Jordan Lancia
Encyclopedia
Giordano d'Anglano sometimes Jordan Lancia or Lanzia (died 1267) was an Italo
-Swabia
n count
and soldier, who served as marshal
to Manfred of Sicily
and acted as his commander in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
in Tuscany
.
He was originally from Piedmont
and was uncle to Manfred through the latter's mother, Bianca Lancia
. He was a loyal servant to Manfred, who gave him a county in Apulia
.
In 1260, Jordan was sent by Manfred with 800 German knight
s as vicar-general and captain of Tuscany at the request of a group of Florentine
Ghibellines, then exiled to Siena
. Meeting with the leaders of the allied towns of Arezzo
and Pisa
at Empoli
, Jordan was convinced by Farinata degli Uberti
not to attack Florence
itself, Siena's chief enemy and a centre of Guelph power. On 4 September, the Sienese army, depending largely on the German mercenaries and traitors in Florence's midst, met the Florentine on a hill outside Siena in the Battle of Montaperti
. Jordan and his cavalry led the second charge. Jordan followed up this victory by quickly snatching Florence itself, though once again Farinata intervened to prevent the razing of the city walls. He established Guido Novello as podestà
and returned with his mercenaries after their paid service of three and a half months.
After the Battle of Tagliacozzo
, Jordan was one of the captured who fell into the hands of Charles of Anjou. He was stripped of his eyes, a hand and a foot, and imprisoned in a jail in Brolo
where he spent his days until he was decapitated. Brunetto Latini
's Il Tesoro portrays Jordan wishing rather to die than endure further mutilation and then talking to his own severed hand, which, the encyclopaedist points out, dubbed many knights in its day.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
and soldier, who served as marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
to Manfred of Sicily
Manfred of Sicily
Manfred was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266. He was a natural son of the emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen but his mother, Bianca Lancia , is reported by Matthew of Paris to have been married to the emperor while on her deathbed.-Background:Manfred was born in Venosa...
and acted as his commander in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
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 ....
.
He was originally from Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and was uncle to Manfred through the latter's mother, Bianca Lancia
Bianca Lancia
Bianca Lancia d'Agliano was an Italian noblewoman, who was the mistress and later wife of emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, although the marriage, conducted while she was on her deathbed, was considered non-canonical.- Family :Born ca...
. He was a loyal servant to Manfred, who gave him a county in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
.
In 1260, Jordan was sent by Manfred with 800 German knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s as vicar-general and captain of Tuscany at the request of a group of Florentine
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
Ghibellines, then exiled to Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. Meeting with the leaders of the allied towns of Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
and Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
at Empoli
Empoli
Empoli is a town and comune in Tuscany, Italy, about 20 km southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the latter river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The commune's territory becomes a hilly one as it departs from the river...
, Jordan was convinced by Farinata degli Uberti
Farinata degli Uberti
Farinata degli Uberti , real name Manente degli Uberti, was an Italian aristocrat and military leader, considered by some to be a heretic, who appears in Dante Alighieri's Inferno and is mentioned in C.S...
not to attack Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
itself, Siena's chief enemy and a centre of Guelph power. On 4 September, the Sienese army, depending largely on the German mercenaries and traitors in Florence's midst, met the Florentine on a hill outside Siena in the Battle of Montaperti
Battle of Montaperti
The Battle of Montaperti was fought on September 4, 1260, between Florence and Siena in Tuscany as part of the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines...
. Jordan and his cavalry led the second charge. Jordan followed up this victory by quickly snatching Florence itself, though once again Farinata intervened to prevent the razing of the city walls. He established Guido Novello 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...
and returned with his mercenaries after their paid service of three and a half months.
After the Battle of Tagliacozzo
Battle of Tagliacozzo
The Battle of Tagliacozzo was fought on 23 August 1268 between the French, Provençal, and Italian forces of Charles of Anjou and the Italian, Spanish, Roman, Arab and German troops of the Hohenstaufen army, led by Conradin , the sixteen year old Duke of Swabia and claimant to the throne of Sicily...
, Jordan was one of the captured who fell into the hands of Charles of Anjou. He was stripped of his eyes, a hand and a foot, and imprisoned in a jail in Brolo
Brolo
Brolo is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 130 km east of Palermo and about 60 km west of Messina....
where he spent his days until he was decapitated. Brunetto Latini
Brunetto Latini
Brunetto Latini was an Italian philosopher, scholar and statesman.-Life:...
's Il Tesoro portrays Jordan wishing rather to die than endure further mutilation and then talking to his own severed hand, which, the encyclopaedist points out, dubbed many knights in its day.
Sources
- Giovanni VillaniGiovanni VillaniGiovanni Villani was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the Nuova Cronica on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman of Florence but later gained an unsavory reputation and served time in prison as a result of the bankruptcy of a trading and...
. Florentine Chronicle. translated by David Burr.