Power and intrigue in Tiberto Brandolini’s military career
Tiberto Brandolini (Tiberto da Forlì, Tiberto da Bagnacavallo)
Originating from Bagnacavallo. Count.
Lord of Valmareno, Castelnuovo Fogliani, Lusurasco, Saliceto, Noceto, Calestano, and Castell’Arquato. He was the son of Brandolino Brandolini, father of Leonello Brandolini and Sigismondo Brandolini, and brother of Cicco Brandolini and Ettore Brandolini. His brothers-in-law included Taddeo Manfredi, Giovanni Antonio di Gattamelata, and Antonio da Marciano. He was also the son-in-law of Gattamelata and Guidantonio Manfredi.
Born: 1414
Death: 1462, September
| Year, Month | State, Comp. ventura | Opponent | Command | Area of Activity | Actions Undertaken and Other Salient Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1427 | Venice | Milan | 14 lances | ||
| 1432 | |||||
| Mar. | Marries Polissena Romagnola, daughter of Gattamelata (dowry of 600 ducats). As a result of the marriage, he adds his father-in-law’s insignia to his own coat of arms with the heraldic motto “impavidum fenent,” meaning “condottiero without fear.” | ||||
| 1434 | |||||
| Aug. | Venice | Milan | Emilia | He is taken prisoner by Niccolò Piccinino at Castel Bolognese on the Sanguinario stream. | |
| 1437 | Venice | Milan | Emilia and Lombardy | He continues to fight the Visconti under the orders of Gattamelata; he replaces him in command with Gentile da Leonessa during Gattamelata’s absence due to illness. | |
| 1438 | |||||
| ….. | Veneto | He follows the proveditor Andrea Donato under Monte Baldo. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He defends Brescia. He lodges his lances in the Borgo di San Giovanni. | |||
| Oct. | Lombardy and Veneto | He supports Gattamelata in his retreat from Brescia toward Verona through Val Sabbia, the Chiese Valley, and the territory of Rovereto. | |||
| ….. | Veneto | He fortifies himself in Vicenza following Visconti pressure. | |||
| 1439 | |||||
| ….. | Veneto | From Montagnana, he moves with 300 cavalry to Malopera on the Adige, near Castelbaldo, where he prevents the landing of 1000 infantry of Gian Francesco Gonzaga, forcing them to withdraw to Sanguinetto. He then links up with the fleet of Marino Contarini and Ludovico da Molin: he attacks the ducal forces but is heavily defeated, with Contarini losing his life. He is seriously wounded in the left leg. | |||
| Nov. | Trentino | Under the orders of Francesco Sforza, he defeats the ducal troops at Tenno; he supports the captain in reconquering Verona and participates in the storming of the castle of San Felice. | |||
| 1440 | |||||
| ….. | Trentino | He regains Riva del Garda. | |||
| June | Lombardy | Under Francesco Sforza, he again defeats the Visconti at Soncino. | |||
| Oct. | The Marquis of Ferrara Niccolò d’Este confirms for him and his father Brandolino certain privileges over their assets located at Bagnacavallo. | ||||
| 1441 | |||||
| Feb. | Veneto | He is in Venice for the wedding of the doge Francesco Foscari’s son. | |||
| Mar. | Lombardy | With Gentile da Leonessa, he confronts Niccolò Piccinino. | |||
| Apr. | His condotta is renewed for six months. | ||||
| June | Lombardy | He joins Cristoforo da Tolentino and Bartolomeo Colleoni (2000 cavalry); he arrives at Pontoglio by night, takes the fortress, and captures Moretto da San Nazzaro with 40 cavalry. He subsequently penetrates the Bergamo area and lays siege to Martinengo. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He seizes Pontoglio with Bartolomeo Colleoni. | |||
| Dec. | 600 cavalry | His condotta is renewed for one year of active service plus one year of reserve, set at 400 cavalry in peacetime and 600 in wartime. | |||
| 1442 | |||||
| Sept. | He has his condotta confirmed for the year of reserve. | ||||
| 1443 | |||||
| ….. | Romagna | He is transferred to the Ravenna area. | |||
| July | Venice | Milan | Romagna and Emilia | He leaves Ravenna, passes Bagnolo, goes near Forlì, and through Castrocaro Terme arrives in the territory of Bologna with 1050 cavalry. With Guido Rangoni, he is sent to support the Bentivoglio. | |
| Aug. | Emilia | He besieges Tartaro da Perugia in the castle of Galliera, in Bologna; he forces him to surrender on terms against a deposit for him in Siena of 3500 ducats. He raids the territory near the capital with 300 cavalry and as many infantry, killing 16 enemies and capturing 20 horses. A few days later, with Simonetto da Castel San Pietro, he defeats 4000 cavalry led by Luigi dal Verme at San Giorgio di Piano. | |||
| Sept. | Venice | Church, Naples | Emilia and Romagna | He leaves Bologna and heads to Ravenna. From here, he moves to Fano with Guido Rangoni and Taddeo d’Este in order to help Francesco Sforza, who is besieged in the city by the troops of Pope Eugene IV and the Aragonese. At the end of the month, he is reported defending Rimini with Rangoni, at the head of 1200 cavalry and 200/400 Venetian infantry. | |
| Nov. | Romagna and Marche | He leaves San Giovanni in Marignano with Guido Rangoni, Taddeo d’Este, and Simonetto da Castel San Pietro; he arrives at the Foglia River and defeats the adversaries at Montelauro. | |||
| 1444 | |||||
| Winter | Marche | He winters at Montalboddo (Ostra) with Guido Rangoni. He passes through the territory of Rimini and goes back to Venetian lands. | |||
| 1445 | |||||
| June July | Venice | Milan | Emilia | He again moves in the Bologna area with Guido Rangoni when Annibale Bentivoglio is killed in the capital. Tiberto Brandolini reaches Cento and Pieve di Cento with 400 cavalry. In July, he enters Bologna. | |
| ….. | Florence | Milan | |||
| 1446 | |||||
| ….. | Venice | Milan | Emilia | He returns to the territory of Bologna with Taddeo d’Este. | |
| May | Emilia | He besieges San Giovanni in Persiceto with Taddeo d’Este, Pietro Navarrino, Simonetto da Castel San Pietro, and the Bolognese militias led by the commissioner Romeo Pepoli. The arrival of 1000 cavalry commanded by Carlo Gonzaga in support of the defenders causes him to fall back on Budrio. | |||
| July | Emilia and Lombardy | In the first days of the month, he raids the territory of Sant’Agata Bolognese. Following a skirmish, he is admitted with his cavalry into San Giovanni in Persiceto along with the infantry of Gregorio d’Anghiari, guided by Guglielmo di Monferrato, who has defected to the Venetian side. He captures most of Carlo Gonzaga’s horses; Gonzaga manages to escape with a small force to Modena. He then swiftly goes to aid Brescia, besieged by Francesco Piccinino. | |||
| Aug. | Lombardy | He reaches Manerbio, crosses the Oglio, and halts in Castel Bolognese with Taddeo d’Este, Guglielmo di Monferrato, Guido Rangoni, Jacopo Catalano, Cristoforo da Tolentino, and Gentile da Leonessa. He then heads to San Giovanni in Croce and Casalmaggiore. | |||
| Sept. | Lombardy | He joins Micheletto Attendolo and routs Francesco Piccinino on the Mezzano, an islet on the Po about a mile from Casalmaggiore. As booty, he is assigned 400 horses out of the 4000 seized by the Venetians. | |||
| Oct. | Lombardy | He besieges Luigi da San Severino in Crema. | |||
| Nov. | Lombardy | With Gentile da Leonessa, he crosses the Adda at Spino and establishes a bridgehead with 700 cavalry and 1300 infantry, enabling the construction of a pontoon bridge. The ducal troops intervene only late in the evening to counter the Venetians’ crossing of the river. A fierce nighttime battle on the right bank ends, after two hours, with the Visconti (including Luigi dal Verme, Luigi da San Severino, and the company of Bartolomeo Colleoni) fleeing. Six hundred cavalry are captured, along with Campanella and numerous recruits. The Venetians enter the territory of Bergamo. | |||
| 1447 | |||||
| ….. | Lombardy | He supports Micheletto Attendolo in his operations around Milan. | |||
| June | Lombardy | He is located under the walls of Milan; in the Borgo di Porta Romana, he is dubbed knight together with Giberto da Correggio, Ludovico Malvezzi, and Diotisalvi Lupi. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He moves into Brianza and besieges Lecco. | |||
| Aug. | Venice | Milan | Lombardy | He faces the troops of the Ambrosian Republic, established at the death of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti; he offers Francesco and Jacopo Piccinino dominion over Crema and Cremona to induce them to defect to Venice. | |
| Dec. | 800 cavalry | Lombardy | He winters in the Brescia area with his brother Ettore. | ||
| 1448 | |||||
| 1449 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He has his condotta renewed for one year of active duty and one of respect. He is tasked with guarding the fortress located on the Adda opposite Trezzo. | |||
| ….. | Lombardy | He still contrasts the forces of Francesco Sforza. | |||
| ….. | Venice | Milan | Lombardy | The Venetians ally with Sforza. With Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Cristoforo da Tolentino, and Jacopo Catalano, Tiberto Brandolini has a bridge built at Trezzo on the Adda in order to attack the Milanese. | |
| 1450 | |||||
| Apr. | Lombardy | He makes his way through Ghiaradadda and the Bergamo area with 700 cavalry. | |||
| Nov. | 254 lances and 100 infantry | At the close of the war, he has his condotta confirmed for the year of respect: 254 lances and 100 infantry, including 50 lances under the command of his brother Ettore. | |||
| 1451 | |||||
| May | Veneto | The Venetians order him to attack the forces of Bartolomeo Colleoni at Isola della Scala, fearing he might abandon their service for that of Francesco Sforza, now Duke of Milan. | |||
| ….. | The Venetians grant him some properties formerly owned by the Marzana. | ||||
| 1452 | |||||
| May | Venice | Milan | Lombardy | He is at the camp in Manerbio with 200 cavalry. He joins Carlo Gonzaga and Carlo di Montone, crosses the Adda via a pontoon bridge at Rivolta, and ravages the Milanese up to the Muzza Canal near Melzo, capturing a few strongholds by force. He withdraws, then stops near Orzinuovi with Jacopo Piccinino. | |
| June | Lombardy | Bartolomeo Colleoni, Bartolomeo Quartero, and Giacomo da Salerno come at him from Quinzano d’Oglio: he puts them to flight at Genivolta and takes 160 horses from them. | |||
| July | Lombardy | A war council decides to attack Casalbuttano, aided by Giovanni Pazzaglia. Colleoni attacks him at Genivolta, but he fends him off with the help of Giovan Francesco della Mirandola. Tiberto Brandolini is wounded once more and retreats with della Mirandola, as Pazzaglia’s infantry cover his withdrawal. | |||
| Oct. | Lombardy | He moves toward Leno with his brother Ettore; arrives at Porzano; helps Jacopo Piccinino against the Sforza troops. He is opposed by Colleoni, Donato del Conte, and Sasso; the Milanese arquebusiers slow the Venetians’ advance. | |||
| Nov. | Lombardy | He takes Offlaga with Antonello da Corneto and Anastasio da Sant’Angelo; attempts to occupy Manerbio, raids the lands around Calvisano, and advances on Asola, which is threatened by the enemy. Defeated, he returns to the Brescia area; between Gottolengo and Iseo he falls upon a supply column headed for the adversary’s camp. On the way back, he is surprised by the Sforzeschi, who recover part of the booty; his brother Ettore is mortally wounded. Gentile da Leonessa comes to his aid and puts the Milanese to flight. Some of his men-at-arms are accused of cowardice and discharged by the captain general Gentile da Leonessa, triggering a dispute between them regarding their respective military jurisdictions. This is further inflamed by the violent sack of Offlaga by his troops. He is granted winter quarters, which he refuses because they are unsuitable. Still in Nov., he reaches Montichiari with the captain general when the Venetians are challenged by Francesco Sforza to a pitched battle. The opponents withdraw without fighting; Tiberto Brandolini proceeds to Malpaga, then pulls back to Le Lame, where he is harassed by Sforza’s men. | |||
| Dec. | Lombardy | He prepares a night assault on Calvisano with 5000 men, but the troops mutiny; therefore, the proveditors in Crema instruct him to defend Abbadia Cerreto and nearby strongholds. In the final days of the year, he joins Carlo di Montone at Abbadia Cerreto; afterward he goes to Crema, from where he begins negotiations with Francesco Sforza that conclude in his changing sides. | |||
| 1453 | |||||
| Jan. | Milan | Venice | 1200 cavalry and 500 infantry | Emilia | He relocates to Mirandola for winter quarters with 2520 cavalry and transfers to the Duke of Milan’s pay, justifying his defection with Venice’s failure to renew his condotta. For this betrayal, his father Brandolino disinherits him in favor of his brother Cicco. |
| Mar. | Lombardy | He defeats Carlo Gonzaga for the first time at Castel d’Ario. | |||
| Apr. | Lombardy | He participates in defeating the Venetians at Manerbio. | |||
| May | Lombardy and Veneto | He leaves Ostiglia with Ludovico Gonzaga and bombards a bastion set between Ponte Molino and Roncanova; he levels it, attacks Nogara where Carlo Gonzaga is located, and takes Guido Benzoni prisoner. | |||
| June | Lombardy and Veneto | He is at Seniga; Francesco Sforza sends him 1000 cavalry and 1000 infantry as reinforcements. He heads for Goito, defeating Venetian troops between Mozzecane and Villanova in a 5-hour battle, capturing 1000 horses, 14 squad leaders, and some captains. Then he clashes with Antonello da Corneto at Alfianello with 3 cavalry companies and 200 infantry; he lays some fruitless ambushes for Jacopo Piccinino. He leaves the Mantuan territory with Ludovico Gonzaga, going to Carpenedolo and Ghedi; he raids the countryside all the way to the gates of Brescia, seizing abundant booty. | |||
| July | Lombardy | He moves toward Quinzano d’Oglio on hearing that Jacopo Piccinino has intercepted a convoy of 100 cavalry and 80 pairs of oxen laden with supplies for the enemy camp. He intercepts at Fornaci a group of peasants driving 100 pairs of oxen for the Venetian artillery. He captures a bastion and compels Antonello da Corneto and Carlo Gonzaga, who set off to rescue the besieged at Ghedi, to withdraw. He also makes many raids in the Brescia mountains, not always successfully. | |||
| Aug. | Lombardy | He is in charge of the tower of Montirone; clashing with Matteo da Capua and Antonello da Corneto, he is forced to take refuge inside. He organizes another foray in the upper Brescia area with six cavalry squadrons and many infantry. With Roberto da San Severino, he lies in ambush near Montirone to catch Jacopo Piccinino, who is forewarned by a deserter. He relentlessly attacks the adversary’s entrenched camp with San Severino, ravages the outskirts of Brescia, and ambushes supply convoys. He is wounded in the groin during a skirmish near Montirone but succeeds in freeing his squad leader Biagio da Bologna, previously captured by the Venetians. Together with Donato del Conte, Bartolomeo Quartero, and Giovanni da Varano, he leads a major assault on the Venetian camp at Ghedi: he crosses a marsh using the only paved roadway and reaches the enemy lodgings. He kills Paolo dalla Rossa with a lance, is wounded yet again, and the Sforza troops are pushed back after several hours. While pillaging pastureland, he is stopped by Matteo da Sant’Angelo; he defeats the enemy at Castelleone. | |||
| Sept. | Lombardy | He unites with the French troops of Renato d’Angiò to take Pontevico; he advances to Gambara and devastates the Brescia area. The Venetians try to eliminate him by hiring a poisoner, Anton Matteo da Iseo, to assassinate him. | |||
| Oct. | Lombardy | He beats Jacopo Piccinino once again near Ghedi; he attacks in vain Bordolano with eight cavalry squadrons and the troops of the House of Anjou, suffering heavy losses. | |||
| Dec. | Lombardy | Stationed in Marcaria with 40 squadrons of men-at-arms. He winters with his troops at Chiari. | |||
| 1454 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy and Emilia | At Orzinuovi. He crosses into lands belonging to the da Correggio, forcing them to submit to Francesco Sforza. | |||
| Mar. | Lombardy | Jacopo Piccinino and the Venetian proveditor Gerardo Dandolo occupy Travagliato; Tiberto Brandolini immediately recaptures the town, defended by a castellan with 100 infantry. | |||
| Apr. May | Milan | da Correggio, Monferrato | Emilia and Piedmont | Once peace is made with Venice, he is dispatched to Brescello. He compels the da Correggio to accept feudal dependence on Sforza; then he moves into Monferrato where he occupies many lands that previously belonged to the Duchy of Milan under Marquis Guglielmo. | |
| June | Emilia and Lombardy | He is tasked with punishing the inhabitants of the Val Nure, Fiorenzuola d’Arda, and Borgonovo Val Tidone for failing to pay taxes. Four hundred of his infantry cause unrest and looting, sacking various locations, particularly those of the Nicelli. Tiberto Brandolini negotiates with the Nicelli (who act on behalf of the Val Nure dwellers). He proceeds to Milan to set out the agreed terms, apparently allowing the debt to be paid in installments. | |||
| Aug. | Milan | Duke of Savoy | Piedmont | With Roberto da San Severino, he pillages certain Savoyard territories up to Vercelli. In three days, 1400 soldiers are killed. Bassignana, Biandrate, Valenza, Bremide, and other locales in the areas of Pavia and Novara revert to ducal control. He also acquires Borgosesia. | |
| Sept. Oct. | Emilia | As that conflict ends, 700 of his cavalry are quartered in the area of Piacenza, while the remainder are lodged around Fiorenzuola. | |||
| Nov. | He accepts the financial terms proposed by Sforza, which include a stipend of 18,000 ducats and billeting for 800 cavalry. | ||||
| Dec. | A conspiracy of his in Forlì, arranged with Ranieri Morattini, leader of the Forlì exiles (aiming to make him lord of the city), is uncovered: Cecco Ordelaffi goes to Forlimpopoli and arrests its castellan. All of Tiberto Brandolini’s properties in the Ordelaffi’s domain are confiscated. | ||||
| 1455 | |||||
| ….. | He frequently visits the courts of Carpi, Imola, Cesena, Modena, and Ferrara. His intense diplomatic activity employs both legitimate and illicit methods, with multiple schemes or attempts involving the lords and captains of central Italy. He is a friend of Manfredo Landi, lord of a dominion in the Piacenza Apennines, and of Niccolò Pallavicini. He contemplates taking power in Parma, Piacenza, or Cremona. He is often seen at his property in Crescenzago, where one of his mistresses resides. He also frequently attends the ducal court, as well as Milan’s factions. He reacts fiercely to any reduction in his condotta, and he bears poorly the constant refusals to grant him advances on his pay or loans. | ||||
| Nov. | Emilia | He is enfeoffed by the Duke of Milan with Castelnuovo Fogliani, Lusurasco, Saliceto di Chiaravalle, Bagnolo, and Noceto formerly belonging to Giacomo da Salerno, with Castell’Arquato once belonging to Bartolomeo Colleoni, and with Calestano taken from the Fieschi. His troops are quartered at the expense of the local communities between Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Caorso, and Castell’Arquato. He settles in Castell’Arquato, surrounded by a small court of chancellors, stewards, seneschals, stablemasters, and trumpeters. His upkeep mostly relies on borrowed money: for example, a substantial amount is owed to Count Francesco della Mirandola. | |||
| 1456 | |||||
| Jan. | He convinces the papal legate in Bologna to post at Forlì, on the doors of the Duomo and the church of San Mercuriale, a public summons ordering Cecco and Pino Ordelaffi to appear in Rome. | ||||
| Sept. | Emilia | In Piacenza, where he is lodged at the Bishop’s palace. The ducal commissioner Rossino Priori asks him for 100 infantry to combat illegal grain shipments from the Val Nure headed into the Genoese region. | |||
| 1457 | |||||
| Apr. | Lombardy | With his son Sigismondo, he greets Federico da Montefeltro in the Duchy of Milan. | |||
| 1458 | |||||
| Feb. | Emilia and Romagna | He heads to Bologna, where he is received with full honors by Sante Bentivoglio; his son Sigismondo marries Maria Antonia Bentivoglio. In the following days, Tiberto Brandolini travels to Imola and takes as his second wife Cornelia Manfredi, daughter of Guidantonio and sister of Taddeo. He returns to Bologna and to his possessions in the Piacenza area. His wife brings him a princely dowry, including very valuable items, which soon become collateral for bankers to finance his ambitious plans. Meanwhile, Sforza succeeds in placing a spy (likely the chancellor Gaspare Varesino) in his household, who informs the Duke of Milan of all that transpires. | |||
| ….. | Tiberto Brandolini keeps Jacopo Piccinino abreast of how the ducal court regards him. | ||||
| Aug. | Lombardy | He is granted Milanese nobility. In Milan, he resides in the parish of San Vittore al Teatro (in a home purchased from Fiasco da Giraso for 9000 imperial lire). | |||
| 1459 | |||||
| Jan. | Piedmont | He is sent to Novi Ligure, in the Alessandria area, with money and troops, secretly supporting the cause of Doge Pietro Fregoso in his conflict against the French. | |||
| Feb. | Milan | Genoa | Liguria | He breaks into the Genoese territory controlled by the French with large forces. | |
| Mar. Apr. | Emilia and Tuscany | In March, he proceeds to Bologna with Tristano Sforza (1500 cavalry and 400 infantry) to aid Sante Bentivoglio, who is threatened by the pontifical troops. He soon leaves for Florence, accompanying Galeazzo Maria Sforza with 3000 cavalry and 1000 infantry to pay respects to Pope Pius II. | |||
| May | Lombardy and Piedmont | He is recalled to Lombardy. His companies are replaced by those of Cristoforo and Marcantonio Torelli as well as by Ugo da San Severino. At the end of the month, he is found at Rivalta Scrivia together with Genoese exiles loyal to Sforza. | |||
| Sept. | Milan | Genoa | Liguria and Piedmont | He moves with 700 cavalry in support of the exile Pietro Fregoso; after being defeated, he withdraws to Novi Ligure in order to prevent the town from falling into enemy hands. | |
| Oct. | His son Sigismondo is taken prisoner in an attack on Genoa. He negotiates with the governor Louis de Laval so that his son may spend Christmas at Rivalta Scrivia, promising he will return to captivity after the holidays. Tiberto Brandolini fails to keep his word and helps him escape. | ||||
| Nov. | Lombardy | With Pietro dal Verme, he meets on the Po the French ambassadors heading to Milan to promote the cause of Giovanni d’Angiò in Genoa and his claims on the Kingdom of Naples. | |||
| 1460 | |||||
| May | Emilia | Confined at Rivalta Scrivia, he does not cease plotting: he writes to Jacopo Piccinino, receives messages from Bartolomeo Colleoni, and continues his schemes against Astorre Manfredi by sending his men to assist his brother-in-law Taddeo Manfredi, who wants to seize Faenza from his uncle. He especially hopes in the success of the plans of his brother Cicco, who is seeking a condotta for him in France. | |||
| July Sept. | Romagna | He goes to Romagna to persuade Taddeo Manfredi to come to terms with Astorre. In September, he vainly asks Sforza to release him from his commitments to the duchy. | |||
| ….. | Lombardy | He is appointed governor of Pavia. | |||
| 1461 | |||||
| Jan. | Lombardy | He is in Milan for the funeral of Lucia Terzani, mother of Francesco Sforza. | |||
| ….. | 400 lances and 300 infantry | Emilia and Lombardy | He intensifies his intrigues: he renews overtures to the Duke of Modena, proposing that he seize Parma; he contacts Bartolomeo Colleoni. The Venetians are distrustful and deny him a substantial loan; his debts grow (e.g., 2500 ducats owed to the Milan branch of the Medici Bank). Despite difficulties, Sforza renews his condotta for 400 lances and 300 infantry. In October, he is in Milan due to a serious illness of Sforza’s son. | ||
| 1462 | |||||
| Jan. Feb. | Lombardy, Emilia, and Liguria | He is in Milan while Sforza lies gravely ill. Gaspare da Vimercate blocks him from entering the Duke’s chamber. Because he is on the secret council, Tiberto Brandolini exploits this to speak with various Milanese figures. Meanwhile, Piacenza revolts upon the (false) news of Sforza’s death. He is instructed to back Corrado da Fogliano in restoring calm but remains ambiguous. Late in February, still in Milan, he and other noblemen and captains go two miles outside the city to welcome Ludovico Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua. | |||
| Mar. Apr. | Emilia and Lombardy | His men, encamped in the Piacenza area at Castelnuovo and Castell’Arquato, suffer some damage due to the uprising in the countryside. He demands that his condotta be increased, along with an extra tax to maintain 400 cavalry; both requests are refused. Discontent, at the end of April, under the pretext of going to Romagna for the wedding of his son Leonello, he tries to move out his troops and his movables, collected in the castles of Castell’Arquato and Castelnuovo Fogliani. One of his final actions is a proxy given to Giorgio da Gallese and to Niccolò de Leri of Forlì to collect 20,000 Bolognese lire from the community of Bologna. He hopes to reach Romagna and secure a condotta from Giovanni d’Angiò to fight Aragonese and Sforza forces in the Kingdom of Naples. Tiberto Brandolini is summoned back to Milan by Sforza; he is arrested in the Duke’s antechamber and confined in the Rocchetta at Porta Vercellina. Meanwhile, a barge carrying his belongings is intercepted on the Po near Piacenza. Four servants attend him in jail. He is accused of collusion with the rebels in Piacenza, of wanting to seize Borgo San Donnino (Fidenza); his chancellor Giovambattista da Narni confesses to negotiations with Borso d’Este for delivering Parma to that duke; further charges point to contacts via his brother Cicco with Jacopo Piccinino and Giovanni d’Angiò, claimant to the throne of Naples, plus relationships with Borso d’Este, Taddeo Manfredi, and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, all of whom support the Angevin side, contrary to Sforza. More accusations stem from his lieutenant Giorgio da Gallese (Giorgio Brandolini) about his plan to escape toward Carpi. In prison, he attempts to hang himself with a cloth; guards intervene and thwart him. He is repeatedly tortured. | |||
| Sept. | Lombardy | He is beheaded in prison after the confession of his chancellor Giovambattista da Narni, who also endures torture in the fortress of Porta Romana. In that deposition, validated by the ducal chancellor Orfeo da Ricavo and by the notary Giovanni Bianco of Cremona, Tiberto Brandolini is accused of every kind of depravity; he is alleged to have harassed every woman in his household, including his daughter-in-law and all the maids, and even to have killed his first wife Polissena Romagnola, daughter of Gattamelata. He is also charged with torturing his son Sigismondo, mistreating his most faithful servants, and planning various plots against Francesco Sforza. Other sources report that he took his own life in prison by cutting his throat with a spit. He is buried in Milan, in the church of San Francesco: the Duke orders solemn funeral rites, with heraldic standards, banners, and horses draped in black silk. Upon his death, Castelnuovo Fogliani initially passes to his sons Leonello and Sigismondo, until the following year when it is transferred to Tristano Sforza. The rich holdings of Calestano and Fiorenzuola d’Arda are granted to his lieutenant Giorgio da Gallese. The family’s original coat of arms is gules with three argent bends, each charged with three sable scorpions. According to family tradition, an ancestor named Sigismondo took part in the First Crusade and, after dueling an Arab knight, seized that knight’s scorpion device for himself. |
Sources
-“Valentissimo Condottier d’armi..che non avea pari nella crudeltà.” MURATORI
-“Armorum capitaneus, vir crudelissimus..Vir omnium atrox et crudelis.” RIPALTA
-“Vir omnium atrox, et crudelis.” BONOLI
-“Duce impigerrimo.” CAVITELLI
-“Singulari corporis et animi virtute..Fuit Tibertus ingenio acri callidoque et animo insuper feroci et corpore robusto et longo etiam rerum bellicarum usu peritia, sed nulla ei fidei, nulla pietas, nulla religio, nullus Dei metus et ..in primis crudelitas, varius quoque et mutabilis, gloriae divitiarumque appetens et rerum novarum cupidus.” SIMONETTA
-“Fu di gran lunga honorato fra tutti gli altri condottieri del tempo suo…Fu stimato per huomo di gran cuore e molto sagace nelle sue imprese, come quello che nelle fattioni era aveduto, presto e prudente insieme.” SANSOVINO
-“Uomo grandemente ardito e sagace.” SPINO
-“Ducem impigerrimum.” PLATINA
-Riguardo la sua morte “Si disse dal volgo che il Duca aveva voluto disapprovare e punire le crudeltà eccessive del suo capitano: si disse invece dai più accorti che dopo essersene servito, gettasse via l’inutile strumento perché su di esso cadesse l’odio del sangue versato.” VILLARI
-“Nonostante l’importanza politica raggiunta nello stato sforzesco, non possono essere attribuite al Brandolini altre qualità oltre a quelle di energia, abilità tattica ed enorme coraggio. Crudele e senza scrupoli, egli non conobbe altro genere di vita se non quello del campo di battaglia. Non può essere annoverato fra i grandi condottieri, e ci sembrano accettabili i giudizi a lui contrari del Simonetta e dell’annalista di Piacenza. Tuttavia il Brandolini lasciò il ricordo del suo coraggio e della sua audacia, soprattutto in Romagna.” PARTNER (Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani)
-“Non solum avitae, paternaeq. virtutes imitator, sed et aemulus laudis cemetos ex maioribus praetergressus et nominis gloria, et rerum gestarum celebritate. In illi siquidem mira rei militaris peritia emicuit, quam multa stipabant dotes, prudentia, solertia, magnanimitas, fortitudo et quotquot in eximio imperatore requiruntur.” VIVIANI
-“Dux quidem magno animo, et militari scientia praeditus..Dux praeclarus..Dux diligentissimus Tibertum Brandolinum vix numquam inermem aspexi: tanta est clari ducis diligentia: noctes, diesque militat. Si qua pugna conferitur, ipse semper in medio sublata galeae crista cognoscitur; inter pugnandum more apri. quem canum turba lustrat. se ipsum, atque equum ita tutatur, ut ab hoste facile liberetur, et captis hostium nunc equis, nunc spoliis victor ad castra revertitur.” PORCELLIO
-“Ardito condottiero di cavalli.” OPERTI
-“Magnifico capitano.” BROGLIO
-“Era un condottiero di scuola braccesca, che aveva scelto però di arruolarsi al servizio di Francesco Sforza dal 1453 senza tuttavia smetter di brigare per i territori cui ambiva, Fano, Forlì o addirittura Bologna. Era un uomo violento, ma soprattutto uno sforzesco di dubbia fedeltà.” FERENTE
-Con Pino Ordelaffi e Brunoro da Forlì “Fra i più rinomati condottieri di Romagna e d’Italia.” PECCI
-Con altri condottieri romagnoli “Rei autem bellicae gnaros et in eo munere claros habuit patria nostra.” BIONDO
-Con il Gattamelata, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Pietro Navarrino, Astorre Manfredi, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Guido Rangoni ed Antonio da Martinengo “Condottieri esperti e di provato valire.” BELOTTI
-Con Evangelista Savelli “Prodi soldati.” MAGENTA
-“Condottiero ambizioso e sedizioso…Nella sua “corte” di Castellarquato aveva radunato attorno a sé un discreto gruppo di cancellieri e di agenti ben addestrati, fra cui sei segretari e numeroso personale di rango inferiore. Quando fu fatto arrestare e sottoposto a processo, venne alla luce l’impressionante reticolo di relazioni stabilite, grazie alla sua cancelleria, con potenze italiane ed estere, con altri capitani, con nuclei di fuorusciti cittadini, con capifazione e anche con facoltosi banchieri, dai quali il condottiero sperava di ottenere prestiti e finanziamenti per le imprese che gli avrebbero procurato lo “stato””.” COVINI
-“Animoso ed energico condottiero, valoroso ed ambizioso, astuto e talvolta crudele, uomo del suo tempo amante dell’arte e del bello, ma privo del timore di Dio, conclude con la sua morte l’epopea dei grandi capitani di ventura.” RUCCULI
-“Ambiguo personaggio in bilico tra fedeltà allo Sforza e simpatie braccesche.” GENTILE
-“La figura di questo condottiero ardito e valoroso non è affatto secondaria nelle campagne di guerra, che si combatterono nella pianura padana tra la fine della prima metà del secolo XV e il primo decennio della seconda metà.” ARGEGNI
-Nel 1460 “La sua casa era formata da 34 armigeri e 32 cavalleggeri. Comprende, inoltre, il suo maestro della cavalleria, il suo maresciallo, un cappellano, due cuochi , sei cancellieri, trombettieri, un ufficiale addetto agli alloggi e uno addetto alle munizioni. C’erano poi sette squadre di cavalleria, di cui tre erano capeggiate da suoi parenti, e ben otto compagnie di fanti, tra i quali 20 archibugieri e 50 balestrieri…Fu messo a morte nel 1462 dopo che al suo cancelliere, sottoposto a tortura, era stata strappata una confessione particolareggiata, me non per questo attendibile. La confessione raccontava con un’inverosimile ricchezza di dettagli tutta una fila di indiscrezioni e di trattative sleali di cui Tiberto era sospettato d’aver svolto nell’arco del decennio passato al servizio di Milano.”… Egli, al pari del Carmagnola, non solo aveva effettivamente disertato almeno una volta la parte con cui si era impegnato, ma indubbiamente era anche molto più irrequieto della maggior parte dei condottieri operanti negli anni Sessanta del Quattrocento.” MALLETT
Featured image: google maps
