Niccolò Piccinino

Niccolò Piccinino (Perugia v. 1380 - Cusago 1444), was a Condottiere] N. Its nickname probably comes from its small size ( piccinino = small).

Biography

Born with Callisciana, Perugia, Niccolò Piccinino was the son of a butcher. He began his military career with the service of Braccio da Montone, at the time where this one Aquila besieged.

With died of its condottiere, at once after that of the last wire of this last, Oddo, Piccinino took the command of the condotta of Braccio. After a short period with the service of the Republic of Florence, it served Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan (1425), for which, in company of Niccolò Fortebraccio, it fought against the league formed by the pope Eugene IV, Venice and Florence.

It demolished the forces of the pope with Castel Bolognese in (1434), but those were followed of one second army, ordered by Francesco Sforza, which beat and killed Fortebraccio with Fiordimonte, Piccinino, remained only with the command, achieves a series of campaigns against Sforza and took again several towns of Romagna.

In 1438, during the war between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan, Piccinino, fought for the duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti, and tried to take the town of Brescia, but Scaramuccia da Forlì, with the service of Venice, succeeds in pushing back the attack. In 1439, Piccinino still fought in Lombardy gaining various successes against Sforza, which had entered to the service of Venice.

Piccinino convainquit the duke of Milan to send it in Ombrie where he hoped, like other condottieres, to conquer his own stronghold. It was beaten by Sforza with the Bataille of Anghiari in 1440.

The duke by way off reply concluded has truce with Sforza; goal to lath, who, while professing to defend the Papal States, had established his own power in the Marche, aroused the fears off the pope and the king off Naples, ace well ace off the viscenti, who gave the command off to their joined forces to Piccinino. Sforza was driven from the Walk, goal defeated Piccinino At Montelauro, and while to lath was preparing for has desperate effort against Sforza He was suddenly recalled to Milan, his army was beaten in his absence, and He died off objection and off his wounds in 1444.

Shorts off stature, blade and in weak health, He was brave man to the not off foolhardiness, wonderfully resourceful, and never overwhelmed by defeat. Cruel He was and treacherous, and had No aim beyond his own aggrandizement. Piccinino left two sounds, Jacopo and Francesco, both distinguished condottieri .

With good account off Piccinino is contained in vol. III off E Ricotti' S Storie beyond company di Ventura (Turin, 1845); GB Poggio, Vita DLL NR. Piccinino (Venice, 1572); see also the general histories off the period. -->

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