The Controversial Figure of Cola di Monforte in Renaissance History
Italian CondottieriThe Controversial Figure of Cola di Monforte in Renaissance History
This condottiero is portrayed by French historians, such as Philippe de Commynes, as the quintessential image of the treacherous Neapolitan mercenary leader. This view has been further popularized by Walter Scott, as well as by playwrights and novelists. Italian historians, however—most notably Benedetto Croce in one of his essays—interpret his actions quite differently, offering justification for his defection. Most significantly, they point to the fact that, despite such accusations, the famously cautious Republic of Venice later appointed him as Captain General in a war against the Turks.
Portrait of Count Cola Monforte by A. Trombetta
Indice delle Signorie dei Condottieri:A – B – C – D – E – F – G – I – J – L – M – N – O – P – Q – R – S – T – U – V – Z
Cola di Monforte: Villain or Hero in the Eyes of History
Cola di Monforte/Cola di Campobasso (Niccolò di Monforte, Cola Gambatesa, Count Cola) of Naples.
Count of Campobasso and Termoli. Lord of Campobasso, Termoli, Gambatesa, Serracapriola, Campodipietra, Pontelandolfo, Montorio nei Frentani, Celenza Valfortore, Fragneto Monforte, Ripalimosani, Apricena, Mirabello Sannitico, Pesco Sannita, Pietrelcina, Tufara, Ferrazzano, Campomarino, Castellino del Biferno, Monacilioni, Castelvetere in Val Fortore, Oratino, and Commercy. Father of Angelo di Monforte and Giovanni di Monforte, nephew of Carlo di Campobasso, and son-in-law of Paolo di Sangro.
Born: 1415 Death: 1478, July
Year, Month
State, Company
Opponent
Contract
Area of Activity
Actions Taken and Other Activities
……………….
For fear of contracting leprosy like his father, he turns to a seafaring life, which, according to the medical thinking of the time, is considered an excellent antidote to prevent such a disease. He equips a corsair ship against the Turks. In his first war expedition, after a long and bloody battle, he manages to capture an Ottoman galley.
1450
Molise
Upon the death of his father Angelo di Monforte Gambatesa, he inherits the most substantial portion of his family’s feudal estates, including lands in Molise and the castles of Mirabello Sannitico and Tufara from his grandfather Riccardo.
Nov.
Molise
He marries Altobella, daughter of Paolo di Sangro, Duke of Torremaggiore, in Civitacampomarano. His wife brings a dowry that includes the castle of Ferrazzano. The marriage was arranged by his father Cola in 1447.
1452
Naples
Florence
Tuscany
He leaves L’Aquila following Ferrante d’Aragona, Duke of Calabria, to fight the Florentines in Tuscany.
1456
Molise
He must face the devastation caused by an earthquake that struck Campania. He immediately begins the reconstruction of Campobasso, aiming to entirely rebuild it by relocating the settlement to the valley, erecting a new castle, and raising new and wider city walls.
1457
He is pardoned by the King of Naples Alfonso d’Aragona along with his uncle Carlo di Campobasso for any crimes committed in the past.
1458
Naples
Genoa
Liguria
He operates in the Ligurian waters with the Aragonese fleet against the Genoese.
June
Campania
Upon hearing of the death of Alfonso d’Aragona, his galley is the first to set course for Naples.
July
Campania
He swears allegiance to the new sovereign Ferrante d’Aragona.
Aug.
He is given command of three galleys, his own and two others belonging to Francesco d’Ortona and the royal counselor and secretary Matteo di Giovanni.
Oct.
Cola di Monforte‘s galley participates in acts of piracy against some Florentine ships. The king instructs Admiral Bernardo Villamarina to punish the guilty parties but advises him not to touch the men of Monforte.
Dec.
Abruzzi
He is appointed Governor of Abruzzi.
1459
Abruzzi
He attempts to mediate peace between the Duke of Sora and his brother.
Spring
Molise
Succeeds his uncle Carlo in the county of Termoli with the castles of Campomarino and Apricena in Apulia. During his rule, he mints some coins theoretically in silver and copper, but in reality, they are an alloy of iron and copper, superficially silvered. The coins are circulated in Campobasso (his direct domain) and San Severo (his father-in-law’s fief).
Sept.
Naples
Anjou
33 lances
He gathers 400 foot soldiers on behalf of Ferrante d’Aragona. He is granted a contract for 33 lances.
Nov.
Molise
He rushes to aid the defenders of the castle of Macchiagodena, threatened by Antonio Caldora.
Dec.
Anjou
Naples
Abruzzi
He requests to be relieved of his office as governor, citing the need to protect his possessions, which, he claims, are threatened by Caldora. He is granted his request; the king Ferrante invites him to join the camp with the Aragonese forces and to coordinate with the grand seneschal Ignazio di Guevara. However, he soon defects with Boffillo del Giudice, Ruggero Accrocciamuro, and Jacopo Galeota. On Christmas Eve, with Antonio Caldora and Giacomo Montagano, he descends into Terra di Lavoro leading 900 cavalry to join the forces of Giovanni d’Angiò. Matteo da Capua moves against him immediately.
1460
Puglia
With Giovanni d’Angiò; he crosses his own territories and fights alongside him. During the same period, the King of Naples orders the seizure of his houses in the capital, which are donated to Antonio d’Accio, captain of the royal demesne.
Spring
Puglia
He obtains the fortress of Lucera from Luigi Minutolo. His lands are ravaged by Aragonese forces.
May
Molise
His lands, especially in the county of Campobasso, are attacked by his enemies.
Aug.
Campania
After the defeat of the Aragonese at Sarno, he signs the appeal of the rebellious barons to Pope Pius II asking him to abandon the alliance with the King of Naples.
He reacts violently to a suspected conspiracy against him by supporters of Ferrante d’Aragona: he imprisons the abbot of San Giorgio of Benevento, who had taken refuge with him months earlier, and hangs the abbot’s brother, the noble Gorone, with his own hands.
Aug.
Campania and Puglia
The Aragonese manage to enter Capitanata through the passes of Irpinia: he is forced to move there with Ercole d’Este. Now begins the attack by the King of Naples, with reinforcements received from Francesco Sforza and the papal forces.
Sept.
Campania
Under the threat of artillery, Pietrelcina, Pesco Sannita, Pontelandolfo, and Fragneto Monforte surrender to the enemies under terms. Cola di Monforte moves to Terra di Lavoro at the head of five squadrons of cavalry.
Oct.
Campania
He supports Giovanni d’Angiò with Jacopo Galeota, Giacomo Montagano, Orso Orsini, the Count of Avellino, and the Baron of Torella.
Nov.
Campania
In difficulties. He is at Atripalda with Ercole d’Este. He heads for Guardia Lombardi where the men of Antonio Caldora and Montagano are located. He is confronted by Giovanni Conti and Antonello dal Borgo. He is in trouble; from this month until the following January, military operations are interspersed with separate peace negotiations, through which Monforte, Giacomo Montagano, and Carlo di Sangro essentially aim to buy time.
1462
Campania
He seems inclined to surrender to the Aragonese: in return, he asks for the castle of San Martino, which belongs to the Count of Ariano Ignazio di Guevara. The outcome is negative.
June
Campania
He still commands five squads of cavalry. His lands are plundered by Alessandro Sforza.
Aug.
Puglia
He returns to his territories following the loss of Accadia by the Angevins.
Sept.
Campania
He refuses to surrender after the defeat suffered by Anjou at Troia; Sforza continues his operations against him. Monforte participates in a war council in Trani with Anjou, Jacopo Piccinino, and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta.
Oct.
Puglia and Molise
Serracapriola (not the castle) surrenders to Roberto da San Severino; Apricena also falls into the hands of the adversaries, who take possession of many provisions. Twenty of his men-at-arms and some infantry are also captured. Monforte retreats to Campobasso with Carlo Baglioni.
Nov.
Campania and Abruzzi
He loses San Martino and Montorio nei Frentani. He participates in a war council with Jacopo Piccinino, the Prince of Rossano and Duke of Sessa Marino di Marzano, and the Duke of Sora Giovanpaolo Cantelmi.
Dec.
482 cavalry
Campania
Excluded from potential peace negotiations, he is attacked in Pontelatone by Alessandro Sforza.
1463
Jan. Apr.
Puglia
San Severo rebels against the Aragonese. Cola di Monforte enters the city and organizes its defense.
May June
Puglia
He defends Lucera from attacks by Alessandro Sforza: he takes many citizens hostage to ensure their loyalty. He brings a large quantity of wheat into the city. In July, the inhabitants surrender to Sforza.
Aug.
Puglia
He threatens Apricena. His lands suffer numerous raids by Alessandro Sforza.
1464
Campania
The situation becomes desperate. Giovanni d’Angiò retreats to the island of Ischia; Cola di Monforte fortifies himself with Jacopo Galeota in Campobasso. He faces severe financial difficulties, forcing him to sell a possession to a doctor and the fief of Gambatesa to an aunt. Eventually, he is attacked by the Duke of Atri Giulio Antonio Acquaviva.
May June
Naples
Ottoman Empire
Friuli and Croatia
The Aragonese forcefully attack Campobasso.
July
Molise, Emilia, and Lombardy
He locks himself in the fortress of Termoli. After unsuccessful attempts to resume the fight by sending messengers to Giovanni d’Angiò (who are intercepted), he has no choice but to surrender under terms. Distrusting Ferrante d’Aragona, he leaves his family behind and embarks at Termoli, leaving the Kingdom of Naples for good; he arrives in Rimini, is reported in Bologna, where he meets Piccinino, to whom he unsuccessfully asks for a loan. He seeks refuge in the Mantovano, at Revere; aided by Ludovico Gonzaga, he is joined there by his wife and sons Angelo and Giovanni.
Nov.
Lombardy
In Mantua. He recommends to Gonzaga a servant of Jacopo Galeota.
1465
France
He takes refuge in Provence at the court of Giovanni d’Angiò. He is accompanied by Boffillo del Giudice and Jacopo Galeota.
Apr.
Lombardy
He travels to Mantua to visit his sick wife and children. He requests a loan from Jacopo Piccinino, who gives him 100 ducats. He falls ill, possibly with malaria, in the castle of Revere.
Aug.
Anjou
France
France
He fights for Giovanni d’Angiò against King Louis XI of France in the War of the Public Weal. He joins the army of the Count of Charolais and Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold with 900 men-at-arms, including 120 veterans of the Italian wars. He attacks Paris; the Treaty of Conflans ends the war.
1467
Anjou
King of Aragon
France and Spain
He becomes a counselor to René d’Anjou. He participates in the campaign for Catalonia’s autonomy, which strives to be independent of the King of Aragon. He fights in Spain with his two sons; his lieutenant is Captain Barnaba Lancillotto.
Aug.
Spain
Giovanni d’Angiò camps at Girona and clashes with the heir to the throne, the future King Ferdinand the Catholic: Cola di Monforte is defeated alongside René of Lorraine and Galeota.
1469
Lazio and Spain
In Italy on behalf of René d’Anjou. He is tasked with inducing Pope Paul II to support the Angevin cause in Catalonia.
1470
Spain
The conflict in Spain continues even after the death of Giovanni d’Angiò.
1471
Oct.
Spain
He serves under the Duke of Lorraine. The inhabitants of Barcelona charge him with recovering Cadaques. The enemies occupy Girona; the Count of Paredes defeats him with Boffillo del Giudice on the river Bejes.
1472
Apr.
Spain
He enters Barcelona; with French lances, he routs the Aragonese guard near Paredes: King John of Aragon is narrowly saved from capture. He seizes the entire artillery park of the enemy army, valued at 12,000 ducats.
July
France
He rushes to defend Roussillon. He returns to René d’Anjou and his nephew, the new Duke of Calabria Nicholas d’Anjou: he is granted the lordship of Commercy in the Bar on the Lorraine border.
Nov.
France
He enters Nancy solemnly with Charles the Bold. Other fiefs are granted to Cola di Monforte and his son Giovanni.
1476
Jan.
France and Spain
Dissatisfied with the situation, especially with the presence in Burgundy of the son of the King of Naples, Federico d’Aragona, he requests leave from the Duke for a journey to Spain (a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela).
Feb.
Burgundy
Swiss Cantons
Switzerland
Recalled, he fights alongside Charles the Bold in the disastrous Battle of Grandson.
Apr.
France
He travels to Brittany to visit Duke Francis, to whom he feels bound by ties of kinship. He is received with all honors and is given a sum of money: he vents his frustrations about Charles the Bold for neglecting him.
May Sept.
France
He likely has contacts with the King of France, especially when Dunois, governor of the Dauphiné, is ordered to release a messenger from whom some of his letters had been taken. There is also talk of his contacts with Louis XI through a physician, Simone da Pavia, who works at court: Monforte asks for 20,000 scudi, a county in France equivalent to Campobasso in terms of annual income, and a contract for 400 lances; in exchange, according to French sources, he is ready to defect to the French camp after killing or capturing Charles the Bold.
Oct.
France
He besieges Nancy. The Duke of Burgundy halts at Pont-à-Mousson and withdraws to Thionville and Luxembourg to rest with his entire court. Monforte remains at the siege of the city, preventing it from being resupplied. During this time, the foundations for his desertion from the Burgundian camp are laid: contemporary accounts and testimonies are scarce and unreliable. They range from the impossibility of collecting the sums owed to him to accusations of ingratitude and indifference, to an insult, a slap, inflicted on him by Charles the Bold in a fit of anger. During the siege of Nancy, Siffredo di Baschi (Sifron of Commynes) is captured by the Burgundians; he intended to reach the Duke of Lorraine in the city out of friendship. Baschi is brought before the Duke of Burgundy, who orders his hanging. Cola di Monforte and Jacopo Galeota, who knew Baschi well as a friend from their time in Provence, vainly intercede on his behalf. The Duke remains firm in his decision. Monforte courageously addresses the Burgundian, informing him that the act would have consequences on prisoners in the hands of the Lorrainers: Charles the Bold slaps him. Siffredo di Baschi is hanged, and the Duke of Lorraine exacts fierce reprisals on the Burgundian prisoners, who are hanged on the battlements. According to Monforte‘s detractors, it was he who had Siffredo di Baschi hanged for being involved in a conspiracy against Charles the Bold.
Nov.
France
In early November, everything is ready for the siege of Nancy: some captains, including Monforte, advise Charles the Bold to suspend the operation due to the harsh weather and to resume operations in the spring. The Duke of Burgundy ignores their advice. In one of many war councils, he accuses Monforte, a proponent of a more cautious strategy, of being a coward.
Dec.
France
He sends his ambassadors to Commercy to negotiate with some Frenchmen; he himself goes to Saint-Nicolas-de-Port to speak with the Lorrainers.
1477
Jan.
Lorraine
Burgundy
France
He switches allegiance to the Duke of Lorraine. Four days before the Battle of Nancy, he leaves the camp and takes with him 180 men-at-arms; two days later, his sons Angelo and Giovanni follow with another 120 lances. All declare their service to the King of France, then in a truce with the Duke of Burgundy. Cola di Monforte plans to present himself at Nancy to the Duke of Lorraine, takes the road to Vaindoevre, and at Saint-Nicolas-de-Port changes uniform; from the Cross of St. Andrew, he switches to the Cross of Jerusalem, symbol of the Duke of Lorraine. He meets René of Lorraine, asks for the reconfirmation of the castle of Commercy, and undertakes to close the Bouxières bridge and occupy Condé, thereby cutting off any possible retreat for the Burgundian army. His prediction comes true; the Swiss win easily, and Charles the Bold dies on the battlefield. The fleeing Burgundians head for Thionville and Luxembourg, only to find their path blocked by Cola di Monforte‘s men; caught from behind by the Swiss, they seek escape by jumping into the river. More than half of the dead are from drowning or from being killed in the water by the Swiss. Despised and rejected by the Duke of Lorraine’s Germans, Monforte takes refuge in Condé-sur-Northen near Metz.
Mar.
He is contacted by the Venetians to switch to their service: he makes great demands, which prolong negotiations with Francesco Querini.
Apr. June
Piedmont
He finds himself without a contract and returns to Italy. He crosses territories controlled by William of Monferrato with permission. In Alessandria, he asks for passage to Lombardy from the Duke of Milan. The answer is negative. He then has his men move in small groups towards Venetian territory (400 cavalry and 300 infantry and crossbowmen).
July Sept.
482 cavalry
Lombardy and Veneto
He goes to Milan; his men-at-arms are denied passage. He is in the Brescia area; from there, he goes to Venice to be heard by the Council of Sages. He is granted a contract for 500 cavalry for two years of service and one of respect; four constables and five artillery masters (bombardiers) who have served under him are also hired. René d’Anjou recommends him to the Venetians, maintaining his esteem despite the incidents with Charles the Bold and the rumors surrounding them. In Brescia, he is joined by his son Angelo, who also seeks a condottiere contract in Italy. Also in the same month, he conducts an initial review of his men in Brescia, which does not make a good impression on the provveditore Lorenzo Loredan. The first impression is poor both in terms of equipment and the horses, which are too thin due to the long journey. The troops are scattered in the hinterland to avoid burdening the city’s inhabitants.
Nov.
408 cavalry
Veneto and Friuli
After ten days, he parades 482 of the 500 cavalry provided for in the contract in the Piazza del Duomo in Brescia: the entire company is newly equipped with weapons purchased in the Brescia area. The review, followed by military exercises, is such that Lorenzo Loredan changes his initial assessment.
1478
Jan.
Venice
Ottoman Empire
Friuli
At Conegliano, during the review of his men. Many of them have deserted, so Cola di Monforte tries to avoid the inspection. Lorenzo Loredan insists on reviewing everything that remains of his company and finds only 408 cavalry. The Senate orders that he be paid for the entire company due to the war’s necessities. He returns to Friuli; he is joined by the provveditore Vittore Soranzo, who recommends that he obtain experienced scouts to monitor the movements of the enemies day by day. Over 1,000 men-at-arms, 1,000 mounted crossbowmen, and another 1,000 light cavalry are sent to reinforce him.
Feb.
Friuli
He is given the money for a payment.
Apr.
Friuli
The Serenissima spares no praise for his work. He, Deifobo dell’ Anguillara, Antonello da Forlì (if he switches to the Venetian side), and Galeotto da San Severino are given command of a quarter of the broken lances that have already served under Bartolomeo Colleoni.
May
Venice
Ottoman Empire
Friuli and Croatia
He is replaced in command by Carlo di Montone. He is tasked with inspecting Castelnuovo and other locations in Istria.
July
Veneto
He dies in mid-month, possibly of plague, in Padua. Other sources say he died in Friuli out of grief for the Turkish raids he failed to counter. The company passes to the command of his sons.
Sources
-“Il nome del conte di Campobasso suona non altrimenti che quello di Iago..sempre che si viene a narrare la rovina e la morte del duca di Borgogna, Carlo il Temerario. E con colori molto neri..la sua figura d’insigne traditore fu dipinta da drammaturghi e romanzieri, e fra questi da Walter Scott, il quale, accennandola di scorcio nel Quintino Durward (1823) e disegnandola spiegatamente nell’Anne of Geierstein (1829), le ha conferito popolarità e le ha procacciato, da parte d’innumeri e ingenue anime di lettori, odio, disprezzo e quelle imprecazioni che alle labbra salgono proprio dai precordi.” CROCE
-“E’ Walter Scott a far notare che “non vi è tradimento immaginabile da mente umana che il suo corpo e la sua anima non siano disposti a commettere”, ma l’abbandono della causa borgognona da parte di Cola di Monforte nella vicenda di un soldato che aveva sempre osservato la lealtà costituì un momento eccezionale.” MALLETT
-“Homme de très-mauvaise foy et très périlleux.” COMMYNES
-“Valoroso capitano di militia.” ALBERTI
-“E’ da una ferma fama biasimato.” EMILI
-Con Jacopo Galeota “Passaient pour habiles capitaines.” DE BARANTE
-“Maudit soit-il qui fit la trahison!../Puis ordonné que aux chiens soit donné/ Le forsené comte de Campobasso,/ Les adherens et tous ceulx de sa race!” Da una canzone di ANONIMO coeva al preteso tradimento di Cola di Monforte
-“Uno dei più richiesti condottieri del tempo.” (Contatto con l’ambasciatore sforzesco in Borgogna (maggio 1475) alla ricerca di una condotta nel ducato di Milano) “Era il primo segno di un disagio destinato a crescere e che nasceva, anche, da una scarsa condivisione delle strategie militari adottate dal duca (accordate ad un’impulsività tattica insociabile con il pragmatico tecnicismo del costume bellico italiano) e della brutalità con la quale il Temerario teneva la disciplina in campo, di cui più volte fecero le spese le truppe italiane.” STORTI
-“Uomo di molta autorità.” TOMACELLI CAPECE
-“Everardo Gothein in “Il Rinascimento nell’Italia Meridionale scrive a proposito dei condottieri napoletani in Francia presso Giovanni d’Angiò e Carlo il Temerario: “Dal paese loro abbiamo notizia solamente dei loro splendidi fatti d’arme, non dei loro tradimenti, schiettamente italiani.” Orbene, il recentissimo così ampiamente documentato scritto del Croce, “Un condottiero italiano del Quattrocento, Cola di Monforte conte di Campobasso e la fede storica del Commynes”.. mentre da un lato riconferma l’importanza e il valore delle armi italiane nelle guerre d’oltralpe di tale periodo, riduce alle sue vere proporzioni questa defezione.. Significativo anche il fatto che dopo Nancy il prudentissimo governo veneziano prendesse ai suoi servizj il Campobasso e lo onorasse della massima fiducia. Questi era in realtà assai più che un traditore, l’espressione di una prassi di guerra destinata ormai fatalmente a tramontare.” PIERI
