The Ordelaffi are an Italian family which held, with interruptions, the town of Forlì in Emilie-Romagna between the end of the 13th century and the beginnings of the 16th century.

The family seized the power in the town of Forlì, fortified town of the Gibelins, at the end of the 13th century. The field, which extends to Castrocaro, Forlimpopoli and with Cesena, remained in their hands until in 1359 then again of 1376 with 1480, with a transitory return in 1503 - 1504.

The family is probably of origin Germanic or Venezia. In the files of the city Ordelaffi is quoted for the first time in the middle of the 12th century.

The lords of Forlì are quoted in the Divine comedy of Dante (Inf.XXVII: “...... the city which formerly supported the long test, and of French made a bloody heap, is always under the green legs ...............” In the quotation the “green legs” are the claws of the crawling lion of the family weapons of Ordelaffi: " Fascé of six parts of sinople and gold, with the chief of the second charged with an issuant lion of the first " .

List heads of the household and lords of Forli

• Teobaldo Ordelaffi Chief of the Gibelins of Forlì, died in 1296.
• Scarpetta Ordelaffi (death after 1317), first Ordelaffi lord of Forlì, 1295 with 1315.
• Pino Ordelaffi, lord of Bertinoro of 1306 with 1310.
• Francesco I Ordelaffi, known under the name of Cecco I, brother of Scarpetta, lord of Forli of 1315 with 1331.
• Francesco II Ordelaffi (death in 1373 or 1374), known under the name of Cecco II, lord of Forli of 1331 with 1359.
• Of 1359 with 1376 Forli was under domination of the pope .
• Sinibaldo I Ordelaffi (1336 - 1386), lord of Forli of 1376 with 1386.
• Giovanni Ordelaffi (1355 - 1399), captain of companies of mercenaries.
• Pino II Ordelaffi, lord of Forli of 1386 with 1402.
• Francesco III Ordelaffi, known also under the name of Cecco III, (1349 - 1405), lord of Forli of 1402 with 1405.
• Of 1405 with 1411 Forli was a republic .
• Giorgio Ordelaffi (death in 1423, lord of Forli of 1411 with 1423.
• Tebaldo Ordelaffi (1413 - 1425), lord of Forli of 1423 with 1425.
• Of 1425 with 1426 Forli was under domination of Filippe Maria Visconti of Milan and of 1426 with 1433 Forli was under domination of the pope .
• Antonio I Ordelaffi, lord of Forli of 1433 with 1436 and of 1438 with 1448.
• Of 1436 with 1438 Forli was under domination of the pope .
• Francesco IV Ordelaffi (1435 - 1466), known under the name of Cecco IV, lord of Forli of 1448 with 1466
• Pino III Ordelaffi (1440 - 1480), brother of Cecco IV, lord of Forli of 1466 with 1480.
• Sinibaldo II Ordelaffi (1467 - 1480), wire of Pino III, lord of Forli in 1480.
• Francesco V Ordelaffi (1461 - 1488), wire of Francesco IV Ordelaffi it in vain tried to become lord of Forli in 1480.
• Of 1480 with 1503 Forli successively passed under the domination of Girolamo Riario of 1480 to 1488 then of Catherine Sforza of 1488 to 1499 and finally of César Borgia of 1499 to 1503 .
• Antonio Maria Ordelaffi (1460 - 1504), wire of Cecco IV, lord of Forli of 1503 with 1504.

With the death of Antonio Maria, the principal branch of the family died out as well as the domination of Ordelaffi on Forli which returned to the Papal States until in 1797.

References

External bond

• Family tree of the family Ordelaffi site: TheDarkAge