Analyzing the Gap Between Tartaglia’s Courage and Command
Tartaglia (Angelo da Lavello, Angelo Broglio, Tartaglia da Lavello). From Lavello. Called Tartaglia because he was a stutterer. According to some biographers, Tartaglia is not a nickname but his actual surname. According to the Cronaca Malatestiana written by his son Gaspare, he was born in 1350 as the natural son of Raimondo Orsini del Balzo; later, he was adopted by Andrea da Lavello, lord of that locality. He was Count of Toscanella and Lord of Lavello, Tarquinia, Canino, Acquapendente, Tuscania, Montalto di Castro, Marta, Civitella d’Agliano, Sipicciano, Gradoli, and Sutri.
Born: 1370 ca
Death: 1421, October
| Year, month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Conduct | Activity Area | Actions taken and other salient facts |
| ………… | Very young, he served in the companies of Ceccolo Broglia. Under his orders, he learned the first rudiments of the art of war. He was adopted by this condottiero, from whom Tartaglia took his surname and banner. Upon Broglia’s death, he succeeded him in command of the company. | ||||
| 1385 | He served in the companies of Alberico da Barbiano. During this time, he had the opportunity to meet Muzio Attendolo Sforza. | ||||
| 1401 | Florence | 100 lances | |||
| 1402 | |||||
| Feb. | Florence | Milan | Emilia | He distinguished himself through his repeated skirmishes. Alongside Fuzzolino Tedesco and Lo Scorpione, he attacked Alberico da Barbiano at Massumatico. The enemies were put to flight and sought refuge in the castle; the water-filled moat prevented many from escaping. | |
| June | Emilia | He had numerous victorious skirmishes with the Visconti forces. At the end of the month, the opponents attacked the camp at Casalecchio di Reno. Tartaglia was tasked with guarding the bridge over the Reno. Instead, he abandoned his post to join the fight, leaving the camps on his side undefended. The Compagnia della Rosa found itself without support, was overwhelmed, and fled. Taken prisoner, Sforza blamed him for the defeat, leading to an irreparable hatred between the two condottieri, though it did not prevent them from serving together for a few years. | |||
| 1403 | Florence | Siena | Tuscany | He was brought to Arezzo by Niccolò Ridolfi along with Cocco Salimbeni and Giovanni da Pavia (240 lances and 50 foot soldiers) to drive out the Visconti governor Giorgio del Carretto from Siena. | |
| 1404 | |||||
| Mar. | Florence | Milan | Veneto | He was in Padua. | |
| Apr. | Veneto | He assisted the Carraresi in the conquest of Verona. He arrived at San Martino Buon Albergo and entered the capital after overcoming the resistance of Ugolotto Biancardo. | |||
| May | Lombardy | He was sent with 300 lances to aid Ugolino Cavalcabò, the lord of Cremona, in opposing the Visconti forces. | |||
| June | Emilia | He supported Pietro dei Rossi against Ottobono Terzi. He was defeated by this condottiero between Rossena and Rossenella, and 360 of his horses were captured. | |||
| Aug. | Emilia | He was again defeated by Ottobono Terzi near Felino. On this occasion, numerous horses from his company were also captured. | |||
| ………… | Tuscany | He negotiated with the ducal captain of the fortress of Montalcino, Filippo da Pontremoli, and handed over the fortress to the Sienese stationed at Montalcinello in exchange for 5,000 florins. | |||
| 1405 | |||||
| ………… | Siena | Comp. ventura | Tuscany | He opposed the company of Gaspare degli Ubaldini in Maremma, who, having disbanded, had turned to plundering the territory. | |
| Aug. | Tuscany | ||||
| 1406 | |||||
| Feb. | Upon his father’s death, he became the lord of Lavello. | ||||
| Mar. | Tuscany | The Florentines camped at San Piero a Grado. On Ascension Day, the flooded Arno River broke a fortified bridge that connected two bastions on its banks. | |||
| June – Sept. | Tuscany | The Pisans launched an attack on the bastion isolated on their side of the river: Tartaglia rode into the river on horseback immediately behind Sforza, also aiming to save the livestock he had left there in previous days; the troops followed the two condottieri. The Pisans retreated. He pursued the fleeing opponents and captured many prisoners. His ongoing conflict with Sforza continued, with Tartaglia accusing Sforza of an attempt to poison him. The commissioner Gino Capponi, a friend of both, intervened to calm the situation. Tartaglia continued the siege operations from Colognole while Sforza positioned himself at Vicopisano, from where he began to block supplies to the defenders. | |||
| Oct. | Siena | 150 lances | Tuscany | The skirmishes between the two condottieri continued even with the conquest of Pisa, when the Florentines handed over 50,000 florins to Giovanni Gambacorta to obtain lordship of the city. Tartaglia pushed to enter the city through the Porta di San Marco, while his rival preferred the Porta dei Prati. Gambacorta decided by opening the Porta di San Marco to the Florentines. | |
| Nov. | Florence | Tuscany | He served under the Florentine pay for only five days. Each lance of his company was granted 13 florins, while his personal provision amounted to 150 florins. He was noted to be in Pisa. | ||
| 1407 | |||||
| ………… | Siena | 150 lances, 100 infantry | Tuscany | Due to his ongoing conflicts with Sforza, he preferred to switch to the pay of the Sienese, with a contract for 150 lances and 100 provisioned soldiers. The duration of the contract was set for one year. He was tasked with protecting Pope Gregory XII, who had departed from Rome to Savona to meet with Antipope Benedict XIII. The pontiff, coming from Poggibonsi, arrived in Siena at the beginning of September; he would remain in the city until the first days of January the following year, when he departed for Lucca to meet with his rival for the papal throne. | |
| 1408 | |||||
| ………… | Comp. ventura | Salimbeni | Tuscany | At the expiration of the contract, he left Siena to head towards Rome. During the transfer march, he plundered some lands of Cocco Salimbeni along the Via Cassia, between Cotignano and Radicofani. | |
| Apr. | Naples | Antipope | Lazio | He entered the service of King Ladislaus of Naples (Ladislao d’Angiò). He took part in the conquest of Rome. | |
| July | Tuscany | During this period, he seized Toscanella (Tuscania) at the expense of Paolo Orsini; he settled there with his band and spread terror throughout all the nearby lands. | |||
| 1409 | |||||
| Jan. | Naples | Florence, Siena, antipope | Umbria | In the Perugia region, he was approached by some ambassadors sent to him from Perugia. | |
| Apr. | Tuscany | At the beginning of the month, he moved with Paolo Orsini (now in the service of the King of Naples); they headed towards Valli and Siena, reaching the gates of the locality. The two condottieri were forced to abandon their operations after some skirmishes. | |||
| June | Marche | He moved to the March of Ancona with Martino da Faenza and Ceccolino dei Michelotti, leading 3,000 horsemen. He confronted Ludovico Migliorati at Servigliano, occupied Smerillo handed over by Rodolfo da Varano, and besieged the fortress of Monte Urano. | |||
| July | Marche | At Fiastra, he was confronted by Ludovico Migliorati, who led 500 horsemen. The clash took place at Lauro/Monte San Giacomo; the Neapolitan troops fared worse, with the killing of 3 corporals and the loss of 100 horses, compared to the twenty lost by their opponents. Tartaglia pretended to leave the Marche to position himself in the territory of Montecosaro, in the locality of Fontanelle. | |||
| ………… | Città di Castello | Naples | 300 cavalry | Umbria | He entered the service of Città di Castello alongside the castellans Miglioruccio di Baccio and Bartolomeo da Castello. |
| 1410 | |||||
| July | Naples, Perugia | Florence, Siena, Antipope | Umbria | Michelotti was called to the defense of Perugia. The rivalry between the two captains led to the entry of Pieretto de Andreis and Angelo da Sutri into the city. | |
| Sept. | Tuscany | Alongside Ceccolino dei Michelotti, he plundered the territory of Arcidosso in the Sienese region. He was confronted by Angelo della Pergola. | |||
| Oct. – Nov. | Umbria | He defended Todi against attacks from Sforza; he allied with Ceccolino dei Michelotti and Conte da Carrara to repel threats from Braccio di Montone. Tasked with guarding Marsciano, he captured Giacomo degli Arcipreti nearby. In November, he repelled a nighttime assault on the Porta di San Pietro in Perugia by Braccio di Montone, Muzio Attendolo Sforza, and Paolo Orsini with 3,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry. Tartaglia led the cavalry out of the city and, with the help of the inhabitants, put the opponents to flight. For the valor he demonstrated in all these actions, the people of Perugia granted him their citizenship, an annual provision of 300 ducats, as well as houses and properties belonging to the della Cornia family, who had joined the exiles. | |||
| 1411 | |||||
| Jan. | Tuscany | He entered Radicofani with Ceccolino dei Michelotti and sacked the locality; he raided Corsignano (Pienza), Monticchiello, and San Quirico d’Orcia, taking prisoners and seizing livestock. He obtained the locality in joint ownership with Vanni Piccolomini. Nanni di Spinello remained to guard the locality. | |||
| Mar. | Umbria | He was given 300 florins by the people of Perugia to prevent Collelungo from falling into enemy hands. | |||
| May | Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria | He sold his share of Radicofani to the Sienese for 8,000 ducats. In the same month, he was besieged in Civitavecchia with the prefect Giacomo di Vico by Braccio di Montone. Seven galleys and two cargo ships arrived from Naples, one loaded with Frisian horses (as Tartaglia had lost his mounts in previous skirmishes) and the other with provisions. He left the city and joined Ceccolino dei Michelotti. He continued to oppose Montone in Umbria. He left Perugia with many commoners to seize Torgiano but was defeated by Montone, Sforza, and Orsini. Six hundred of his horses were captured, and many Perugians were taken prisoner and forced to pay a ransom for their freedom. | |||
| June | Lazio | With the signing of the Peace of San Felice, he went to Rome. Along with Braccio di Montone, Muzio Attendolo Sforza, and Giovanni Colonna, he took part in a grand celebration organized by Paolo Orsini outside Porta San Paolo, at the Navicella. | |||
| Oct. | Umbria | His contract with the Perugians was renewed. | |||
| 1412 | |||||
| June | Lazio | At the end of the month, the Neapolitan army entered the Patrimony with 5,000 horsemen under the command of the royal lieutenant Giacomo dei Galgani di Aversa. Along with Tartaglia, other condottieri such as Malacarne, Michelotti, and Fabrizio da Baschi, known as Ciarfaglia, were part of the force. They appeared before Viterbo, and the citizens surrendered to them unconditionally. From there, the Angevin troops spread throughout the Patrimony; in a short time, they occupied Montefiascone, Tuscania, Bagnorea (Bagnoregio), Acquapendente, Proceno, and Corneto (Tarquinia) without encountering any resistance. They then attacked Orvieto. | |||
| July | Umbria | Orvieto also surrendered to Tartaglia on the condition that it would not receive aid from 1,000 horsemen within fifteen days. | |||
| Nov. | The annual provision granted to him by the Sienese amounted to 300 florins, paid with the proceeds from the “gabella dei cenci” (tax on rags). | ||||
| 1413 | |||||
| May | General captain | Lazio, Umbria | He appeared before the gates of Viterbo with 500 horsemen and many infantry; then moved with 1,000 lances into the Orvieto area, sacking Castel Rubello, capturing Porano, Lubriano, Torricella, and Castelluzzo, and setting Sugano on fire. The villages of San Quirico, Santa Croce, San Donato, and Casa dei Preti were also burned. | ||
| June | Lazio | At the mouth of the Tiber with Ladislaus of Naples (Ladislao d’Angiò), he entered Rome after seven days of clashes. At dawn, they broke through the walls near Santa Croce, between Porta Maggiore and Porta Asinaria, overcoming the resistance of Giovanni Colonna, Cristoforo Gaetani, and Francesco Orsini. He remained uncertain all morning near the Lateran as no one moved to confront him. Antipope John XXIII mounted a horse, abandoned the Orsini palace, and fled from Rome with his court, first towards Sutri and then towards Viterbo. The city was sacked. The King of Naples, Ladislaus of Naples, entered Rome and settled in the Lateran. Tartaglia’s horsemen pursued the fugitives along the Via Cassia for nine miles; some prelates died from exhaustion during the march. The same mercenaries who were supposed to protect the antipope robbed members of the curia. The King of Naples appointed Giulio Cesare da Capua as governor of Rome, while Pieretto de Andreis was given command of the Trastevere area. | |||
| July | General captain | Lazio | Tartaglia was reported in Sutri, where he had a meeting with the representatives of the people and the Cardinal of Sant’Angelo. Already elected as the general captain for conducting operations, he also obtained from Ladislaus of Naples (Ladislao d’Angiò) the position of governor of the lands of Tuscania, Sutri, and Acquapendente. He settled in Tuscania. At the Neapolitan court, he held the title of “first confidant of the king.” | ||
| Aug. | Lazio | In Rome, he negotiated a truce with the adversaries when numerous troops of the antipope entered the city. | |||
| Autumn | Lazio, Umbria | He moved into the Patrimony with Muzio Attendolo Sforza (now in the service of the King of Naples), Malacarne, and Buzino da Siena; with 600 lances and 500 infantry, he roamed the countryside, taking prisoners and committing robberies against the Orvietans. He met with Michelotti in Città della Pieve to intensify the devastation in the Orvieto region. | |||
| Dec. | His troops captured some localities still loyal to the antipope’s authority. | ||||
| 1414 | |||||
| Apr. | Umbria | He laid siege to Orvieto. | |||
| June | Umbria | He allied with Conte da Carrara and Ceccolino dei Michelotti, positioning himself on the borders of Spoleto; they ravaged the countryside of Trevi and Spoleto towards Azzano and Beroide, reaching Bazzano, Eggi, and Santi Apostoli. | |||
| July | Naples | Spoleto | Umbria, Lazio | He camped at Busano and Ponte Bari; from there, he returned towards Spoleto up to Tessino, in front of Porta di San Gregorio. He besieged the locality with Michelotti and Conte da Carrara; from Coldiluce, they bombarded the city and broke the water supply in two places. Rodolfo da Varano, who was defending it, surrendered in a short time. During the same days, Tartaglia was included as an ally of Ladislaus of Naples (Ladislao d’Angiò) in the peace treaty stipulated between the King of Naples and the Florentines. | |
| Aug. | Perugia | Naples | Umbria | Upon the death of the King of Naples, he returned to the service of Perugia. He fought the Neapolitan troops in support of Antipope John XXIII. | |
| Sept. | Tuscany, Lazio | The Sienese, to ingratiate themselves with him, gifted him a precious helmet covered in velvet, decorated with a lion in relief and white roses of gold and silver on the sides, crafted by the goldsmith Giovanni di Turino. The gift was accompanied by a horse, all valued at 600 florins. In the same month, Antipope John XXIII appointed him as the vicar general of Tuscania and the surrounding region; he was tasked with subjugating Viterbo and Tarquinia on behalf of the antipope. He titled himself “specialis commissarius pro S. Romana Ecclesia rector patrimonii.” | |||
| Oct. | Lazio | He welcomed Cardinal Giacomo Isolani of Sant’Eustachio in Tuscania. He conquered Tarquinia, sacked the locality, and took a large number of citizens prisoner. | |||
| Nov. | Lazio | The inhabitants of Viterbo, to ingratiate themselves with him, sent him a gift worth 100 florins. | |||
| Dec. | Lazio | The community of Viterbo also granted him a loan of 500 ducats. | |||
| 1415 | |||||
| Jan. | Comp. ventura | Church | Lazio | He occupied the castles of Sipicciano and Celleno in the Viterbo area; Cardinal Legate Giacomo Isolani ordered him to return Viterbo to the Papal States. | |
| Mar. | At his urging, the people of Viterbo recommended him with high praise to the fathers of the Council of Constance, hoping he could obtain a contract from the Holy See. | ||||
| May | Comp. ventura | Umbria | John XXIII was deposed by the Council of Constance; Gregory XII in Rimini renounced the papacy through Carlo Malatesta; only Benedict XIII in Valencia did not accept the deposition decreed by the council fathers. Tartaglia took advantage of this chaotic situation to attack and plunder the castle of Foce near Amelia in Umbria. He appointed his nephew Cristoforo da Lavello to govern the cities that were part of his lordship. | ||
| ………… | Siena | Pitigliano | Umbria | He served under the Sienese, who feared an action by Bertoldo Orsini. At the end of the brief term, he requested an advance of 1,170 ducats, part of which represented a debt owed to him by Giannetto d’Acquasparta (900 ducats). The Ten wanted to oblige him to agree not to fight for the next two years alongside the enemies of the commune. He refused to comply with this condition, insisted, and still obtained the money. | |
| July | Comp. ventura | Church | Lazio | At the urging of the Romans, who had rebelled against the Papal States, he decided to occupy Rome to the detriment of Cardinal Isolani, the governor of the city on behalf of the Council of Constance. He entered the portico of San Pietro with 300 horsemen and drove out Arrigo della Tacca. | |
| Aug. | Lazio | In Tuscania, he had Farina and Beccarino beheaded, suspecting them of plotting to kill him at the instigation of Muzio Attendolo Sforza. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Naples | Lazio | He fought against the troops of Queen Joanna of Naples (Giovanna d’Angiò). As compensation for his service, he was granted the vicariate of Tuscania, Canino, Civitella d’Agliano, and Sipicciano by the Papal States, in return for the annual payment of a falcon. He was named count and given the powers of captain and rector of the Patrimony. | |
| 1416 | |||||
| Apr. | 600 cavalry | Tuscany, Lazio, Umbria | He procured necessary supplies from Siena to outfit his companies (shields, crossbows, covers for the mounts). He reached Frascati and was contacted by Braccio di Montone, who convinced him to support the war against Perugia; in exchange, he was assured possession of Sforza‘s properties. | ||
| May | Montone | Perugia | Umbria | He joined forces with Braccio di Montone at Ponte San Giovanni and conquered Cerqueto, Papiano, Morcella, and Marsciano. After a failed attempt to capture Perugia with an assault on Porta di Fontenuovo, he attacked the castle of Corciano. He was repelled and wounded in the thigh by a crossbow bolt. | |
| July | 800 cavalry | Umbria | He participated in the Battle of Sant’Egidio, where he commanded the vanguard with 800 horsemen. In the clash, he captured Carlo Malatesta and Ceccolino dei Michelotti; many soldiers of the latter were thrown into the Tiber by him. Tartaglia handed over the prisoners and loot to Braccio di Montone, who rewarded him with the sum of 10,000 ducats. | ||
| Aug. | Umbria | Together with Ludovico Colonna, he treacherously killed Paolo Orsini at Colfiorito, who had opposed Braccio di Montone on behalf of the Perugians. He approached his rival under the guise of delivering a proposal and killed him while they were discussing details during a walk around the castle walls. Orsini‘s troops attempted to capture him, but Tartaglia was saved by Braccio’s forces, who routed the opponents. During the incident, he managed to capture Niccolò Orsini, son of Bertoldo, and imprisoned him in the jail of Orte. He received 1,500 florins from the inhabitants of Spoleto to spare their territory and then headed to Upper Lazio to seize some lands previously controlled by Paolo Orsini. He accepted an assignment from the Sienese to oppose Count Bertoldo Orsini of Pitigliano. He requested a loan of 3,000 to 4,000 florins from the Priors of the Signoria; they granted him 2,000. He advised the Sienese to begin preliminary war operations immediately, as he would soon move against Pitigliano and Sorano. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Orsini | Lazio, Tuscany | He sent 100 horsemen to assist the Sienese but could not personally intervene on their behalf because, in Sutri, he was contacted by Cardinal Stefaneschi, Renzo Staglia, Nardo Venedettini, and Giovanni Cenci. He made an agreement with the Roman people: he was granted the city’s two main sources of revenue, the salt tax and the hearth tax, as well as a quarter of the livestock tax. He assumed the title of rector of the Patrimony and committed to defending Rome and the Papal States; he also pledged to recover Bracciano, Campagnano di Roma, and other lands occupied by the son of Paolo Orsini and other barons for the Holy See. | |
| Oct. – Nov. | Siena | Pitigliano | Lazio | He returned to Tuscania. Since the siege operations of Pitigliano and Sorano were progressing slowly, he was approached by the Sienese ambassadors Nicolaccio di Terocco and Cristoforo di Andrea, who demanded his active participation in the war against Bertoldo Orsini. The contract signed in November stipulated the delivery of 5,200 florins to him in three installments: 500 immediately to be collected in Viterbo, 500 in Siena by mid-December, and the remaining 4,200 within a month after the end of the conflict. He was promised provisions for the troops under his command, as well as military supplies such as barrels of gunpowder, three crates of crossbow bolts, additional crates of shields, various weapons, and two bombards. During the same period, his men, under the command of Grasso da San Lupidio, seized 200 pigs in Capalbio, which were first taken to Montalto di Castro and then sold to his opponents in Pitigliano. The Sienese ordered him to recover the 200 pigs. | |
| Dec. | Tuscany | The Sienese now sought to appease him by promising a gift of 1,400 florins for the upcoming Easter, to be collected in three installments (500 in Viterbo, 500 in Siena, and 400 directly to his chancellor Giacomo da Orvieto). They also requested that he transfer Grasso da San Lupidio from Montalto di Castro to another location. | |||
| 1417 | |||||
| Jan. | His intervention in the war against Bertoldo Orsini was still lacking. The Sienese renewed their appeals with fresh urgings, pointing out that Grasso da San Lupidio, after a month of absence, had returned to Montalto di Castro. | ||||
| Feb. | Additional requests for assistance arrived in February from Ranuccio Farnese, who commanded the troops of the republic. By this time, the pigs had not yet been returned. Tartaglia requested that some families be allowed to leave Pitigliano with a safe-conduct, but his request was denied. | ||||
| Mar. | Siena | Pitigliano | Tuscany | The cardinals of the Council of Constance pressed for an end to the ongoing conflict. Tartaglia, as rector of the Patrimony, was invited by the College of Cardinals to abandon the Sienese cause. On the other hand, the Sienese increased their pressure for his involvement in the field. Finally, the condottiero broke his hesitation and camped under the walls of Sorano after receiving 1,500 florins, partially as a gift and partially as a loan. | |
| Apr. | He gifted Carlo Malatesta a white horse upon the release from captivity of the lord of Rimini. | ||||
| May | Tuscany | He pressured the Sienese to ensure justice for his niece, Giacomina, wife of Cristoforo da Lavello, who was owed money by some inhabitants of Santa Fiora. His demands were largely satisfied. | |||
| July | Perugia | Church, Naples | 400 lances | Lazio | He left Tuscany to join Braccio di Montone in Rome; he quartered in the Borgo of San Pietro with 300 horsemen and many infantrymen. |
| Aug. | Lazio | Upon the arrival of Muzio Attendolo Sforza, he positioned his troops in the Piazza of San Giovanni in Laterano, forcing the adversaries to initially retreat along the Via Ostiense. However, this did not prevent them from making a wide detour, descending on Rome from Monte Mario, and seizing the city. Tartaglia left Rome with Braccio di Montone and Berardo da Varano through Porta Viridaria; they crossed the Ponte Milvio and Ponte Salario, and returned to Tuscania. At the end of the month, a peace treaty was signed in Sorano between the Sienese and Guido Orsini. He requested the renewal of his contract with the Sienese, but was told that his services were not needed at the moment. | |||
| Sept. | Lazio | Together with Cardinal Stefaneschi, Battista and Antonio Savelli, Giacomo Colonna, and Riccardo della Molara, he offered Antipope Benedict XIII the handover of Civitavecchia and Rome in exchange for the deposit of 60,000 florins in a Florentine bank. The ambassador for this mission was his secretary, Giovanni Vitelleschi, the future patriarch. After this plan failed, Tartaglia returned to Tuscania. From there, as usual, he unleashed his bands to plunder the surrounding lands, indiscriminately targeting both friends and foes. | |||
| Oct. | Lazio | Sforza sent some light horsemen to run under the walls of Tuscania while the rest of his army (400 horsemen) lay in ambush nearby. Deceived by appearances, Tartaglia left the city, partially fell into the ambush, and was defeated after a three-hour battle. Wounded, he managed to save himself within the city walls after quickly lowering the portcullis. A third of his troops were captured, including his brother Donato da Lavello. At the end of the month, he joined Braccio di Montone in Montefiascone with 2,000 horsemen and 1,000 infantrymen. | |||
| Nov. | Lazio | Rome rose up against Sforza, prompting both Braccio di Montone and Tartaglia to return to the city. Count of Tagliacozzo (Gian Antonio Orsini) and Francesco Orsini intervened to calm the situation. A six-month truce was signed in Montefiascone between the contenders. | |||
| 1418 | |||||
| Jan. | Tuscany | Three ambassadors from Siena deliver a special gift to Tartaglia. | |||
| ………… | Perugia | Tuscany | He confronts Micheletto Attendolo. | ||
| ………… | Siena | Tuscany | Throughout the year, the Sienese give Tartaglia an additional 6,000 florins. Over a few years, while residing in the Patrimony, the condottiero receives a total of 30,000 florins from the commune of Siena. | ||
| ………… | The new pope, Martin V, elected by the Council of Constance, does not renew his appointment as rector of the Patrimony. | ||||
| 1419 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria | He marries the noblewoman from Orvieto, Agnese Monaldeschi della Cervara, with a dowry of 3,000 florins, a wedding gift from the commune of Orvieto, and thirty ducats. | |||
| Feb. | Siena | Salimbeni | Tuscany | He sends 100 horses to assist the Sienese in besieging Cocco Salimbeni, who has taken refuge in a tower of the castle in Tentennano. | |
| June | Perugia | Church, Naples | Lazio | He moves towards Lake Bolsena, pursued by Sforza. He intercepts, along with Montone, 500 infantry sent to support the opponents by Gatto (Giovanni Gatti) at Moiano; he arrives at Castel Cardinale near Tuscania. The opponents retreat from Montefiascone towards Viterbo. The retreat occurs in disorder because among Sforza’s forces, Niccolò Orsini and Petrino da Siena leave without warning; Montone takes advantage of this situation and defeats Sforza. Tartaglia besieges Viterbo but is defeated nearby by Francesco Sforza and Micheletto Attendolo, who capture 562 horses, among which is Niccolò Piccinino. He then moves to Tuscania. | |
| Aug. | Lazio | He attacks Viterbo again; he camps between the city walls and Bagnaia. With the inhabitants of Montefiascone, Tuscania, and Tarquinia, he has the vineyards surrounding the city cut down. With the arrival of Sforza at Canepina, he withdraws. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Perugia | Standard-bearer of the Papal States, 300 lances | Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria | Bribed by Pope Martin V, he reconciles with Sforza; he travels with him to Florence, meets with the pope, and in the church of Santa Maria Novella, he signs a contract for 300 lances for one year. He is assigned a salary of 39,000 florins. He is confirmed in the vicariates of Tuscania, Canino, Sipicciano, and Cencelle, which he had already obtained from Antipope John XXIII, and he is promised the vicariates of Montalto di Castro, Abbazia a Ponte, Marta, Castel Araldo, Musignano, Pianzano, Grona, and Castel Cardinale. He is elected Standard-bearer of the Papal States. In return, he must restore Sutri and Tarquinia to the Church. He joins forces with Sforza to aid the defenders of the fortress of Spoleto, who have rebelled against Montone; he heads towards Narni and conquers Capitone. In the same month, he forms a family alliance with Sforza through the marriage of his daughter to Giovanni Sforza. |
| Oct. | Umbria, Lazio | He defeats Gattamelata and Brandolino Brandolini at San Gemini. He attacks Orvieto and deprives the locality of water by removing the lead pipes from the local aqueduct. He captures a citizen of Orvieto who, to save his life, agrees to organize a plan to hand over the city to him. Malatesta Baglioni discovers the plot and informs Montone. The Perugian condottiero, disregarding Sforza, leaves Spoleto with 800 cavalry and forces the traitor to play a triple game, that is, to urgently invite Tartaglia to advance. Tartaglia leaves Montefiascone with 300 cavalry and 300 infantry, sends his men under the walls, and cautiously waits from a distance for the gate to be opened according to the agreement. The Papal forces fall into an ambush and are routed; Tartaglia manages to flee to Sovana, where he is besieged for three days by Montone. | |||
| Dec. | Umbria, Lazio | He is in Amelia with Sforza. From there, he returns to Tuscania. | |||
| 1420 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria | He invades the territory of Todi, where he seizes many castles. He retreats with the arrival of the Bracceschi. | |||
| July | Lazio | He attacks Soriano nel Cimino, defended by Giannetto di Magnamonte, who commands the last Breton bands operating in Italy. The adventurer surrenders on terms, agreeing to the payment of 9,000 florins to be deposited in a bank in Florence. | |||
| Sept. | From October 1419 to September of this year, he is given 27,150 florins by the Apostolic Chamber. | ||||
| 1421 | |||||
| May | From October 1419 to September of this year, he is given 27,150 florins by the Apostolic Chamber. | ||||
| Aug. – Sept. | Campania | He is sent to aid Louis of Anjou with 800 cavalry and some infantry against Queen Joanna of Anjou and Alfonso of Aragon. He heads to Aversa, where Sforza has fortified himself; he rides to Castellammare di Stabia with 12,000 men, both infantry and cavalry, to liberate the fortress from the enemy siege. The two forces face each other for eighteen days on the Sarno, with small skirmishes in which Montone adopts a friendly approach towards Tartaglia‘s soldiers, who are captured and then released with their weapons and horses, and a harsh approach towards Sforza‘s soldiers, who are sent to the galleys as rowers. Also in September, the pope elevates him to the rank of hereditary count and grants him the investiture of Tuscania. | |||
| Oct. | Campania | He moves with Sforza to the territory of Sessa Aurunca; from there, he returns to Aversa, where he contacts Montone through his son-in-law Luigi Monaldeschi della Cervara. He is accused of treason before the pope by Sforza and his father-in-law Luca Monaldeschi della Cervara, as well as of having dealings with the King of Aragon and Braccio di Montone. By order of the pope, he is captured at night in Aversa while he is sleeping. He is tried and tortured; following his confession, he is beheaded in the old market. According to other sources, he is executed by Martin V for his thefts and raids. He is buried in Aversa in the church of Sant’ Andrea. Part of his militia joins the opponents. In Tuscania, he builds a fortified palace called “Lavello” and the “tower of the sail.” His court is frequented by the humanist Simone Serdini, known as Saviozzo. In Tuscania, Tartaglia’s death is commemorated with a historical procession called “the trial and beheading of the condottiero Angelo da Lavello.” He marries first Anna Oditea Orsini del Balzo and then Agnese Monaldeschi della Cervara. His coat of arms features the lion that appears on the banners placed beside the Torre di Lavello in Tuscania. |
Sources
-“Capitano mediocre e di nessuna fede..altro forte uomo d’arme…Pagò lo scotto della sua infida condotta. Imputato di tradimento, venne torturato, e resosi reo confesso, decapitato sulla piazza del Mercato vecchio di Aversa.” CUTOLO
-“Rinomato Condottier d’armi.” MURATORI
-“Huomo nella guerra veloroso, e honorato..Huomo che valeva assai col discorso, e giudicio, ma molto più con le mani.” CAMPANO
-“Huomo volubile.” CORIO
-“Gran Capitano de suoi tempi.” SANSOVINO
-“Di molto degno nome.” ROSCIO
-“Valente e notabele homo d’arme.” P. DI MATTIOLO
-“Famoso condottier d’armi.” LITTA
-“Anch’ei celebre Condottiere.” PIGNOTTI
-“Ciò che emerge (dalla sua biografia) è..la grande ambizione di un capitano di ventura, che si è saputo costruire un ruolo importante, divenendo rettore di alcune terre del Patrimonio della Chiesa.” CHIATTI
-“Inter militares duces ea tempestate celebris.” FACIO
-“Celebre condottieri d’armi, resosi famoso nella fine del secolo XIV e nel principio del XV secolo..Valoroso soldato e generale mediocre era più idoneo ad effettuare i progetti altrui che a formarne.” BOSI
-“Insignis illius temporis Dux.” F. ADAMI
-Con Mostarda da Forlì, Brandolino Brandolini, Paolo Orsini e Tommasino Crivelli “Nell’armi riescirono maestri espertissimi.” P. BONOLI
-Con Martino Polsort, Tommasino Crivelli, Fuzzolino Tedesco, Lancillotto Beccaria, Muzio Attendolo Sforza “Tutti capitani provatissimi e già in fama per coraggio e per valentia.” POGGIALI
-“Capitan valente.” CIMINELLO
-“Gran Capitano de suoi tempi.” M. MONALDESCHI
“Esperto condottiero d’infanteria e cavalleria.” TALLEONI
-“Un grande caporale..gran capitanio.” ZAMPOLINI
-“Famoso condottiero.” SANSI
-Con Muzio Attendolo Sforza e Micheletto Attendolo “Bravissimi ufiziali.” MAGRI
-“Muy famoso capitan.” ZURITA
“Altro celebre capitano.” AMIANI
-“Uno dei più valorosi condottieri del suo tempo.” GOZZADINI
-“Animoso e gagliardo.” MINUTI
-“Feroce capitano…/ L’altro fu quel valente paladino/ Tartaglia del Lavello, che sempre vinse,/ cavaliero valoroso ciesarino,/ Costui di tanto honor, fama si cinse,/ che non si fosse stata la lancia di Giuda/ storia di lui più degnia mai se pinse/…/ Questo franco signior tanto honorato,/ nato di dignia prole et sangue degnio,/ passato sì el seguio/ chi merita honore excielso et glorioso,/ da tucti li altri di pregio aprovato/ signior d’ogni virtù più copioso,/ eterno e glorioso,/ che si pò darli in arme il più felice stato,/ questi innanzi agli altri è honorato/…/ Seguì l’arte militare, in modo che al suo tempo per capitano trovò pochi che di gagliardia se li confacesse, per tucti li modi espettanti nel mestiere de l’arme, e per sua magna vertù fece cose meravigliose de laude e d’aquisto di signorie delle cittade, undici di vicariato; molti grandi honori ave e vittorie, con lialtà sempre.” BROGLIO
-“Uomo baldanzoso, mutevole, audace, buon soldato sotto eccellente capitano.” TARTAGLIA
-In uno scontro sotto il castello di Corciano “Il campo era d’intorno tutto unito/ A voler dentro entrar, onde il Tartaglia/ Nel fosso fu d’un verretton ferito.” SPIRITO
-“Di molto degno nome appo nemici.” CAPRIOLO
-“E’ uno dei più noti venturieri che vissero tra il secolo XIV e il secolo XV.” ARGEGNI
SPECIFIC BIOGRAPHIES
-P. Chiatti. La biografia del condottiero Angelo Tartaglia (ca.1370-1421)
