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24-481: Cotignola was the birthplace of the 15th century condottiero Muzio Attendolo , whose family Sforza later ruled Milan , Pesaro and other seigniories in Italy. The other condottiero Alberico da Barbiano was born in the frazione of Barbiano. Cotignola borders the following municipalities: Bagnacavallo , Bagnara di Romagna , Faenza , Lugo , Solarolo . It is mentioned for the first time in 919 (as Cotoniola ) and

48-484: A cruiser called Muzio Attendolo in 1935. See also Condottieri-class cruiser . Braccio da Montone Braccio da Montone (1 July 1368 – 5 June 1424), born Andrea Fortebraccio , was an Italian condottiero . He was born to the nobleman Oddo Fortebraccio and Giacoma Montemelini at Perugia . He began his military career as a page in Guido d'Asciano's company. When his family was exiled from Perugia and he lost

72-658: A location in Emilia–Romagna is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Muzio Attendolo Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424) was an Italian condottiero . Founder of the Sforza dynasty , he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio . He was the father of Francesco Sforza , who ruled Milan for 16 years. Giacomuzzo was born in 1369 in Cotignola ( Romagna ) to

96-494: A payment of 180,000 gold ducats . He thus invaded and conquered most of Umbria, his goal being again the beloved Perugia. The city gave itself to Carlo Malatesta . At the battle of Sant'Egidio (12 July 1416, later portrayed in a famous fresco by Paolo Uccello ), the bracceschi were victorious, and Perugia was finally forced to open its gates to Braccio da Montone. Other Umbrian cities, such as Todi, Narni , Orvieto and Terni named him as lord: at this point, Braccio da Montone

120-416: A rich family of rural nobility, son of Giovanni Attendolo (died 1385/1386) and Elisa. Muzio was the short form of the nickname of Giacomuzzo , which was the name of his paternal grandfather. According to tradition, young Giacomo was ploughing a field when mercenaries led by Boldrino da Panicale passed nearby in search of recruits. He then stole one of his father's horses and followed the soldiers to follow

144-586: A sister of Pandolfello Piscopo " Alopo ", Grand Chamberlain of the Kingdom of Naples and lover of Queen Joanna II . They had: In 1421, Sforza married thirdly with Maria (died 1440), daughter of Giacomo da Marzano, 1st Duke of Sessa, and Sovereign Countess of Celano after inheriting from her first husband Nicola de Berardi. They had: With Tamira di Cagli, Sforza had two children: With Lucia Terzani de Martini (or Lucia Demartini according to other sources; died 1461), They had: The Italian Regia Marina launched

168-662: The Antipope John XXIII assigned him the fiefdom of Montone and the governorship of Bologna. Braccio took advantage of his position to extort huge sums of money from the cities of Romagna. In 1414 he fought in Todi against Sforza, who had been hired by the King of Naples; in June he entered Florence, with which he signed a pact of alliance for 10 years. In the next August Ladislaus died, and Braccio freed Bologna after receiving

192-399: The Battle of Casalecchio , was defeated by his former master Alberico da Barbiano. By 1409, he was in the employ of Niccolò III d'Este of Ferrara , who was being menaced by Ottobono Terzi of Parma . King Ladislaus of Naples named him Gran Connestabile of his kingdom. Sforza's military qualities were mostly needed against Florence and the pope. He remained for the rest of his life in

216-774: The Aragonese and passed to the side of the Angevins under Louis, Braccio remained loyal to Alfonso. The final clash between the two contenders was just below the walls of Aquila, which still resisted the siege, near the hamlet today called Bazzano. On 2 June the battle was fought between some of the most celebrated condottieri of the time; Braccio, mortally wounded in the neck, was made prisoner and transported to L'Aquila , where he died three days later, on 5 June 1424. The Pope had him buried in unconsecrated ground because Braccio died excommunicated, in which his corpse remained until 1432 when his nephew Niccolò Fortebraccio moved it to

240-426: The Kingdom of Naples, after the king's death (1414), at the service of Queen Joanna II . However, he attracted the jealousy of Joan's favourite , Pandolfello Alopo , who had him arrested and imprisoned. However, when Sforza's troops intervened, Alopo freed him and Joan gave him the fiefdoms of Benevento and Manfredonia . On this occasion, Sforza married Caterina Alopo, Pandolfello's sister. A few months later Sforza

264-604: The Milanese army for the Pope. The following year Boniface IX regained Bologna , Perugia and Assisi , but the exiled Perugini could not return to the city: Braccio therefore returned again under Barbiano's aegis against Faenza and the Papal States. When his companions denounced him to Alberico, alleging he was planning to kill the commander, Braccio was forced to flee. In 1406 he fought against Perugia with other exiled, who,

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288-537: The Neapolitan troops retreated from the city, he attacked and defeated them at Sora , which he also sacked. In the same year he was simultaneously at the service of Florence and Spoleto , but this did not prevent him to besiege the hateful Perugia, though in vain. The rapid movements of his troops became proverbial, and a new school of the condottieri's art, the Braccesca , was named after him. The following year

312-586: The castle of Montone, he entered Alberico da Barbiano ’s "Company of St. George", in which he would make friends with Muzio Attendolo Sforza . At the head of 150 knights, Braccio performed some guerrilla actions which foreshadowed the tactics that his own company would later adopt. After a short return to Montone, he fought for the Montefeltro and the Malatesta in Romagna , being slightly crippled during

336-553: The following year, formed the great part of his new company, with which Braccio ravaged the Umbrian countryside. In May 1407 the citizens of Rocca Contrada gave him the seigniory of the town, in exchange for his support in combatting the marquess of Fermo . Later Braccio entered the service of King Ladislaus of Naples , who was at war with Florence and the Pope: at the time he had 1,200 cavalry and 1,000 infantry under him. He ravaged

360-527: The following, confused, events that led to the arrival of Louis III of Anjou in Naples in opposition to Alfonso V of Aragon , Sforza helped Joan and Sergianni to flee to Aversa . In 1423, the city of L'Aquila rebelled against Braccio da Montone and he was sent to support it. In an attempt to save one of his pages during the fording of the River Pescara , Sforza drowned and his body was swept away by

384-641: The lands of the Trinci of Foligno but, when Perugia accepted Ladislaus' suzerainty, Braccio sided against him and moved to Ancona , capturing Jesi . In 1409 Braccio fought at Città di Castello , for the Florentines and then moved to Rome where he besieged Castel Sant'Angelo , returning to the Marche for the winter. In 1410 Rome was attacked by the troops of Lucas and Ladislaus of Naples, as well as by several bands of mercenaries, including Braccio's own; when

408-620: The lordships of Perugia, Todi, Assisi, Spello , Jesi and others) in exchange for ousting Antongaleazzo Bentivoglio from Bologna. After conquering the latter, he could finally retreat to Perugia to enjoy ruling the city which had ousted him and his family many years ago. Sometime later the Pope excommunicated Joanna II , Queen of Naples, appointing Louis III of Anjou as heir to the crown in her stead. Joan appointed king Alfonso of Aragon as her heir, and called Braccio da Montone to fight for her. Once again Braccio found himself facing Sforza, who

432-467: The same career. Later, together with his brothers Bosio, Francesco and Bartolo and two cousins, Muzio joined the company of Alberico da Barbiano , who nicknamed him "Sforza" ('Strong'). In 1398 he was at the service of Perugia against the Milanese troops of Gian Galeazzo Visconti , to whom Muzio soon switched his loyalty following the typical behaviour of mercenary chieftains of the time. Later Muzio fought for Florence against Visconti but in 1402, at

456-636: The siege of the Castle of Fossombrone (1391). In 1394 Braccio was briefly held prisoner in the Rocca of Umbertide , and released after the payment of a ransom. In 1395 he fought again for Barbiano in the Kingdom of Naples , and two years later he was hired by the Republic of Florence . In 1398 he fought for the Pope in the war against Perugia. In 1402, at the death of Gian Galeazzo Visconti , he fought against

480-418: The waters. Sforza had sixteen known children born from five marriages: In 1409, Sforza married firstly with Antonia (died 1411), widow of Francesco Casali, Lord of Cortona and daughter of Francesco Salimbeni, Patrician of Siena and Lord of Chiusi, Radicofani, Bagno Vignoni, Carsoli and Sarteano. They had: On 16 June 1413, Sforza married secondly with Caterina (also named Catella ; died 1418 in childbirth),

504-403: Was again arrested after a quarrel with James of Bourbon . He was freed only in 1416, after James' fall from power, and Joan gave him back the title of Conestabile . In 1417 Sforza was sent by Joan to help the pope against Braccio da Montone , together with his son Francesco . Later he returned briefly to Naples, but here he was opposed by Giovanni (Sergianni) Caracciolo , Joan's new lover. In

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528-512: Was at the head of the Angevine army. There was not an open battle, though Braccio's army moved all over Abruzzo. Joan gave him the lordship of Teramo , and soon after Braccio started his 13-month-long siege of L'Aquila . Meanwhile, on 3 February 1424 Braccio was appointed Gran Conestabile of the Kingdom and received the fiefdoms of Capua and Foggia . However, when the Queen of Naples abandoned

552-709: Was later the fief of the counts of Cunio , who had a castle in Barbiano. In the 15th century, it was ruled by the Sforza , then by the Este and, from 1598, it was part of the Papal States . During the late stages of World War II , Cotignola was near the front line over the Senio river. Eighty percent of the urban buildings were destroyed by the Allied bombings, with some 270 civilian casualties. This article on

576-512: Was ready to form a state for himself in central Italy. He asked the newly elected Pope Martin V to name him Papal vicar for Umbria, but Martin replied by sending against him two armies under Guidantonio da Montefeltro , from the north, and under Sforza, from the South, but Montone defeated them at Spoleto . On 14 March 1419, he met the Pope in Florence, obtaining the long-awaited title (including

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