Malatesta IV Malatesta
Encyclopedia
Malatesta IV Malatesta (also known as Malatesta dei Sonetti; 1370 - 19 December 1429) was an Italian condottiero, poet and lord of Pesaro
, Fossombrone
, Gradara
, Jesi
, Narni
and other fiefs in Italy.
and his second wife Paola Orsini. He was given the nickname "dei sonetti" ("of the Sonnets") due to his love for literature and fine arts. He married Elisabetta da Varano
, who gave him seven sons.
He became lord of Pesaro in 1385. He was hired by pope Urban VI to fight against antipope Clement VII
. In 1390 he fought against the Bolognesi
led by Giovanni da Barbiano and later was hired by Republic of Florence
against the Visconti of Milan. In 1392 he was excommunicated by the pope for having conquered Todi
, namely a Papal possession
.
He 1394 he served antipope Benedict XIII
, who named him captain general of Bologna, to fight against pope Boniface VIII. During the conflict, he destroyed several towns in Umbria
and the Latium
, and took control Narni
and Orte
for himself as podestà
. Later he made peace with Boniface. In 1404 Malatesta was hired by the Republic of Venice
, which assigned him some 20,000 troops to fight against the Carraresi fo Padua
. However, the Venetian troops was defeated and returned to Pesaro in the late 1404, after which he made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
.
Once freed, he sided for antipope Alexander V
who, in 1409, ordered him to fight in Tuscany
along the Florentines
against the forces of Ladislaus of Naples. The conflict lasted until 1412: Malatesta again made peace with the pope, and thenceforth warred against antipope John XXIII
. In 1415 he defended his Umbrian fiefs from Braccio da Montone
. In 1416-1417 Malatesta was involved in the war for Jesi
, which depleted his treasure.
In 1423 he was hired by Florence in the war against Milan
. In 1424, in the battle of Zagonara
, his cousin Carlo
was taken prisoner; the same fate struck his sons Galeazzo
and Carlo after they were besieged in Gradara
by Angelo della Pergola. The following year Malatesta signed a treaty of peace at Abbiategrasso
.
He retired at Gradara, where he died in 1429. as a patron of the arts, he had housed in Persaro figures such as Francesco Casini and the painter Mariotto di Nardo
, and was in correspondence with humanists Coluccio Salutati
and his daughter-in-law, Battista Malatesta. Malatesta was also the author of poems, collected in a Canzoniere, influenced by Petrarca
and the contemporary Tuscan literature.
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
, Fossombrone
Fossombrone
Fossombrone is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro e Urbino .-History:The ancient Roman colony of Forum Sempronii took its name from Gaius Sempronius Gracchus....
, Gradara
Gradara
Gradara is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is located 25 km from Rimini and 13 km from Pesaro....
, Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
, Narni
Narni
Narni is an ancient hilltown and comune of Umbria, in central Italy, with 20,100 inhabitants, according to the 2003 census. At an altitude of 240 m , it overhangs a narrow gorge of the Nera River in the province of Terni. It is very close to the Geographic center of Italy...
and other fiefs in Italy.
Biography
Born in Pesaro, he was the only son of Pandolfo II MalatestaPandolfo II Malatesta
Pandolfo II Malatesta was an Italian condottiero.The son of Malatesta II Malatesta, he fought under Werner von Urslingen and Gil de Albornoz. Later served Galeazzo II Visconti of Milan, but raised the jealousy of Bernabò Visconti and fled to the Marche. Later held a condotta for Florence against...
and his second wife Paola Orsini. He was given the nickname "dei sonetti" ("of the Sonnets") due to his love for literature and fine arts. He married Elisabetta da Varano
Da Varano
The Da Varano was an Italian noble family who had an important role in the medieval and Renaissance history of central Italy, as rulers of Camerino and other lands in the Marche and Umbria.- Overview :...
, who gave him seven sons.
He became lord of Pesaro in 1385. He was hired by pope Urban VI to fight against antipope Clement VII
Antipope Clement VII
Robert of Geneva was elected to the papacy as Pope Clement VII by the French cardinals who opposed Urban VI, and was the first Avignon antipope of the Western Schism.-Biography:...
. In 1390 he fought against the Bolognesi
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
led by Giovanni da Barbiano and later was hired by Republic of Florence
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
against the Visconti of Milan. In 1392 he was excommunicated by the pope for having conquered Todi
Todi
Todi is a town and comune of the province of Perugia in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.In the 1990s, Richard S...
, namely a Papal possession
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
He 1394 he served antipope Benedict XIII
Antipope Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII, born Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor , known as in Spanish, was an Aragonese nobleman, who is officially considered by the Catholic Church to be an antipope....
, who named him captain general of Bologna, to fight against pope Boniface VIII. During the conflict, he destroyed several towns in Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
and the Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
, and took control Narni
Narni
Narni is an ancient hilltown and comune of Umbria, in central Italy, with 20,100 inhabitants, according to the 2003 census. At an altitude of 240 m , it overhangs a narrow gorge of the Nera River in the province of Terni. It is very close to the Geographic center of Italy...
and Orte
Orte
Orte is a comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Italian region Latium Lazio, located about 60 km north of Rome and about 24 km east of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2006, Orte had a population of 8,364....
for himself as podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
. Later he made peace with Boniface. In 1404 Malatesta was hired by the Republic of 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...
, which assigned him some 20,000 troops to fight against the Carraresi fo Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
. However, the Venetian troops was defeated and returned to Pesaro in the late 1404, after which he made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
.
Once freed, he sided for antipope Alexander V
Antipope Alexander V
Alexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope....
who, in 1409, ordered him to fight in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
along the Florentines
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
against the forces of Ladislaus of Naples. The conflict lasted until 1412: Malatesta again made peace with the pope, and thenceforth warred against antipope John XXIII
Antipope John XXIII
Baldassarre Cossa was Pope John XXIII during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope.-Biography:...
. In 1415 he defended his Umbrian fiefs from Braccio da Montone
Braccio da Montone
frame|Braccio da Montone.Braccio da Montone , born Andrea Fortebracci, and also known as Braccio Fortebraccio, was an Italian condottiero.-Biography:...
. In 1416-1417 Malatesta was involved in the war for Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
, which depleted his treasure.
In 1423 he was hired by Florence in the war against Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
. In 1424, in the battle of Zagonara
Battle of Zagonara
|title= Makers of modern strategy: from Machiavelli to the nuclear age|last= Paret, etc all|first=|authorlink=|coauthors= Peter Paret, Gordon Alexander Craig, Felix Gilbert|year= 1986|publisher= Oxford University Press|location=|isbn= 0198200978|page= 21...
, his cousin Carlo
Carlo I Malatesta
Carlo I Malatesta was an Italian condottiero during the Wars in Lombardy and lord of Rimini, Fano, Cesena and Pesaro...
was taken prisoner; the same fate struck his sons Galeazzo
Galeazzo Malatesta
Galeazzo Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Pesaro and Fossombrone.He was the elder son of Malatesta IV Malatesta and Elisabetta da Varano. In 1405 he married Battista da Montefeltro...
and Carlo after they were besieged in Gradara
Gradara
Gradara is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is located 25 km from Rimini and 13 km from Pesaro....
by Angelo della Pergola. The following year Malatesta signed a treaty of peace at Abbiategrasso
Abbiategrasso
Abbiategrasso is a comune and town in the province of Milan, Italian region of Lombardy, situated in the Po valley approximately 22 km from Milan and 38 km from Pavia.- History :The town dates from Roman times...
.
He retired at Gradara, where he died in 1429. as a patron of the arts, he had housed in Persaro figures such as Francesco Casini and the painter Mariotto di Nardo
Mariotto di Nardo
Mariotto di Nardo was an Italian painter. He was the son of the sculptor Nardo di Cione.His style belongs to the Florentine Gothic, and shows the influence of Spinello Aretino and Lorenzo Monaco....
, and was in correspondence with humanists Coluccio Salutati
Coluccio Salutati
Coluccio Salutati was an Italian Humanist and man of letters, and one of the most important political and cultural leaders of Renaissance Florence.-Birth and Early Career:...
and his daughter-in-law, Battista Malatesta. Malatesta was also the author of poems, collected in a Canzoniere, influenced by Petrarca
Petrarca
Petrarca may refer to:* Petrarch, the English name for Francesco Petrarca , Italian scholar, poet, and Renaissance humanist* David Petrarca , director at the Goodman Theatre* Petrarca Rugby, an Italian rugby union club...
and the contemporary Tuscan literature.