Pandolfo III Malatesta(c. 1369 – October 3, 1427) was an Italiancondottieroand lord ofFano,a member of the famousHouse of Malatesta.He was the father of the infamousSigismondo Pandolfo Malatestaand BlessedRoberto Malatesta.
Biography
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He was the second son ofGaleotto I Malatestaand Elisabetta da Varano After his fathers death, the Malatesta lands were divided: he received Fano, while his brothersCarlo,AndreaandGaleotto NovelloinheritedRimini,CesenaandCervia,respectively. Galeotto's sons were educated under humanists likeGiacomo Allegrettiand the famousFrancesco Filelfo.
Pandolfo began his career as condottiero at the age of 18, leading a band ofmasnadierito ravageTuscany.In 1388 he accepted acondottafromVeniceagainst theCarraresifamily ofPadua.In 1393 he fought with Andrea against theOrdelaffiofForlì,but his occupation ofTodiandNarni,then part of the neighbouringPapal States,attracted him theexcommunicationofPope Boniface IX.Later pardoned, he fought against theViscontiof Milan in a League supportingFrancesco I GonzagaofMantua.
Pandolfo then went on crusade in theHoly Land,returning in 1402. Hired byGian Galeazzo Viscontitogether with his brother Andrea, he fought in the victoriousbattle of CasalecchioagainstBologna,and was subsequently named governor of that city. After Gian Galeazzo's death, he acted as advisor of his widow Caterina. He took advantage of that position, as well as of other condottas for Italian states, to enlarge his smallseignioryand ravage the neighbouring states and cities (likeTrezzoandComoin 1403, followed byBresciain 1404, which he received from the Visconti as payment of his 200,000ducaticredit, andBergamoin 1407).
In 1413 he was createdcapitano generale(commander-in-chief) of the Venetian armies, and fought against KingSigismund of Hungary.A victory atUdineand a skillful retreat granted him a palace in Venice, and the title ofDuke of Crete,which he refused. However, his territories in Lombardy were soon attacked byFrancesco Bussone,condottiero of the new Visconti DukeFilippo Mariaand provided with a strong army. Pandolfo lost Bergamo and Brescia by 1421. In 1424, in the course of theFirst War in Lombardy,the Florentine army led by the Malatesta brothers (with 10,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry) was severely defeated at thebattle of Zagonara.Carlo was captured and Pandolfo fled to Cesena with a few men-at-arms. He therefore lostImolaandFaenzato the Visconti, but managed to keep Fano thank to the intercession ofPope Martin V.
In the following years Malatesta devote to humanistic studies and to embellish his city.
Pandolfo Malatesta died in Fano in 1427. He is buried in the Church of St. Francesco in Fano. The grave was built by his illegitimate son,Sigismondo Malatesta,one of the most outstanding condottieri of the 15th century. His other sonDomenicowas lord of Cesena from 1429 to 1456.
Marriage
editHe married his cousin Paola Bianca Malatesta daughter of his unclePandolfo II Malatesta
See also
editSources
edit- Rendina, Claudio (1994).I capitani di ventura.Rome: Newton Compton.
External links
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- Page at www.condottierieridiventura.it(in Italian)