Konrad von Altinberg Mastering Medieval Mercenary Tactics
Corrado di Altinberg / Konrad von Achielberg. (Corrado di Altemberg, Hechsberg, Achillach, Aschillach, Achilberg, Attinberg, Heidelberg, Elchimbris, Echilberg, Alimberg). Of Hechilberg. Count.
Death: 1402 ca.
| Year, Month | State, Company of Fortune | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1374 | |||||
| Sept. | Company of Fortune | Siena | Tuscany | He plunders the Sienese territory with John Hawkwood. | |
| Dec. | Company of Fortune | Lucca | Umbria and Tuscany | In command of a thousand cavalry and as many infantry dismissed by the Florentines, he leaves Umbria heading towards the Pisan territory; he is directed to Lombardy to enter the service of Visconti. Along the way, some Guelph exiles from Lucca led by Giovanni degli Obizzi join his men. The soldiers cause much damage to the countryside. The Lucchese react. With the arrival of troops from Count Amadeus of Savoy and Enguerrand de Coucy (2000 cavalry and many infantry), he abandons the exiles to move away and head towards Sarzana, controlled by the Visconti. | |
| 1380 | |||||
| June | Durazzo | Naples | Marche | He is part of the Company of St. George of Alberico da Barbiano. With other captains, he promises Rodolfo da Varano not to molest his lands for fifteen months in exchange for 5000 florins. | |
| 1381 | |||||
| Spring | Company of Fortune | Romagna | He is in Romagna and forms a company of 2000 cavalry and 1000 infantry with Konrad von Landau (Corrado Lando), Il Boino, Angelino d’Austria, and Amerigo Unghero. With this company, he moves to the Marche region. | ||
| June | Siena | Company of Fortune | 618 cavalry | Tuscany | With Corrado Lando, Il Boino, and Giovanni degli Ubaldini, he confronts the Company of the Bretons, which has seized Montorio. |
| 1385 | |||||
| Camerino | Church | 1000 cavalry | Marche | He serves under the orders of Gentile da Varano. | |
| 1388 | |||||
| June | Company of Fortune | Tuscany | |||
| July | Florence | Milan | Tuscany | He does not want to submit to the orders of John Hawkwood. The Florentines have to intervene to prevent further devastations on the Sienese border. | |
| Dec. | Church | Company of Fortune | Marche | He is hired by the rector of the Marche to counter the company of Boldrino da Panicale. He stations his forces in the territory of Camerino. The salaries of his company are to be paid for two months by Gentile di Berardo da Varano, who has come to terms with the papal forces around the same time. | |
| 1389 | |||||
| Jan. | Company of Fortune | Siena | Tuscany | He devastates the Sienese territory with Bernardo della Sala, John Hawkwood, and Corrado Lando. | |
| Mar. | Antipope | Church, Siena | 1000 cavalry | Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Tuscany | At the end of the Church’s conflict with Ascoli Piceno, he penetrates the Marche and reconciles with Boldrino da Panicale. He returns to Tuscany and escorts a convoy of supplies to Orvieto, which is suffering from famine. With Bernardon de la Salle (Bernardo della Sala), he attacks Francesco da Montemarte in Benano and devastates Castelpeccio. He moves into the Sienese territory and later returns to devastate Fabro and Selci. He demands money from Francesco da Montemarte to desist from his actions and receives 165 florins. He assists Bertoldo Farnese against Bertoldo Orsini, who has seized the fortress of Vallocchia. He intervenes with Corrado Prospero and forces the adversary to leave the fortress. Later, with Niccolò Orsini and Bernardo della Sala, he aids the defenders of Farnese; Bertoldo Orsini is again forced to desist. |
| Apr. | Company of Fortune | Siena | Tuscany | He allies with Rinaldo Orsini to plunder the Sienese territory. | |
| May | Antipope, Exiles | Church, Siena | Umbria and Marche | He returns to besiege Benano; with Bernardo della Sala, he devastates the territories of Castel Peccio (San Michele in Teverina), Fabro, and Selci. Francesco da Montemarte gives him 165 florins. In mid-month, he joins Bernardo della Sala to devastate the Sienese territory alongside local exiles led by Spinello Tolomei. In Siena, the government decides to imprison all members of the Tolomei family, fines them 6000 florins, and executes two members. The others remain in prison, all suspected of plotting to seize power in the city. | |
| June | Umbria | At the end of the month, he signs a pact with the commune of Perugia, committing himself not to damage its territory during his company’s march. | |||
| Oct. | Florence | Tuscany | He is hired by the Florentines. He signs an agreement in which he obliges himself not to attack their territories and those of the republic’s allies for three months. With Bernardo della Sala, he conducts an incursion into Sienese territory. He complains to the Florentines because his salary is lower than that of John Hawkwood. | ||
| 1390 | |||||
| Apr.–May | Florence | Tuscany | He camps near Cortona. His men suffer from a lack of provisions and disperse into nearby territories in search of food and forage for their horses. In mid-May, he goes to Florence. | ||
| Aug. | Florence | Siena | Tuscany | He conducts raids in the Sienese territory. | |
| 1391 | |||||
| Aug. | Tuscany | The Florentines grant him their citizenship. | |||
| 1392 | |||||
| Nov. | Marche | He is contacted by Angelino d’Austria to enter the service of Ladislaus of Anjou. | |||
| 1393 | |||||
| Company of Fortune | Umbria | He camps in the territory of Perugia with Biordo dei Michelotti and Azzo da Castello. | |||
| May | Umbria | He is invited by the Florentines not to molest the territory of Città di Castello. | |||
| Nov. | Florence | Tuscany | He is hired along with other mercenary companies by the Florentines to prevent him from raiding Tuscany with his men. He promises not to invade or damage the territories of Lucca and Pisa in exchange for 480 florins. To pay him, Lucca increases taxes on provisions and imposes new taxes on dowries, division of goods, and sale of animals. | ||
| 1394 | |||||
| June | Marche | He is in Castelfidardo at the signing of peace preliminaries between Pandolfo Malatesta, the inhabitants of Osimo, and the da Varano (represented by Corrado di Altinberg) on one side, and the inhabitants of Jesi, Ancona, and Cingoli on the other. | |||
| July | Company of Fortune | Pisa, Siena | Tuscany | With Biordo dei Michelotti and Azzo da Castello, he moves against Jacopo d’Appiano, the new lord of Pisa. In his company serve many Pisan exiles like former lord Priamo Gambacorta, Dino dalla Rocca, and the dell’Agnello family. D’Appiano turns to Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who sends him 400 cavalry. The mercenaries settle for 10,000 florins (against the initial request of 20,000) and withdraw. The lord of Pisa can then dismiss the Visconti troops. | |
| Aug. | Company of Fortune | Forlì | Tuscany and Romagna | At the invitation of the Florentines, the spoils are taken to Sansepolcro, Citerna, and Anghiari. The company then moves towards Romagna against Forlì and all those who refuse to pay the mercenaries a ransom. At the end of the incursions, he travels through Forlì with the other two captains: Corrado di Altinberg heads to Ravenna, Azzo da Castello to Ferrara, and Biordo dei Michelotti returns to Perugia with his brother Ceccolino. | |
| Siena | Tuscany | ||||
| Oct. | Florence | 200 lances | Tuscany | He is granted a salary of 150 florins per month. | |
| 1395 | |||||
| Jan. | Florence | Company of Fortune | Tuscany | He opposes the company of Ceccolo Broglia and Brandolino Brandolini in the territory of Arezzo. | |
| Mar. | Florence | Cunio | 200 lances | Romagna | He is sent by the Florentines with his company and 125 infantry to assist Niccolò III d’Este following threats to the marquisate from Azzo d’Este. Under the orders of Astorre Manfredi, lord of Faenza, he confronts the troops of Azzo d’Este and Giovanni da Barbiano. |
| Apr. | Romagna | He moves from Faenza with Ugo di Monforte (600 cavalry); with a night march, he crosses the territories of Barbiano and Lugo. Through Argenta, he reaches Consandolo where he joins the rest of the Este troops. He defeats Conselice da Barbiano and forces him to retreat to Portomaggiore. He compels the enemy captain to surrender after a bloody battle. Following the defeat, Azzo d’Este surrenders to him along with Conselice da Barbiano, Lancillotto Montecuccoli, and Ato di Rodiglia. | |||
| Romagna | He besieges Barbiano; Gian Galeazzo Visconti uses his influence and convinces him to desist. The Florentines grant him their citizenship. | ||||
| June | Florence | Forlì | Romagna | He is sent to Romagna. He camps near Castrocaro Terme, a location purchased by the Florentines for 11,000 florins but which the castellan refuses to surrender. He builds two bastions and begins to besiege the fortress. | |
| Aug. | Romagna | Some soldiers from the fortress manage to reach Forlì. Pino and Cecco Ordelaffi hire Ceccolo Broglia and Brandolino Brandolini. These captains head towards Oriolo dei Fichi to set an ambush. Corrado di Altinberg immediately leaves the camp with 300 cavalry and rides towards Faenza to aid his soldiers. At Oriolo dei Mille Fichi, there is a skirmish; Altinberg is put to flight, and the banners of his company are captured. Many Florentines are also captured and taken to Forlì. | |||
| Nov. | Tuscany | He is dismissed by the Florentines. He leaves Tuscany to enter the service of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. | |||
| 1396 | |||||
| May | Milan | Tuscany | In mid-month, he is in Florence with Giovanni da Thiene to stipulate a truce with the Florentines on behalf of the lord of Milan. | ||
| 1397 | |||||
| Milan | Mantua | Lombardy and Emilia | He fights in the Mantuan territory against Francesco Gonzaga with Jacopo dal Verme. He obtains Suzzara, devastates the countryside of Quistello, and unsuccessfully assaults its castle. He moves under Luzzara; he crosses the Mincio River with 300 cavalry and 1000 infantry and surprises the inhabitants of Castellucchio while they are grazing their sheep. Bartolomeo Gonzaga exits the fortress and puts his men to flight, capturing 60 cavalry and 120 infantry. | ||
| June | Lombardy | He supports Jacopo dal Verme and Ugolotto Biancardo in the siege of Borgoforte. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He is wounded in the battle of Borgoforte. He occupies Marcaria and alerts the Visconti camp of a possible attack by Ugo di Monforte, his old friend. Monforte asks for a meeting and challenges him to a duel because he feels offended by certain expressions. Corrado di Altinberg does not accept the challenge and takes refuge among his own men. With dal Verme, he obtains Luzzara and Suzzara through a treaty. | |||
| Aug. | Lombardy | After the battle of Governolo, he devastates the Mantuan territory with more than 1500 cavalry. | |||
| 1398 | |||||
| Feb. | 300 lances | Tuscany | He escorts to Pisa Antonio Porro and the bishop of Novara, Pietro Visconti, to prevent peace negotiations between Jacopo d’Appiano, the Florentines, and the Lucchese, and to secure the release of Paolo Savelli, imprisoned by the Appiano for attempting to seize the city with the help of some inhabitants. | ||
| May | Tuscany | He is reconfirmed by Gian Galeazzo Visconti and is assigned to the guard of Pisa. | |||
| 1399 | |||||
| Jan. | Tuscany | He supports Gherardo d’Appiano in the lordship of Pisa during some riots. | |||
| Feb. | Tuscany | In mid-month, the citadel and the city of Pisa are handed over to Corrado di Altinberg, Antonio Porro, and the bishop of Novara by the Appiano family. | |||
| July | Milan | Florence | 1500 cavalry | Tuscany | He returns to the defense of Pisa and opposes the Florentines. The Duke of Milan recommends that he not damage the Sienese territory. At the end of the month, he sends his representative, Egidio d’Assisi, to Siena to handle some of his affairs. |
| Aug. | Tuscany | He takes possession of Siena on behalf of Visconti with the bishop of Novara, Balzarino Pusterla, Franchino Crivelli, Guido da Bagno, and Pietro Suardi. | |||
| Sept. | Tuscany | The Council of Siena unanimously approves the passage of the city under the lordship of the Visconti. | |||
| Nov.–Dec. | Tuscany | He confronts the Florentines on the Pisan coast. | |||
| 1401 | |||||
| Nov. | Marshal | Tuscany | He is conferred the title of ducal marshal. He has the command of 100 lances. The accommodations of his company are at the expense of the Sienese. | ||
| 1402 | |||||
| June | Tuscany | ||||
| He probably dies in the same year. He is buried in the cathedral of Siena. |
Sources
-“Egregius hostilium copiarum Dux.. Viro impigerrimo.” PLATINA
Immagine in evidenza: wikipedia
