Pandolfo IV Malatesta
Encyclopedia
Pandolfo IV Malatesta, nicknamed Pandolfaccio (Bad Pandulph) (July 1475 – June 1534) was an Italian condottiero and lord of Rimini
and other cities in Romagna
. He was a member of the House of Malatesta
and a minor player in the Italian Wars
.
He was the son of Roberto Malatesta
, at the death of whom (1482) he was created captain general
of the Republic of Venice
. Four years later he was created knight by King Alfonso II of Naples
.
In 1495, hired by the Venetians, he took part in the Battle of Fornovo
, and later besieged the French garrison Novara
. Pandolfo's violence and murders gained him the hatred of his subjects: in 1497, a failed rape attempt on a young girl spurred a revolt in Rimini, which he could suppress only with Venetian intervention. He escaped another plot in 1498.
Two years later, Cesare Borgia
invaded Pandolfo's territories and Pope Alexander VI
, Cesare's father, excommunicated him. Abandoned by his susbjects, Pandolfo was compelled to give up Rimini for 2,900 ducats, living in Venice in the following years. After Alexander's death, he took advantage of Cesare's illness to attack Rimini in 1503, but without definitive success. In 1509, he took part in the Battle of Agnadello
, and after the Venetian defeat he changed sides, submitting to the Holy Roman Emperor
. He later besieged Padua
, but was forced to return to his fief of Cittadella
, which was officially given him in 1512. He later returned to Venice.
In 1522, Pandolfo, together with his son Sigismondo
, managed to regain briefly Rimini. In 1527, after the Sack of Rome
and capture of Pope Clement VII
, the two Malatestas entered again their ancestral city, but were soon ousted by Papal mercenaries.
He later lived in poverty at Ferrara
, under the protection of Duke Alfonso d'Este. Pandolfo died in 1534 in Rome
. He is buried in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere
.
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...
and other cities in Romagna
Romagna
Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
. He was a member of the House of Malatesta
House of Malatesta
The House of Malatesta was an Italian family that ruled over Rimini from 1295 until 1500, as well as other lands and towns in Romagna.Malatesta da Verucchio The House of Malatesta was an Italian family that ruled over Rimini from 1295 until 1500, as well as (in different periods) other lands and...
and a minor player in the Italian Wars
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
.
He was the son of Roberto Malatesta
Roberto Malatesta
Roberto Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Rimini, a member of the House of Malatesta.-Biography:...
, at the death of whom (1482) he was created captain general
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
of 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...
. Four years later he was created knight by King Alfonso II of Naples
Alfonso II of Naples
Alfonso II of Naples , also called Alfonso II d'Aragon, was King of Naples from 25 January 1494 to 22 February 1495 with the title King of Naples and Jerusalem...
.
In 1495, hired by the Venetians, he took part in the Battle of Fornovo
Battle of Fornovo
The Battle of Fornovo took place 30 km southwest of the city of Parma on 6 July 1495. The League of Venice was able to temporarily expel the French from the Italian Peninsula. It was the first major battle of the Italian Wars.-Antecedents:...
, and later besieged the French garrison Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
. Pandolfo's violence and murders gained him the hatred of his subjects: in 1497, a failed rape attempt on a young girl spurred a revolt in Rimini, which he could suppress only with Venetian intervention. He escaped another plot in 1498.
Two years later, Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
invaded Pandolfo's territories and Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
, Cesare's father, excommunicated him. Abandoned by his susbjects, Pandolfo was compelled to give up Rimini for 2,900 ducats, living in Venice in the following years. After Alexander's death, he took advantage of Cesare's illness to attack Rimini in 1503, but without definitive success. In 1509, he took part in the Battle of Agnadello
Battle of Agnadello
The Battle of Agnadello, also known as Vailà, was one of the more significant battles of the War of the League of Cambrai and one of the major battles of the Italian Wars....
, and after the Venetian defeat he changed sides, submitting to the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. He later besieged 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...
, but was forced to return to his fief of Cittadella
Cittadella
Cittadella is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the thirteenth century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is 1461 m in circumference with a diameter of around 450 m. There are four gates which roughly...
, which was officially given him in 1512. He later returned to Venice.
In 1522, Pandolfo, together with his son Sigismondo
Sigismondo Malatesta
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta , popularly known as the Wolf of Rimini, was an Italian condottiero and nobleman, a member of the House of Malatesta and lord of Rimini, Fano, and Cesena from 1432...
, managed to regain briefly Rimini. In 1527, after the Sack of Rome
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
and capture of Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
, the two Malatestas entered again their ancestral city, but were soon ousted by Papal mercenaries.
He later lived in poverty at Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, under the protection of Duke Alfonso d'Este. Pandolfo died in 1534 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He is buried in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere is a titular minor basilica, one of the oldest churches in Rome, and perhaps the first in which mass was openly celebrated...
.