The Role of Ugolino da Montemarte in Papal State Reforms
Ugolino da Montemarte (Ugolino da Corbara, Gulino di Petruccio) From Orvieto or Corbara. A Guelph. Count. Lord of Corbara, Cetona, Monteleone d’Orvieto, Montegabbione, Selci, Fabro, San Venanzo, Piansano, Manciano, and Benano.
Born: 1326
Death: 1388, February
| Month, Year | State, Mercenary Company | Adversary | Leadership | Area of Activity | Actions Taken and Other Notable Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1344 | |||||
| Jul. | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte is sent by his father Petruccio to Orvieto to gather information about the situation in the city. He passes through the castle of Corbara, where his stepmother provides the necessary information. | |||
| 1345 | |||||
| Aug. | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte arrives in Orvieto. Ugolino justifies his presence in the city with his wife and family, saying it is to celebrate the feast of Corpus Domini in their homes near San Biagio. However, in reality, he seeks to avenge the death of Guido di Ranieri and the recent mistreatment of his father by Matteo Orsini, the lord of the city. Orsini, after vespers, sends for him and arranges for armed men to ambush and kill him. Ugolino is attacked but survives due to his armor and fights back until his escort arrives. He is wounded but finds refuge. Later, he is mistaken for an enemy and attacked again but survives. Following these events, Angelo Bottone Salimbeni is elected as Captain of the People, and the situation in the city remains tense. | |||
| 1346 | |||||
| Feb. | Umbria | Ugolino is expelled from Orvieto with his father by Benedetto Monaldeschi della Vipera, who has become the new lord of the city. | |||
| May | Exiles | Orvieto | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte re-enters Orvieto with Ermanno Monaldeschi della Cervara and Monaldo Monaldeschi at the head of some men-at-arms and infantry. They scale the city walls and enter Orvieto, leading to the escape of Benedetto Monaldeschi della Vipera. They then besiege the fortress of Salce, which eventually surrenders. | |
| Sept. | Orvieto | Church | Umbria | Ugolino opposes the papal forces and is tasked with defending Titignano and Prodo. | |
| 1351 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino obtains the castle of Manciano as a pledge from the municipality of Orvieto. | |||
| Mar. | Exiles | Orvieto | Umbria | Ugolino participates in a council of priors in Orvieto. Benedetto Monaldeschi della Vipera invites Ugolino and the two Monaldeschi della Cervara to a wine tasting, leading to an ambush where Ugolino survives, but the Monaldeschi are killed. | |
| May | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte attempts to seize Orvieto by force. He sets an ambush and attacks the night patrol, but is eventually repelled. He then takes and burns Ficulle. | |||
| Aug.-Sept. | Umbria | A peace agreement is reached, and the exiles are allowed to return to Orvieto. However, the peace proves short-lived. | |||
| 1352 | |||||
| Feb. | Umbria | Ugolino enters Orvieto with forces, leading to a fierce battle where Benedetto Monaldeschi della Vipera is killed, and Ugolino is expelled from the city again. | |||
| Mar. | Umbria | Ugolino is contacted by the rector of the Patrimony to attempt reconciliation between the factions in Orvieto. | |||
| May | Orvieto | Milan | Umbria | Ugolino leaves Corbara to aid in Rocca Ripesena, which is under siege by Visconti forces. | |
| Jun. | Perugia | Milan | Umbria | Orvieto falls to the forces of the Archbishop of Milan. Ugolino continues to fight alongside the Perugians against Tanuccio degli Ubaldini. | |
| Jul.-Aug. | Umbria | A new peace is made between the factions in Orvieto, but Ugolino soon resumes the conflict, refusing to accept Giovanni di Vico as lord. | |||
| 1353 | |||||
| May-Jun. | Florence | Picchiena | Captain of War | Tuscany | Ugolino is hired for six months to fight the Picchiena of San Gimignano. He captures their castle and returns it to its previous owner. |
| Sept.-Oct. | Church | Vico | 150 horsemen | Tuscany and Lazio | Ugolino escorts Cardinal Egidio Albornoz from Florence to Perugia and then joins the papal forces to fight Giovanni di Vico. |
| 1354 | |||||
| Feb. | Lazio | Ugolino defends Montefiascone alongside various allies. | |||
| May | Umbria | Ugolino welcomes Guelfs from Orvieto who have been expelled by Giovanni di Vico. | |||
| Jun. | Umbria and Lazio | Ugolino assists Cardinal Albornoz against the Lord of Viterbo. He besieges and captures Orvieto, and witnesses the submission of Giovanni di Vico to the Church. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino designs the fortress of Orvieto. | |||
| 1355 | |||||
| Jun. | Umbria | Ugolino replaces Carlo di Dovadola as governor of Gubbio. | |||
| Oct. | Umbria | Ugolino is ordered to pay 1000 florins collected in Gubbio to the general treasurer of the Church in Italy. | |||
| 1356 | |||||
| May | Marche | Ugolino is appointed as vicar of Ancona, with an annual provision of 1000 ducats. He strengthens the city’s fortress and begins the construction of the Rocca di San Cataldo. | |||
| ………… | Church | Forlì | Romagna | Ugolino fights the forces of Francesco Ordelaffi, participating in the sieges of Bertinoro and Cesena. He is also named vicar of Faenza and continues to oppose the Lord of Forlì even after the recall of Cardinal Albornoz to Avignon. | |
| ………… | Lazio | Ugolino is tasked with renewing the statutes of Rieti after the Ghibellines expelled the Guelfs. | |||
| Dec. | Marche | Ugolino attends the oath of loyalty to the Church by Andrea di Cunio in Ancona. | |||
| 1357 | |||||
| Jan. | Marche | Ugolino witnesses the oath of loyalty to the Church by Guido da Polenta and Giovanni and Guglielmo Manfredi in Ancona. | |||
| Apr. | Lazio | Ugolino intervenes in Corneto (Tarquinia) with the apostolic treasurer to reform the city’s statutes. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino recovers Gubbio for the Church, expelling Carlo and Giovanni Gabrielli. | |||
| 1358 | |||||
| Jul. | Umbria | Ugolino is called as an arbiter in a dispute between the inhabitants of Perugia and Orvieto. | |||
| Oct. | Umbria | Ugolino is sent to Terni by Cardinal Androino de la Roche to reform the city’s statutes. He manages to reconcile the local Guelfs and Ghibellines. | |||
| 1359 | |||||
| May | Church | Forlì | Romagna | Ugolino is appointed papal vicar in Romagna and is ordered to attack Francesco Ordelaffi in Forlì. He establishes his residence in Faenza. | |
| ………… | Lazio | Ugolino quarrels with Silvestro Gatti of Viterbo. The new papal legate, Albornoz, mediates the reconciliation. | |||
| 1360 | |||||
| ………… | Romagna | Ugolino occupies Bagnacavallo and remains in the region as Count of Romagna. | |||
| Mar. | Ugolino is appointed rector of the Duchy of Spoleto, with a daily provision of 4 ducats. He is required to provide two banners of soldiers and receives 1000 florins from Cardinal Albornoz to deliver to the treasurer of Orvieto. He holds this position until mid-May 1362. | ||||
| Apr. | Church | Milan | Romagna and Umbria | Bands of mercenaries in the service of Bernabò Visconti approach the walls of Forlì. Ugolino intervenes promptly and forces them to retreat. | |
| 1361 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino foils a plot in Perugia aimed at overthrowing the city government. | |||
| Apr. | Umbria | Ugolino is in Spoleto with Cardinal Albornoz and the vicar of Gubbio Blasco Fernandez to convene the general parliament. | |||
| Jun. | Umbria | Ugolino is granted permission to build a fortress at Le Ripe. | |||
| Jul. | Emilia and Umbria | Ugolino takes part in the Battle of San Ruffillo. He returns to Umbria to collect a tax for the Apostolic Chamber. | |||
| 1362 | |||||
| May | Romagna | Cardinal Albornoz appoints Ugolino as Count of Romagna. Stationed in Faenza, Ugolino continues to oppose the Visconti and ravages the territory of Bagnacavallo. | |||
| 1363 | Romagna | Ugolino is at Bertinoro. | |||
| 1364 | |||||
| May-Jul. | Umbria | After the conclusion of peace, Ugolino returns to Orvieto and oversees the city’s defenses against the Company of Anichino di Baumgarten. He directs the construction of the fortress above Porta Pusterla and in Narni. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Company of Ventura | Umbria | Ugolino supports Gomez Garcia against the Baumgarten and Alberto Sterz companies, who have occupied Sutri and Vetralla. | |
| Nov. | Romagna, Marche, and Umbria | Ugolino is replaced as rector of Romagna by Fra Daniele del Carretto. He then goes to Ancona with Cardinal Albornoz and subsequently to Orvieto to direct the construction of the fortress above Porta Pusterla. | |||
| 1365 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Molise, Lazio | Ugolino heads towards the Kingdom of Naples with the Compagnia Bianca led by Ugo della Zucca, Andrea di Belmonte, and Nicola Unghero. In an ambush at Roccasecca, Ugolino is wounded but rescued by Gomez Albornoz. | |||
| Jun. | Church | Company of Ventura | Lazio | Ugolino supports Gomez Albornoz against the Compagnia Bianca. He besieges Sutri and Vetralla and obtains their surrender. | |
| Aug. | Lieutenant General | Marche | During Cardinal Albornoz‘s absence, Ugolino is elected Lieutenant General of the March of Ancona, the Duchy of Spoleto, and other regions. His headquarters is in the fortress of Ancona. | ||
| 1366 | |||||
| May | Church | Company of Ventura | Marche | Ugolino is in Ancona and is urged by Cardinal Albornoz to counter the company of Giovanni Visconti. | |
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino completes the construction of the walls of the fortress of Narni. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Company of Ventura | Umbria | Ugolino and his brother Francesco lead a surprise night attack on a band of horsemen commanded by Ugolino Ethon, who is taken prisoner. | |
| 1367 | |||||
| ………… | Church | Perugia | Umbria | ||
| Spring | Church | Todi | 150 horsemen | Umbria | Ugolino attends the funeral of Cardinal Albornoz in Assisi. |
| Aug. | Lazio | Ugolino is appointed as an ambassador to the Pope by the General Council of Orvieto. He goes to Viterbo to offer the lordship of Orvieto to Pope Urban V. He manages to prevent the destruction of Viterbo and declines the position of Senator of Rome, preferring to serve as a soldier. | |||
| 1368 | |||||
| Aug. | Church | Piediluco | Umbria | Pope Urban V orders Perugia to rejoin the Church. Ugolino is appointed pontifical lieutenant in Assisi. He then leads a punitive expedition against the inhabitants of Piediluco for rebelling and killing two papal captains. | |
| ………… | Church | Perugia | Umbria | Ugolino opposes the Perugians in the territory of Cannara and near the capital. | |
| 1369 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria | Ugolino acquires the castles of Monteleone d’Orvieto and Montegabbione from the Emperor Charles of Bohemia. | |||
| ………… | Lazio | Ugolino leads the papal forces against 400 Perugian horsemen at Montefiascone. | |||
| 1370 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria and Lazio | Ugolino summons his brother Francesco to escort him from Assisi to Tarquinia. | |||
| Nov. | Umbria | Ugolino is included in the peace agreement between the papal forces and the Perugians. | |||
| 1371 | |||||
| ………… | France | Ugolino goes to Avignon to notify Pope Gregory XI of the peace with Perugia. The Pope grants him the fief of Piansano. | |||
| May | Umbria | A faction in Perugia, the Raspanti, is expelled from the city, leading to significant unrest. Ugolino is sent as vicar and lieutenant general to restore peace. | |||
| 1372 | |||||
| Jun.-Jul. | Umbria | Ugolino opposes the appointment of Niccolò Orsini as vicar of Orvieto due to his connections with the Beffati faction. He survives an attack by Berardo Monaldeschi della Cervara. | |||
| Aug. | Umbria | Ugolino goes to Perugia for the death of the papal legate Filippo di Cabassoles. | |||
| 1373 | Umbria | Pope Gregory XI sends Ugolino to Bologna as an advisor to the papal legate, the Cardinal of Sant’Angelo. | |||
| 1374 | Emilia, Marche, and Tuscany | Ugolino divides his time between Bologna and the governance of Ascoli Piceno, where he is recognized with a monthly provision of 150 ducats. | |||
| 1375 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino purchases Cetona from the Pope’s nephew, the Viscount of Turenne. He also acquires rights over Monteleone d’Orvieto and Montegabbione. | |||
| Nov. | Church | Florence | Umbria | The inhabitants of Todi rebel against the papal governor. Ugolino writes to Gomez Albornoz to return to Italy and takes command of Assisi during the War of the Eight Saints. | |
| 1376 | |||||
| Jan.-Feb. | Church | Perugia | Umbria and Tuscany | The governor of Ascoli Piceno, Gomez Albornoz, is forced to reach Montemarte in Orvieto due to the city’s rebellion against the Papal States. In Orvieto, however, the Montemarte family manages to stall the alliance negotiations with Florence, the leading commune in the anti-Church rebellion. The condottiero then proceeds to Cetona, where some exiles from Perugia and Orvieto (known as “the deceived”) attempted, along with the Baglioni, to incite the town to rebel against the control of his family. The attackers, having been repelled, then turn their attention to Monteleone d’Orvieto and Montegabbione. | |
| Dec. | Tuscany | He receives a letter of commendation from Pope Gregory XI for the way he is conducting the fight against the rebels of the Papal States. He is summoned to assist the pontiff as his advisor. During the same period, he regains the lands of the Val di Chiana from Count Ludovico di Brandeto. | |||
| 1377 | |||||
| Jan. | Lazio | Ugolino da Montemarte went to Tarquinia to pay homage to Pope Gregory XI (Gregorio XI) along with the principal merchants. The pope appointed him as his vicar in Todi. With great effort, he reconquered the lands in the Val di Chiana that had recently been taken by Count Ludovico di Brandeto. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino assists in Todi with Cardinal Pietro di Bourges to begin the construction of a fortress. He is elected papal vicar of Todi and remains there for about eighteen to nineteen months. | |||
| Aug. | Umbria | Ugolino is called to Montefalco to resolve disputes between Guelfs and Ghibellines. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino returns to Todi. | |||
| 1378 | |||||
| Feb. | Through the Lord of Foligno, he established a truce with the Commune of Perugia. The pact would be renewed for four years. | ||||
| Mar. – May | Umbria | He quelled a revolt in Todi instigated by the Chiaravalle family against Catalano degli Atti. | |||
| Sept. | Church | Antipope | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte welcomes Rinaldo Orsini, newly appointed rector of the Patrimony, to Corbara. He obstructs Orsini‘s ambitions in Orvieto and arranges a centennial truce between his family and the Perugians. | |
| Nov. | Umbria | Ugolino is still in Perugia and ensures that Pope Urban VI grants the lordship of the city to a German relative of the Duke of Bavaria. | |||
| Dec. | Tuscany | He repelled an attack on Cetona launched by the Lord of San Casciano, Monaldo di Giovanni Pone. | |||
| 1379 | Church | Antipope | Umbria and Tuscany | Ugolino leads the Mercorini faction and joins forces with Pietro dell’Anguillara and Alberico da Barbiano to raid the Perugian territory, capturing large amounts of livestock and prisoners. | |
| 1380 | |||||
| May-Jun. | Lazio and Umbria | Rinaldo Orsini seizes Orvieto with the help of Breton mercenaries and the Beffati. The Mercorini flee to Corbara. Ugolino wages guerrilla warfare against the Beffati and Orsini‘s supporters, capturing some of their booty. | |||
| 1381 | |||||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino leaves Assisi with the Mercorini and attacks Corrado Luca Monaldeschi in Castiglione. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Ugolino is captured by soldiers from Città di Castello and Perugia but is later released through the intervention of Perugian ambassadors. | |||
| 1382 | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte enters Monteleone d’Orvieto and Montegabbione with Giovanni degli Ubaldini, Simonetto Orsini, and Ludovico di Brandeto, expelling Pier Giovanni and Ranuccio da Marsciano. | |||
| 1383 | Umbria | The Bretons devastate the territories of Castelpeccio and Corbara against him. | |||
| 1384 | |||||
| Mar. | Perugia | Umbria | The Priors of Perugia (during the period of March-April) release the prisoners and readmit the exiles, excluding the Michelotti. A solemn sung mass celebrates the pacification. | ||
| 1385 | |||||
| Summer | Perugia | Assisi | Captain General | Umbria | Ugolino is appointed Captain General of Perugia and tasked with restoring order and maintaining peace. He confronts Guglielmino d’Assisi, who supports the Michelotti faction. |
| Aug. | Perugia | Assisi | Umbria | Ugolino falls seriously ill and requests permission to leave Perugia and return to Corbara. | |
| 1386 | |||||
| Jan. | Umbria | Ugolino is contacted by Rinaldo Orsini, who seeks peace between the factions in Orvieto. Ugolino opposes the plan. | |||
| Apr. | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte makes peace with Rinaldo Orsini: all exiles are permitted to return to Orvieto, except for the two brothers, Ugolino and Francesco da Montemarte, who choose voluntarily to remain in exile. | |||
| Jul. | Church | Antipope | Lazio | He arrives beneath Viterbo with Cardinal Tommaso Orsini: after a failed attempt to take control of the city through negotiation, he besieges Prefect Francesco di Vico along with Niccolò Orsini, John Beltoft, and Simonetto da Castel di Piero in an effort to change the government. He reaches Petroio del Sasso Tagliato and advances as far as San Paolo and San Giorgio al Campo (San Giorgio), taking advantage of the fact that Rinaldo Orsini is occupied in Amelia, leaving only Bernardo della Sala and Giovanni da Cremona in Viterbo. Ugolino da Montemarte seizes San Lorenzo in Vigna (San Lorenzo) and constructs a bastion there. | |
| 1387 | |||||
| Jun. | Lazio | Ugolino joins Cardinal Tommaso Orsini to besiege Viterbo, aiming to change its government. | |||
| Oct. | Lazio and Tuscany | Ugolino da Montemarte continues the siege of Viterbo but eventually retreats to Cetona to pay homage to the Pope. | |||
| ………… | Umbria | Nicola Farnese seizes Piansano and kills its castellan. Ugolino recaptures Bagno and returns it to the Monaldeschi del Cane. | |||
| 1388 | |||||
| Feb. | Umbria | Ugolino da Montemarte dies in Corbara in mid-February. He was also a notable military architect responsible for designing several fortresses built by Cardinal Albornoz, including those in Ancona, Narni, Orvieto, and Assisi, as well as the city walls of Macerata. He married Caterina, daughter of Cataluccio da Bisenzo. |
Sources
-“Il quale fu notevolissimo huomo non solo nella casa nostra, ma per tutti quei tempi, in ogni virtù di lettere, di soldati et di tutto quello che di virtù, di senno debba havere un gentilhuomo e spicialmente di lealtà. Fu integerrimo, né riguardò a fatiche, né patimenti per servitio della Chiesa, et con dispendio della casa nostra.” MONTEMARTE
-“Signore honorato e di molto seguito.” SANSOVINO
-“Uomo per alto animo, per militare periizia e per chiari fatti prestantissimo.” PERUZZI
-“Habile condottière.” MOLLAT
-“Huomo di valore et prudenza.” MONALDESCHI
-“Prode capitano.” ANTONELLI
-“Uno dei migliori capitani ed ingegneri militari del tempo.” CANSACCHI
-“Prode capitano..Uomo d’indubbia fede e di grandi esperienze nelle cose militari.” FILIPPINI
-“(L’incontro con il cardinale Albornoz) determinò una svolta decisiva nella vicenda esistenziale del nobile orvietano, che poté iniziare una brillante carriera politico-militare le cui tappe seguirono quelle dell’azione dell’Albornoz, finalizzate a riformare in profondità lo Stato pontificio.”…In parallelo al grande attivismo e protagonismo che segnò la vicenda di Ugolino nei rapporti con i potentati laici ed ecclesiastici dell’Italia centrale, si deve anche registrare la costante e assidua cura da lui profusa per l’incremento e la valorizzazione del patrimonio della famiglia, particolarmente nel settore nordorientale del distretto orvietano lungo la direttrice delle valli del Paglia e del Chiani. A partire dal 1355 infatti ampliò e consolidò in modo sostanziale la presenzia fondiaria e signorile dei Montemarte-Corbara in tale tentativo acquisendo, in tutto o in parte, il possesso dei centri castrensi di Fabro, S. Casciano, Benano, Torre, Castello Orvietano e Selci, Montegabbione, Cetona. A Ugolino pervenne anche concessa la facoltà di fortificare il castello di Ripe, nei pressi di Prodo, e riuscì ad ottenere dal papa per alcuni anni, e poi in via definitiva, l’usufrutto di Piansano, nel Viterbese, a garanzia di un credito di 2000 fiorini da lui maturati alla casse pontificie.. Il fratello Francesco gli dedicò un commosso e fiero elogio esaltandone le virtù di soldato, ma anche di uomo di lettere e additandolo ai discendenti della Casa Montemarte come esempio di integrità morale e soprattutto di fedeltà e di attaccamento alla Chiesa.” TIBERINI
-“Fu anche un celebre architetto militare cui si deve il progetto di parecchie rocche fatte costruire dall’Albornoz, compresa quella di Ancona.” MALLETT
Featured image: i luoghi del silenzio
