Alberico da Barbiano
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Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344 – 1409) was an Italian condottiero.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Barbiano di Cotignola, a commune of what is now Emilia-Romagna, Alberico was son of one Aldisio, member of a family of Carolingian origin who possessed fiefs in he cities of Conio and Lugo.
Alberico made his first military experience in the compagnia of the English captain John Hawkwood, taking part to the famous slaughters of Faenza and Cesena in the 1370s. Allegedly touched by these excesses, Alberico left the foreign compagnia, deciding to form a military corps constituted only by Italian mercenaries.
Barbiano's Compagnia di San Giorgio ("St. George Company") renovated the military style of the mercenary companies of the period, with sharply improved cavalry armors and tactics, and with a strong attention paid to the training aspect. Famous condottieri like Facino Cane, Jacopo dal Verme, Braccio da Montone and Muzio Attendolo began their military career in the St. George Company. Starting with 200 men, Alberico could soon boast 4,000 soldiers under his command, prompting a quick decline of the foreign companies that had dominated the Italian grounds till that moment.
The first condotta ("contract") for Alberico's force was in 1378, at the service of Barnabò Visconti of Milan, against the Scaliger and the Carraresi. The following year Alberico was called by Pope Urban VI to fight against Antipope Clement VII, the slaughterer of Cesena. The latter's infamous Breton troops were crushed in the neighbourhood of Rome on June 29, 1379, after five hours of battles.
Alberico was later involved in the war for the Crown of Naples between Queen Joan I (and her husband Otto of Brunswick) and Charles of Durazzo, backed by Urban VI. On June 18, 1381, Alberico defeated Otto and subsequently besieged Joan in the Castel Nuovo of Naples. After the latter was captured and imprisoned in the Abruzzi, Barbiano was named "gran conestabile" ("chief of staff") by the new king Charles III, and in his new role he had to face Louis I of Anjou, Joan's heir, who had arrived in Italy with an army of 40,000 men. Alberico managed to protect Forlì and Cesena. However, Louis defeated Charles III at Campobasso and was declared king of Naples.
Louis eventually died after a pestilence, while Urban VI changed side declaring Alberico, who was besieging him in Nocera, enemy of the church. Charles was assassinated on February 24, 1387, but Barbiano declared loyal to the latter's son Ladislas. The latter had to face a new French invasion, this time led by Louis II. Alberico for the first time in his career was defeated, at Ascoli Piceno, in 1392. Gian Galeazzo Visconti paid 3,000 florins for his freedom, engaging him for the war against Florence, Bologna and Mantua. During this campaign his brother, Giovanni, was captured and beheaded by the enemy condottiero Astorre I Manfredi.
Alberico, eager of vengeance, won a series of battles in 1397 and was ready for the final siege of Mantua. However, a treaty of peace signed by Visconti with Francesco I of Gonzaga stopped him.
On June 26, 1402, he defeated a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio, leading to the Milanese conquest of Bologna. The following year he left Milan to enter again service to Ladislas of Naples.
Alberico da Barbiano died in the Spring of 1409, in voyage to meet his king at Città della Pieve (Umbria).
[edit] Dynasty
His son Ludovico was count of Lugo from 1411. The latter's son Alberico II was ousted from the city in 1431, and moved to Lombardy, where they become feudataries of Belgioioso (current province of Pavia). In 1566 the Barbiano-Belgioioso received the title of "Grandees of Spain"
[edit] Cruiser Alberico da Barbiano
In 1930 the Italian Regia Marina launched a cruiser of the Condottieri class named after Alberico da Barbiano.
[edit] References
- Rendina, Claudio (1994). I capitani di ventura. Rome: Newton & Compton.
