Galeazzo Malatesta
Encyclopedia
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. He was nicknamed "the inept" due to his lack of courage and, differently from most of the male members of the family, he did not prove skilled in the art of war.
In 1413, together with his father, he took part in the failed attack to Capodimonte, near Ancona
. In 1416 he was at the battle of Sant'Egidio
, collaborating with his cousin Carlo I Malatesta
. They were both taken as prisoners. Freed, Galeazzo followed his cousin in other battles until 1429, the year of the death of both his father's and Carlo I's deaths. Galeazzo subsequently became lord of Pesaro. In 1430 he supported a rebellion against his kinsman, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. In 1431 he was ousted from Pesaro together with his brother Carlo, due to his poor government, and took refuge in Venice
. After a series of battles against the Papal States
, he was able to return in Pesaro in 1433.
In 1433 he hired Federico III da Montefeltro to defend Pesaro and Fossombrone against his cousin Sigismondo Pandolfo from Rimini. Although he was able to keep his territories, and overwhelmed by the debts made to hire other condottieri, in 1444 he sold Pesaro to Alessandro Sforza
in exchange of 20,000 florins. Two years later he gave Fossombrone to Federico da Montefeltro, for 13,000 florins. This caused the Pope to excommunicate him, since he had sold two towns which were nominally under papal rule.
In 1448 he made peace with his cousins, Sigismondo Pandolfo and Domenico Malatesta, who pushed him to attack Pesaro. However, Galeazzo's attempt was thwarted by the intervention of Florence
. He later lived in Rimini
, where he died in 1452.
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....
and 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....
.
He was the elder son of Malatesta IV Malatesta
Malatesta IV Malatesta
Malatesta IV Malatesta was an Italian condottiero, poet and lord of Pesaro, Fossombrone, Gradara, Jesi, Narni and other fiefs in Italy.-Biography:...
and 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 :...
. In 1405 he married Battista da Montefeltro. He was nicknamed "the inept" due to his lack of courage and, differently from most of the male members of the family, he did not prove skilled in the art of war.
In 1413, together with his father, he took part in the failed attack to Capodimonte, near Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
. In 1416 he was at the battle of Sant'Egidio
Battle of Sant'Egidio
thumb|320px|The Battle of Sant'Egidio, panel by [[Paolo Uccello]], [[Galleria degli Uffizi]].The Battle of Sant'Egidio was fought on 12 July 1416 at Sant'Egidio, near Umbertide between the condottiero Braccio da Montone and the troops of Perugia, under Carlo I Malatesta...
, collaborating with his cousin Carlo I Malatesta
Carlo I Malatesta
Carlo I Malatesta was an Italian condottiero during the Wars in Lombardy and lord of Rimini, Fano, Cesena and Pesaro...
. They were both taken as prisoners. Freed, Galeazzo followed his cousin in other battles until 1429, the year of the death of both his father's and Carlo I's deaths. Galeazzo subsequently became lord of Pesaro. In 1430 he supported a rebellion against his kinsman, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. In 1431 he was ousted from Pesaro together with his brother Carlo, due to his poor government, and took refuge in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. After a series of battles against the 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...
, he was able to return in Pesaro in 1433.
In 1433 he hired Federico III da Montefeltro to defend Pesaro and Fossombrone against his cousin Sigismondo Pandolfo from Rimini. Although he was able to keep his territories, and overwhelmed by the debts made to hire other condottieri, in 1444 he sold Pesaro to Alessandro Sforza
Alessandro Sforza
Alessandro Sforza was an Italian condottiero and lord of Pesaro, the first of the Pesaro line of the Sforza family.-Biography:...
in exchange of 20,000 florins. Two years later he gave Fossombrone to Federico da Montefeltro, for 13,000 florins. This caused the Pope to excommunicate him, since he had sold two towns which were nominally under papal rule.
In 1448 he made peace with his cousins, Sigismondo Pandolfo and Domenico Malatesta, who pushed him to attack Pesaro. However, Galeazzo's attempt was thwarted by the intervention 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...
. He later lived in Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, where he died in 1452.