Onorato I Caetani
Encyclopedia
Onorato I Caetani was an Italian nobleman, who was the count of Fondi
from 1348 and the Great Conestable of the Kingdom of Naples
also from 1348. He was also lord of Sermoneta
, Bassiano
, Marino
and also Senator of Rome
from 1384.
, the son of Nicola I Caetani, lord of Sermoneta and Bassiano, and Giacoma Orsini, the daughter of Rinaldo and Giacomo Orsini of Marino. Around 1348, at Nicola's death, he inherited the county of Fondi, which was confirmed him by queen Joanna I of Naples in 1352. He thenceforth started to expand his lands in the northern Kingdom of Naples
and southern Papal States
(what is now southern Lazio). In 1356 he submitted Anagni
and Sezze
. His power was also based on familiar ties, both with other members of his family and their feudataries, and with powerful figures such as Francesco Del Balzo Orsini, whose sister he had married to. A sister of Onorato married to Stefanello Colonna.
In 1367 Pope Urban V excommunicated Caetani, who was besieging Ferentino
and was forced to retreat by a papal army. He later reconciled with the papacy and was named rector of Campagna e Marittima. He was among the noblemen who accompanied the return of Pope Gregory XI to Rome in 1377. The Pope, after his stay there was stopped due to a revolt, took refuge at Caetani's court in Anagni. However, the new Pope Urban VI, deprived him of Campagna and Marittima in 1378: in exchange, Caetani housed at Fondi the cardinals who elected a rival Pope, Clement VII
, who established his residence there. On 22 November 1378 Clement restored him as rector of Campagna and Marittima, and also granted him the fiefs of Sermoneta
and Bassiano
. In the winter of 1379 Caetani took part in the military operations of Clement's followers to capture Rome: despite their defeat, Clement awarded him 2,000 florins for his help and, after, the move of his court ot Avignon
, used Caetani's lands near Fondi as their logistic base in Italy.
This period was Caetani's apex: he defeated his rivals at Ninfa, built a fortress at Castellonorato (in the modern comune
of Formia
, 1380), reclaimed several areas of southern Lazio and distributed lands to his peasants. His power, however, started to decay after Charles of Durazzo's invasion of southern Italy in 1381. Charles, after capturing Naples, executed Baldassarre of Brunswick, Caetani's brother-in-law and his main link with the Neapolitan court, and hired Onorato's brother Giacomo for the to conquer Fondi. Velletri
expelled his Breton mercenaries and also Anagni
revolted against him. Caetani however was albe to resist, and was one of the supporters of Louis I of Anjou in his attempt to capture the Kingdom of Naples. During the war between the former's successor, Louis II of Anjou and Ladislaus of Durazzo, Caetani did not changed side, and remained an ally of Clement VII and his Avignonese successor, Benedict XIII
. This led pope Boniface IX to excommunicated him again (3 May 1399), and a crusade was launched against Fondi. King Ladislaus attacked his lands from the south while papal troops came from the north. After losing Anagni, Sezze
and Cisterna, he tried a desperate assault to Rome (15 January 1400), but was defeated at Porta del Popolo.
Onorato Caetani decided to submit to Boniface IX, but died soon afterwards of apoplexy
.
Fondi
Fondi is a city and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman Via Appia, which was the main connection from Rome to...
from 1348 and the Great Conestable of the Kingdom of Naples
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...
also from 1348. He was also lord of Sermoneta
Sermoneta
Sermoneta is a hill town and comune in the province of Latina , central Italy.It is a walled hill town, with a 13th-century Romanesque cathedral called Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta and a massive castle, built by the Caetani family. The Cistercian Valvisciolo Abbey is located nearby...
, Bassiano
Bassiano
Bassiano is a comune in the Province of Latina in the Italian region Lazio, located about 60 km southeast of Rome and about 14 km northeast of Latina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,664 and an area of 31.6 km².Bassiano borders the following municipalities:...
, Marino
Marino, Italy
Marino is an Italian city and comune in Lazio , on the Alban Hills, Italy, 21 km south east of Rome, with population of 37,684 and a territory of 26.10 km2...
and also Senator of Rome
History of Rome
The history of Rome spans 2,800 years of the existence of a city that grew from a small Italian village in the 9th century BC into the centre of a vast civilisation that dominated the Mediterranean region for centuries. Its political power was eventually replaced by that of peoples of mostly...
from 1384.
Biography
He was born at FondiFondi
Fondi is a city and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman Via Appia, which was the main connection from Rome to...
, the son of Nicola I Caetani, lord of Sermoneta and Bassiano, and Giacoma Orsini, the daughter of Rinaldo and Giacomo Orsini of Marino. Around 1348, at Nicola's death, he inherited the county of Fondi, which was confirmed him by queen Joanna I of Naples in 1352. He thenceforth started to expand his lands in the northern Kingdom of Naples
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...
and southern Papal States
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...
(what is now southern Lazio). In 1356 he submitted Anagni
Anagni
Anagni is an ancient town and comune in Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical center in Ciociaria.-Geography:...
and Sezze
Sezze
Sezze is a town and comune in the Province of Latina, Italy, about 65 km south of Rome and 10 km from the Mediterranean coast. The historical center of Sezze is located on a high hill commanding the Pontine plain....
. His power was also based on familiar ties, both with other members of his family and their feudataries, and with powerful figures such as Francesco Del Balzo Orsini, whose sister he had married to. A sister of Onorato married to Stefanello Colonna.
In 1367 Pope Urban V excommunicated Caetani, who was besieging Ferentino
Ferentino
Ferentino is a town and comune in Italy, in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, 65 km southeast of Rome.It is situated on a hill 400 m above sea-level, in the Monti Ernici area.-History:...
and was forced to retreat by a papal army. He later reconciled with the papacy and was named rector of Campagna e Marittima. He was among the noblemen who accompanied the return of Pope Gregory XI to Rome in 1377. The Pope, after his stay there was stopped due to a revolt, took refuge at Caetani's court in Anagni. However, the new Pope Urban VI, deprived him of Campagna and Marittima in 1378: in exchange, Caetani housed at Fondi the cardinals who elected a rival Pope, 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:...
, who established his residence there. On 22 November 1378 Clement restored him as rector of Campagna and Marittima, and also granted him the fiefs of Sermoneta
Sermoneta
Sermoneta is a hill town and comune in the province of Latina , central Italy.It is a walled hill town, with a 13th-century Romanesque cathedral called Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta and a massive castle, built by the Caetani family. The Cistercian Valvisciolo Abbey is located nearby...
and Bassiano
Bassiano
Bassiano is a comune in the Province of Latina in the Italian region Lazio, located about 60 km southeast of Rome and about 14 km northeast of Latina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,664 and an area of 31.6 km².Bassiano borders the following municipalities:...
. In the winter of 1379 Caetani took part in the military operations of Clement's followers to capture Rome: despite their defeat, Clement awarded him 2,000 florins for his help and, after, the move of his court ot Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, used Caetani's lands near Fondi as their logistic base in Italy.
This period was Caetani's apex: he defeated his rivals at Ninfa, built a fortress at Castellonorato (in the modern comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Formia
Formia
Formia is a city and comune in the province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio . It is located halfway between Rome and Naples, and lies on the Roman-era Appian Way.-History:...
, 1380), reclaimed several areas of southern Lazio and distributed lands to his peasants. His power, however, started to decay after Charles of Durazzo's invasion of southern Italy in 1381. Charles, after capturing Naples, executed Baldassarre of Brunswick, Caetani's brother-in-law and his main link with the Neapolitan court, and hired Onorato's brother Giacomo for the to conquer Fondi. Velletri
Velletri
Velletri is an Italian town of 53,298 inhabitants. It is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio - Italy. It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa, Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio...
expelled his Breton mercenaries and also Anagni
Anagni
Anagni is an ancient town and comune in Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical center in Ciociaria.-Geography:...
revolted against him. Caetani however was albe to resist, and was one of the supporters of Louis I of Anjou in his attempt to capture the Kingdom of Naples. During the war between the former's successor, Louis II of Anjou and Ladislaus of Durazzo, Caetani did not changed side, and remained an ally of Clement VII and his Avignonese successor, 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....
. This led pope Boniface IX to excommunicated him again (3 May 1399), and a crusade was launched against Fondi. King Ladislaus attacked his lands from the south while papal troops came from the north. After losing Anagni, Sezze
Sezze
Sezze is a town and comune in the Province of Latina, Italy, about 65 km south of Rome and 10 km from the Mediterranean coast. The historical center of Sezze is located on a high hill commanding the Pontine plain....
and Cisterna, he tried a desperate assault to Rome (15 January 1400), but was defeated at Porta del Popolo.
Onorato Caetani decided to submit to Boniface IX, but died soon afterwards of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
.