Biagio Assereto
Encyclopedia
Biagio Assereto was an Italian admiral at the service of the Republic of Genoa
.
, the son of a smith. He was noticed by Francesco Spinola, lord of the city, who took him as a page. In 1423 he moved to Genoa
starting a military career. As a naval commander of the Republic, he led a fleet to help Joan II of Naples
(1425), captured the Florentine Ferruccio Verro (1426) and pushed back Domenico Campofregoso and his Florentine allies (September 1427). In 1435 he led a small fleet to Gaeta
at the rescue of Francesco Spinola, besieged by Alfonso V of Aragon
, and was victorious in the following Battle of Ponza
.
Despite his refusal to continue due war, due to the lack of troops to invade the Neapolitan mainland
, he received the fief of Serravalle Scrivia
and, by the Genoese ally Filippo Maria Visconti
, the position of governor of Milan
. Later he was ducal commissar in Parma
and commander of the Milanese army in the war against Venice
. At Casalmaggiore
he defeated the Venetian admiral Andrea Quirini (July 1448). He later served Francesco Sforza (1450) but, two years later, he abandoned any public position and retreated at Serravalle to devote to literature. His friends included Enea Silvio Piccolomini, the future pope Pius II
.
He died at Serravalle in 1456.
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
.
Biography
He was born at ReccoRecco
Recco is a comune in the province of Genoa, region of Liguria, Italy. It is known for its focaccia al formaggio which is made with Crescenza. The consortium that dictates the official recipe of the focaccia, supposedly the result of a Saracen attack in the 1200s, is seeking the European Union PGI...
, the son of a smith. He was noticed by Francesco Spinola, lord of the city, who took him as a page. In 1423 he moved to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
starting a military career. As a naval commander of the Republic, he led a fleet to help Joan II of Naples
Joan II of Naples
Joan II was Queen of Naples from 1414 to her death, upon which the senior Angevin line of Naples became extinct. As a mere formality, she used the title of Queen of Jerusalem, Sicily, and Hungary....
(1425), captured the Florentine Ferruccio Verro (1426) and pushed back Domenico Campofregoso and his Florentine allies (September 1427). In 1435 he led a small fleet to Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
at the rescue of Francesco Spinola, besieged by Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
, and was victorious in the following Battle of Ponza
Battle of Ponza (1435)
The naval battle of Ponza took place on August 5, 1435. The battle resulted in the Genoese defeating and capturing Alfonso V of Aragon, his brother John II of Aragon, and all the nobles of Aragon Another of Alfonso's brothers, Pedro, managed to escape....
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Despite his refusal to continue due war, due to the lack of troops to invade the Neapolitan mainland
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, he received the fief of Serravalle Scrivia
Serravalle Scrivia
Serravalle Scrivia is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria....
and, by the Genoese ally Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti was ruler of Milan from 1412 to 1447.-Biography:Filippo Maria Visconti, who had become nominal ruler of Pavia in 1402, succeeded his assassinated brother Gian Maria Visconti as Duke of Milan in 1412. They were the sons of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Gian Maria's predecessor, by...
, the position of governor of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Later he was ducal commissar in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
and commander of the Milanese army in the war against Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
. At Casalmaggiore
Casalmaggiore
Casalmaggiore is a comune in the province of Cremona, Lombardy, northern Italy, located across the Po River. It was the birthplace of Italian composers Ignazio Donati and Andrea Zani ....
he defeated the Venetian admiral Andrea Quirini (July 1448). He later served Francesco Sforza (1450) but, two years later, he abandoned any public position and retreated at Serravalle to devote to literature. His friends included Enea Silvio Piccolomini, the future pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
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He died at Serravalle in 1456.