and seized it from Tolentino with a surprise attack. He besieged Visso and forced Carlo di Montone to surrender. | |||
| Sept. | Umbria | He proceeded to Assisi with Alessandro Sforza to liberate Leone Sforza, who had previously been imprisoned in the local fortress by Niccolò Fortebraccio. | |||
| Oct. | Church | Milan | Umbria, Tuscany | He besieged Montone. Francesco Sforza sent him to Tuscany with 800/1000 horsemen and 500 infantry to assist the Florentines, who were fighting the Visconti at Pontedera. | |
| ……… | Marche | He was granted the lordship of Urbisaglia by Francesco Sforza. | |||
| 1436 | |||||
| Jan. | Marche | While in Camerino, he was approached by opponents who tried to persuade him to betray Sforza, claiming that Sforza wanted him dead. He remained loyal and reported everything to his captain. | |||
| June | Church | Forlì, Milan | Marche, Romagna | In Pesaro, with Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, he moved to the Forlì area where he attacked Antonio Ordelaffi. He encamped at San Martino and destroyed the crops; he raided the countryside of Forlimpopoli, whose inhabitants immediately surrendered to Francesco Sforza. | |
| July | Florence | Lucca | General captain | Tuscany | Francesco Sforza sent him with 1000 horsemen to aid the Florentines, who were engaged with the Lucchese forces commanded by Luigi dal Verme and Cristoforo da Lavello. Neri Capponi handed him the command staff. Taliano Furlano advanced towards Pietrasanta and entered it without encountering any resistance, as the adversaries had abandoned the location. |
| Nov. | Tuscany | At Santa Gonda, Francesco Sforza‘s contract was renewed by the anti-Visconti league. | |||
| 1437 | |||||
| Jan. | Tuscany, Romagna, Marche | He besieged Montecarlo but preferred to desist from the action upon the arrival of Niccolò Piccinino. He moved to Romagna, which he left with Manno Barile; he reached Fano and then moved with this condottiero to the winter quarters located in the Marche at Camerino, Jesi, and Macerata. | |||
| ……… | Sforza | Camerino, Milan | Marche | He harassed the territory of Camerino when the city rebelled against Francesco Sforza; the inhabitants called upon Niccolò Piccinino for assistance. Taliano Furlano besieged Fiordimonte and threatened the defenders with death if they did not surrender to his forces. | |
| Aug. | Marche | He was unable to prevent the inhabitants of Camerino from reclaiming Serravalle di Chienti. Along with Pietro Brunoro, Giovanni Sforza, and Niccolò da Pisa, he forced Francesco Piccinino and Nolfo Chiavelli to leave the territory of Fabriano. | |||
| Sept. | Florence | Lucca | Tuscany | With the brothers Cristoforo and Giovanni da Tolentino, he compelled Luigi dal Verme to retreat to Lombardy. Cristoforo da Lavello died. | |
| Oct. | Emilia, Marche | At the beginning of the month, he was reported in Sassuolo; his men were quartered in Rubiera. Subsequently, he crossed the Pesaro area with 700 horsemen (his company, according to observers, did not appear to be in good health). | |||
| Nov. | Sforza | Camerino, Milan | Romagna, Marche | He left Tuscany; 1000 horsemen from his companies passed through Forlì. Taliano Furlano embarked at Ravenna with the baggage train and then continued his march to the Marche of Ancona. Camerino rebelled against Francesco Sforza. Taliano Furlano descended upon the territory, faced Francesco Piccinino, and extorted the countryside with continuous raids. | |
| Dec. | Marche | He thwarted an incursion by Francesco Piccinino on Fermo. At the end of the month, he stopped at San Maroso. | |||
| 1438 | |||||
| Jan. | Milan | Church | Umbria, Marche | He conquered numerous castles, which he handed over to the lord of Foligno, Corrado Trinci; Francesco Sforza harshly reprimanded him for this. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Camerino offered him money to defend the city; lured also by a reward promised by the Visconti, he abandoned the siege of Cessapalombo and returned everything he had taken from the inhabitants of Camerino up to that point. Another reason for his defection was intercepting a letter from Sforza to his brother Alessandro, in which Sforza recommended his capture. Taliano Furlano rode near the walls of Macerata, retreated to Urbisaglia, and from there threatened Matelica and the Sforza possessions. He attacked Montecassiano. | |
| Feb. | Umbria, Marche | At the head of 800 horsemen, he joined Francesco Piccinino, entered the Todi area, and seized twelve castles, including Poggio del Colle (Poggio), which was sacked due to previous offenses by the inhabitants. He then moved to Aquasparta. The Duke of Milan ordered him to leave the Todi territory to fight the Papal forces. He intimidated Ascoli Piceno. | |||
| Mar. | Marche | Alessandro Sforza blocked the passage to him and Francesco Piccinino at Sarnano. By mid-month, he was reported, still with Piccinino, in the Recanati area. | |||
| Apr. | Umbria | He returned to Umbria with the signing of the peace treaty between the Duke of Milan and Francesco Sforza. He was invited by Corrado Trinci and the abbot of Montecassino, Pirro Tomacelli, who was besieged in the fortress of Spoleto by the inhabitants, to attack the city. He accepted the request and, at the head of troops from Foligno and Norcia, attacked the locality with Francesco Piccinino. The action ended when Pirro Tomacelli reached an agreement with the Spoleto inhabitants and the envoy of Pope Eugene IV, Amoretto Condulmer. Francesco Piccinino moved to the countryside of Assisi to sack it, while Taliano Furlano remained to besiege Spoleto, now defended by Baldovino da Tolentino and Sbardellato da Narni. | |||
| May | Umbria, Marche | He requested reinforcements from Francesco Piccinino, Corrado Trinci, and the authorities of Norcia, Bevagna, and Montefalco to jointly attack Spoleto. Early in the month, he took the mountain route, overcame the resistance of the garrisons guarding the passes, and burst into the city by night, subjecting it to a horrific sack that spared neither homes nor churches. A ransom was demanded from a thousand Spoleto inhabitants, and 14,000 loads of loot were taken to Foligno. Taliano Furlano then rejoined Francesco Piccinino and moved against Assisi. He encamped at Santa Maria degli Angeli, where, after two days, he was met by two Visconti commissioners who urged his return to Lombardy. He took the road to Pianello and stopped to besiege Pergola. | |||
| June | Milan | Venice | Marche, Romagna, Emilia, Lombardy | He ravaged the territory of Fano with Francesco Piccinino, passed through Rimini and Forlì, and headed to Bologna to join the Visconti troops in opposing the Venetians. He crossed the Po at Sommo, supported Piccinino in the siege of Casalmaggiore, and entered the Brescia area via bridges set up at Canneto sull’Oglio and Marcaria. | |
| July | Lombardy | He was granted various lands in the Cremona area, including Castelleone, Piadena, San Giovanni in Croce, and the “Curia Cavalcabò,” which comprised Corte Madama, Casteldidone, Spineda, and various properties belonging to Brescian nobles. | |||
| Autumn | Lombardy | He took part in the siege of Brescia. He encamped near the tower of Mombello and directed the fire of 15 bombards against the city walls. | |||
| Nov. | Lombardy | He remained engaged in the siege of Brescia, setting up his encampment at Sant’Apollonio. He had tunnels dug under the tower of Sant’Andrea. A general assault was attempted on the eastern part of the walls, targeting the tower shored up with beams tied together. The beams were set on fire, and many men managed to cross the drained moat, overcome the rubble, and reach the top of the Mombello embankment without the defenders being able to stop their advance. The melee lasted four hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 Visconti soldiers and about forty Brescian defenders, with a high number of wounded as well. The attack was repelled. A subsequent assault between Mombello and Ravarotto had the same outcome: the defenders, aided by women and children, repaired what his sappers destroyed. Taliano Furlano was reported to have killed those trying to strengthen the walls with his crossbow. | |||
| Dec. | Lombardy | In mid-month, a new general attack on Brescia was ordered. He approached the bastion of Mombello at night, which was shored up and ready to collapse. He set fire to the large beams supporting it, intending for the debris to fall inside the city walls. Instead, the stones tumbled toward the ducal side, crushing some infantrymen. The next day, he led the assault with his men-at-arms at Ravarotto. Fires thrown from the top of the walls and pots filled with boiling lime produced so much smoke that the attackers could not breathe and were forced to abandon their weapons. Taliano Furlano was so enraged that he barbarically vented his anger on a prisoner, Mengo da Ghedi. That year, he was enfeoffed by the Visconti with Castelleone and Piadena. | |||
| 1439 | |||||
| Jan. | 1000 cavalry | Lombardy, Trentino | He advanced into Val di Sabbia, effectively hindering Gattamelata‘s attempts to send supply convoys to Brescia. In mid-month, commanding 600 horsemen and 1000 infantry, he moved towards Tenno, destroying a caravan on the way to Lodrone that was coming from Torbole. The Venetians retreated to a mountain where they were attacked and forced to surrender, resulting in the capture of 200 horsemen and 600 infantry. With this victory, Taliano Furlano advanced on Lodrone at the head of 3000 infantry (mostly Mantuan conscripts and German infantry provided by the Bishop of Trento) and 600 horsemen. He crossed the Sarca River on a pre-constructed bridge and attempted to ascend a nearby mountain. A large contingent of Brescian forces, led by Gerardo Dandolo, Taddeo d’Este, and Diotisalvi Lupi, exited the capital and joined Paride di Lodrone, who attacked the 300 men guarding the bridge, slaughtering the defenders and destroying the structure. Taliano Furlano was routed in three hours on the Ponale road, near Castel Romano. Among the Visconti forces, 500 infantry, mostly Germans, and some horsemen, including the condottiero’s son, were killed. Additionally, 1500 infantry and 300 horsemen were captured. Taliano Furlano managed to retreat to Riva del Garda with 1000 infantry and 300 horsemen. Days later, at the end of the month, he was again defeated at Toscolano-Maderno by Diotisalvi Lupi in a skirmish where he narrowly escaped capture, while another 400 of his men (including Niccolò Terzi, Antonio da Trivulzio, and Giovanni Fratto) were taken prisoner. Taliano Furlano reached Salò at night, pursued by Lupi’s infantry on land and under fire from the Venetian fleet’s artillery along the shores of Lake Garda. In addition to the shame of these defeats, Taliano Furlano faced significant reprimands from Francesco Piccinino. | ||
| May | Lombardy | In mid-month, he was granted the fief of Vighizzolo. | |||
| June | Lombardy | He stationed 2000 horsemen at Roncadelle, Borgosatollo, and the foothill towns to intercept the flow of supplies to Brescia. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He moved to San Giacomo di Castenedolo with 2000 men, both infantry and cavalry, to escape the plague; later, he relocated to San Felice del Benaco to block Taddeo d’Este and Diotisalvi Lupi, who had left Brescia with 300 horsemen and 1200 infantry. In the ensuing clash, he was initially captured by the enemies but was freed by the intervention of his men, ultimately defeating the Venetians due to the indiscipline among their ranks. Having won the battle, he reached Bedizzole and occupied the bridge of Novi sul Chiese to monitor the movements of the Venetian troops. The Brescian forces took advantage of his absence to seize Sant’Eufemia della Fonte, whose garrison retreated without fighting. | |||
| Aug. | Lombardy | The Venetians transported a fleet across the Baldo mountain chain to Lake Garda; Taliano Furlano gathered several galleons at Desenzano del Garda. | |||
| Sept. | Lombardy | He recaptured and ravaged Gavardo; raided Sant’Eufemia della Fonte, departed from Padenghe sul Garda, and joined forces with Niccolò Piccinino and Gian Francesco Gonzaga. They defeated Taddeo d’Este at Toscolano-Maderno, destroying part of the Venetian lake fleet. | |||
| Nov. | Lombardy | Niccolò Piccinino entered Verona; despite requests from the captain general, Taliano Furlano refused to leave the Riviera del Garda to support the action. He declined to move to the Chiusa di Verona to prevent the city’s defenders from receiving reinforcements from Francesco Sforza. In response to Piccinino’s reproaches, he cited the written orders of the Duke of Milan. | |||
| 1440 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He stationed himself at Montichiari to block the flow of supplies to Brescia. He ordered that anyone caught outside the capital should be treated without mercy. | |||
| Feb. | Lombardy | He led the troops with Luigi dal Verme. | |||
| Mar. | Lombardy, Trentino | Upon hearing that wheat had been smuggled into Brescia from Tignale, he left the camp at Salò, approached the capital, and blocked all sources of supplies. In turn, he provisioned Riva del Garda, which was nearly besieged by the adversaries. | |||
| Apr. | Trentino, Lombardy | He rode into Val di Ledro and defeated Guerriero da Marsciano, who was attempting to deliver a load of supplies to the defenders of Brescia. He then moved to Riva del Garda with Biagio Assereto. Attacked by the enemy fleet at Torbole, he was routed; the Visconti forces suffered the loss of 200 to 500 men and the capture of another 410 soldiers. Taliano Furlano, wounded in the battle, was transported to Riva del Garda from where he fled, fearing being besieged there. The town, however, would fall into the hands of the adversaries the following month. Subsequently, Taliano Furlano bombarded and set fire to Bagnolo Mella after the Brescian forces had seized the local warehouses stocked with flour and livestock in a surprise attack. | |||
| May | Lombardy | He attempted to destroy the Venetian fleet trapped in the port of Torbole. He was first defeated by the provveditore Stefano Contarini and Pietro Brunoro, and later by Sarpellione. He suffered the loss of ships and cavalry. | |||
| June | Lombardy | With Luigi dal Verme, he retreated the defensive lines in the Brescia area and stationed himself on the Oglio River. He defeated the Sforza vanguard, camped between Soncino and Orzinuovi, and controlled the bridge between the two castles. Francesco Sforza decided to attack him to take Orzinuovi, the only fortress remaining in ducal hands on the left bank of the Oglio. Sforza ordered Sarpellione to attack with infantry and two cavalry squads. Sarpellione pretended to retreat according to orders to draw him away from the riverbanks. Taliano Furlano fell into the trap; his troops advanced recklessly, found themselves surrounded by numerically superior forces, and could no longer defend either the bridge or the castle. Sforza crossed the Oglio, descended on the ducal forces at Soncino, captured 1500 horsemen, and seized almost all their supplies. Taliano Furlano found himself surrounded during the battle, threw himself into the mud and reeds of the Oglio, and at night moved to Crema. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He fortified himself in Casalmaggiore. However, this locality also fell into Sforza‘s hands. | |||
| Dec. | Tuscany, Liguria | Upon the death of the Doge of Genoa, Tommaso Fregoso, he crossed the Lunigiana and reached Savona. | |||
| 1441 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He returned to defend the Ghiaradadda with Luigi dal Verme and supported Niccolò Piccinino in his counteroffensive in Lombardy. | |||
| Feb. | Lombardy | In the Brescia area, in March, he conquered the fortress of San Giovanni in Croce. | |||
| June | Lombardy | He moved to aid Piccinino at Martinengo with 1500 horsemen alongside Sarpellione (now serving the ducal forces), Luigi dal Verme, and Luigi da San Severino. His intervention significantly contributed to the victory at Cignano. | |||
| July | He persistently requested from Visconti the lands of Francesco Sforza at Bosco Marengo and Frugarolo in the Alessandria area. Similar territorial expansion requests were made to Visconti by Piccinino for Piacenza, by Luigi da San Severino for Novara, and by Luigi dal Verme for Tortona. This situation prompted the Duke of Milan to seek peace with the league and once again promise Bianca Maria in marriage to Francesco Sforza. | ||||
| Aug. | Lombardy | He met with Piccinino and Francesco Sforza when he left the camp at Martinengo. He reconciled with Sforza, who forgave him for past events. The Duke of Milan enfeoffed him with Castellazzo. | |||
| 1442 | |||||
| May | Emilia | He left Piacenza with Galeotto da Barbiano. | |||
| July | ……… | He was imprisoned by the Duke of Milan: all his belongings were plundered, and the soldiers of his companies were robbed. He was released shortly afterward. | |||
| 1444 | |||||
| Autumn | Milan | 2000 cavalry | Romagna, Emilia | He operated in the Faenza and Bologna regions. | |
| 1445 | |||||
| May | Milan | Sforza | Romagna | He was at Casemurate with 1000 horsemen and 1000 infantry. | |
| June | Milan | Bologna | Emilia | After the assassination of the lord of Bologna, Annibale Bentivoglio, he was called to the city by the Canedoli. | |
| July | Emilia | He was reported to be on the Idice River, where he was informed of the defeat of his allies. He rushed to Castel Bolognese, set fire to the crops, and destroyed the mills in the countryside. He negotiated the surrender of Castel Guelfo di Bologna, plundered up to Castel dei Britti, and occupied Piumazzo, Crevalcore, San Felice, and Medicina. He unsuccessfully attacked Budrio, where 24 of his men were killed. In revenge, Taliano Furlano set fire to many surrounding houses. | |||
| Aug. | Church | Sforza | Emilia, Romagna | He continued to Romagna to coordinate his operations with Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta and wage war against Francesco Sforza in the Marche of Ancona. During his march, he passed through the bastia of Zaniolo/Genivolo and Castel Bolognese; he entered the Forlì area with 3000 men and set up camp between Cosina, Villanova, and Cassignano. | |
| Sept. | Romagna | At San Lorenzo in Strada, near Rimini, he had 2000 men, both infantry and cavalry. He left Montefiore Conca. | |||
| Oct. | General captain | Marche | He was in Fano. He joined forces with Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Domenico Malatesta, Carlo di Montone, and Roberto da Montalboddo; he went to Osimo and Recanati, which were in the hands of the Papal States. He tried to capture Ancona by surprise but was repelled at the Capodimonte Gate. He took the castle of Montesanto (Potenza Picena) without a fight and, with Malatesta, besieged Civitanova Marche. He was attacked by Francesco and Alessandro Sforza, as well as Federico da Montefeltro; the opposing commanders set up camp on the Chienti. Taliano Furlano decided to abandon his positions at night to take refuge in Potenza Picena. From this location, he repeatedly urged Giovanni Ventimiglia to move north from the Abruzzi, but the Aragonese captain refused to move for fear of the adversaries. Each side remained stationary until Sforza abandoned the camp at Montolmo (Corridonia). | ||
| Nov. | Marche | He left Cingoli and headed to Montecchio (Treia); he conquered Montemilone (Pollenza), then turned with Giovanni Ventimiglia towards Fermo. Finding the gates closed at Sant’Angelo in Pontano, he captured the town after a brief siege, demolished its fortress, and plundered the area. He secured Mogliano and San Severino Marche. Parting ways with Ventimiglia, he descended towards the coast. Francesco Sforza fortified himself in the Urbino area. Taliano Furlano then subdued Potenza Picena again and brought the surrounding castles into obedience, setting up camp at Montalto. He left Sant’Angelo in Pontano, entered Fermo through the Porta di San Marco, and took lodging in a Jewish house. He besieged Alessandro Sforza in the fortress of Girifalco; as in other instances, he prevented any attempts to resupply the castle. Alessandro Sforza was forced to slaughter horses for food. By the end of the month, all those deemed unfit for defense left the fortress. Taliano Furlano set up mines to collapse the walls; however, the assaults and offensive measures proved futile. | |||
| Dec. | Marche | He took Rocca Contrada (Arcevia) by treaty, rode to Fabriano, and awaited the Aragonese army, which had moved to Ascoli Piceno. To conquer the entire Marche of Ancona, the Papal forces needed only to capture Jesi and Fermo. | |||
| 1446 | |||||
| Jan. | Marche | With Antonio Rido, he besieged Alessandro Sforza and Santo Parente again at Girifalco; he began tunneling the mountain and filled a second mine with barrels of gunpowder. | |||
| Feb. | Marche | Alessandro Sforza surrendered under terms, handing over the fortress of Girifalco and embarking with men and belongings on two ships. | |||
| May | Marche | He arrived in Tolentino, where he was welcomed with wine, bread, fish, cherries, beans, cheese, and confections. Alongside Angelo di Roncone, he attacked Dolce dell’Anguillara and took 400 horsemen from him. | |||
| June | Umbria | ||||
| July | Marche | He took part in the siege of Jesi with the papal legate Cardinal Ludovico Scarampo and the Viceroy of the Abruzzi Raimondo Boilo. He stationed himself between Fossombrone and Fano and participated in the war council, which decided to continue the campaign and expel Francesco Sforza from the entire Marche of Ancona. | |||
| Aug. | Marche | He was contacted by the Florentines to abandon the Papal camp; whether discovered by chance or through the Florentines’ betrayal, the Duke of Milan demanded his death. Taliano Furlano was captured by the ducal envoy Giorgio d’Annone with the help of the Aragonese Raimondo Boilo. According to another source, Furlano was arrested while feasting with Cardinal Scarampo. He was imprisoned in Arcevia and was decapitated mid-month by the local castellan. He was also executed for the damage he caused to numerous churches in the Forlì area during one of his passages through the territory. He married Elena Tomacelli, niece of Pope Boniface IX. |
Sources
-“Huomo di gran fama.” CORIO
-“Che tirava d’una balestra a donne, e femmine, a pulcelle, come farebbe un Nerone.” DECEMBRIO
-“D’animo fiero, e crudele uno d’ condottieri de’ nemici, che a noi più di tutti fu infesto.” BROGNOLI
-“Magnus conductor gentium.” ANNALES FOROLIVIENSES
-“Lui era uno velente capitanio de gente d’arme.” CRONACA MALATESTIANA
-“Acer bellator.” CORNAZZANO
-“Capitano di grande stima.” SPINO
-“Nato di natali rusticani..ascese ai sommi gradi della milizia.” ROSETTI
-“Multae prudentiae imperatore.” ANGELITA
-“Mirae solertiae vir.” PLATINA
-“Supremo comandante dell’armi del Visconte.” VIANOLI
-“Gentium nobis inimicarum ductoribus aliis plurimis viris, et armigeris prestantibus.” Da un documento di Filippo Maria Visconti riportato dall’OSIO
-Con Francesco Piccinino “Strenuos tunc duces.” MINERVIO
-“Non mancò di ogni pruova di buon Capitano.” VERDIZZOTTI
-“Principal Condottiero d’armi.” VEDRIANI
-“Crudele condottiero.” GUERRINI
-“Famoxo infra i notabili homine del duca (di Milano); era passado con trionfo e superbo, a avea dado grande danno sul tereno de Forlì, e massimamente a la Caxa de Dio, in gle luoghe dove trovava cosa o robba di giexa o de spedale.” G. DI M. PEDRINO
-“Detto per sopranome per il valore che avea il gran Uomo d’arme.” COLUCCI
-“Divenuto buon soldato sotto gli Ordelaffi ed in altre guerre.” P. BONOLI
-Con Antonello della Serra “Le quali nello loro tempo avero grande honore.” BROGLIO
-“Grande huomo d’arme.” FERRANTI
-“Uno dei più prodi capitani sforzeschi.” MARIANI
-“Ch’era per sopranome detto il Tagliaccio: per la bravura del quale rimase come proverbio in Lombardia, che chi si mostrava più contegnoso, e più feroce degli altri, si diceva far il tagliaccio.” GRATTAROLO
-“Scomparve.. un longevo e spregiudicato capitano, che visse l’epoca d’oro dei condottieri di ventura e operò al fianco dei massimi protagonisti, pur non raggiungendo la fama di Sforza e di Piccinino: ma per tutta la sua carriera si barcamenò con una certa abilità tra le principali potenze politiche del Quattrocento italiano. Verosimilmente di umile origine, Taliano riuscì a costruirsi discrete fortune economiche e un’adeguata posizione sociale, sposando la nipote del signore di Foligno, ottenendo feudi dal duca di Milano e facendo sposare con Bianca di Lancillotto Visconti, appartenente a un ramo secondario della famiglia ducale, il proprio figlio Ettore (che nel 1461 ottenne dl duca il feudo di Cameriano).” ROMANONI
-“Al di là delle sconfitte e delle vittorie, Italiano Armuzzi fu tenuto in grande rispetto e spesso temuto dagli altri grandi condottieri contemporanei. Da molti fu odiato, e alcuni cronisti ne condivisero la condanna, soprattutto per i massacri rabbiosi quanto inutili che compì per vendetta nel momento della sconfitta, per i saccheggi e le devastazioni operati nei borghi e nelle campagne nemiche e, indifferentemente, nei territori che avrebbe dovuto proteggere.” SPADA
-“Famoso condottiero del duca (di Milano).” R. MONELLA, in www.combattenti bergamaschi.it
-“Secondo l’erudito Paolo Bonoli (1661) Taliano (da lui chiamato Italiano) fu figlio di tale Muzio Armuzzi, originario della pieve di Quinto presso Forlì; e precedentemente un altro erudito romagnolo (Matteo Vecchiazzani, 1647) lo disse originario di Forlimpopoli. La tesi delle origini romagnole – e dunque di una terra di elezione dei capitani di ventura – ebbe successo nell’Ottocento. Ercole Ricotti (1885) lo cita come Taliano da Forlì e successivamente Albano Sorbelli (Corpus Chronicorum Bonomiensium) si spinse a teorizzare che il nome Furlano derivasse dalla dialettizzazione del toponimo Forlì. In realtà già dal XVI secolo, il friulano Girolamo Cesarini (“Origini del castello di San Vito”, a cura di F. Altan, 1771) sostenne che Taliano fosse originario di San Vito al Tagliamento e membro della famiglia Litteris che, secondo la storia ottocentesca di Antonio Altan (1832) fu un gruppo familiare di origine lombarda. E sull’appartenenza ai Litteris non abbiamo prove, l’origine da San Vito è certa sulla base del diploma di concessione dei feudi di Castelleone, Piadena, San Giovanni in Croce e Casteldidone di Filippo Maria Visconti duca di Milano, che nel 1438 lo menziona come Taliano figlio di Antonio Furlan di San Vito.” DIZIONARIO BIOGRAFICO DEGLI ITALIANI
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