Alfonso II Piccolomini (10 March 1499 – 17 February 1559) was a Neapolitan nobleman and military leader who held the office of

Duke of Amalfi Medieval Amalfi was ruled, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, by a series of dukes ( la, duces), sometimes called ''dogi'' (singular: ''doge''), corresponding with the republic of Venice, a maritime rival throughout the Middle Ages. Before the t ...

throughout his life. He belonged to the Sienese

Piccolomini The House of Piccolomini (pronounced ) is the name of an Italian noble family, Patricians of Siena, who were prominent from the beginning of the 13th century until the 18th century. The family achieved the recognised titles of Pope of the Cathol ...

family and served as imperial governor of the

Republic of Siena The Republic of Siena ( it, Repubblica di Siena, la, Respublica Senensis) was a historic state consisting of the city of Siena and its surrounding territory in Tuscany, central Italy. It existed for over 400 years, from 1125 to 1555. During its e ...

from 1529 until 1541. Alfonso was born in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

on 10 March 1499, the posthumous son of

Alfonso I Piccolomini Alfonso I Piccolomini (1468–1498) was Duke of Amalfi. He was the son of Antonio Piccolomini, who had been granted the title Duke of Amalfi Medieval Amalfi was ruled, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, by a series of dukes ( la, duces), so ...

by his wife Giovanna d'Aragona. In 1517, he married Costanza, the daughter of Innico II d'Avalos and protégée of

Costanza d'Avalos, Duchess of Francavilla Costanza d'Avalos (1460–1541), Duchess of Francavilla, was an Italian ruler. She was the ruler of the Duchy of Francavilla between 1501 and 1541. Life She was the daughter of Innico I d'Avalos of the Spanish d'Avalos family, count of ...

. Contemporary chroniclers report his numerous infidelities, but he had seven legitimate children, four sons and three daughters, all but two of whom survived to adulthood. Alfonso was a Habsburg loyalist during the

Italian Wars The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...

. When the fighting came to Naples during the

War of the League of Cognac The War of the League of Cognac (1526–30) was fought between the Habsburg dominions of Charles V—primarily the Holy Roman Empire and Spain—and the League of Cognac, an alliance including the Kingdom of France, Pope Clement VII, the Repub ...

in 1528, he was appointed to the war council that advised the viceroy,

Philibert of Chalon Philibert de Chalon (18 March 1502 – 3 August 1530) was the last Prince of Orange from the House of Chalon. Biography Born at Nozeroy to John IV of Chalon-Arlay, Philibert served Emperor Charles V as commander in Italy, fighting in the War of ...

. He personally oversaw the defence of the cities he held in fief:

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramati ...

, Ravello and Scala. Castello di Nisida

In the summer of 1529, Alfonso was appointed captain-general of the Republic of Siena with command of the garrison of Spanish troops sent by the Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

, who was also king of Spain and Naples. The return of exiled Noveschi rendered the situation at Siena unfavourable, and Alfonso was recalled to Naples in 1531. He returned to Siena in 1532 and remained there as the imperial governor and captain-general of the Spanish garrison until 1541, mediating between political factions to maintain the peace. His removal in 1541 has been related to rumours that Alfonso had entered talks with the French, but there is no evidence for actual disloyalty. In 1553, Alfonso purchased the island of

Nisida Nisida is a volcanic islet of the Flegrean Islands archipelago, in southern Italy. It lies at a very short distance from Cape Posillipo, just north of Naples; it is now connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The islet is almost circular, wi ...

and began constructing a massive castle that could serve as both the centre of a refined aristocratic court and part of a strategic line of defence in the

Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy (province of Naples, Campania region). It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. It i ...

. He liquidated much of his family's silver to fund the building. On 1 April 1554, Alfonso was appointed to the Collateral Council, the highest governing body in the kingdom. He died in his castle on Nisida after an attack of

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

on 17 February 1559. He was succeeded as duke of Amalfi by his son Innico, who in 1538 had married his cousin, Silvia Piccolomini, thus uniting the Sienese and Neapolitan branches of the family. Another son,

Pompeo Pompeo is both a masculine Italian given name and a surname, derived from the Roman "Pompeius". Notable people with the name include: Given name: *Pompeo Aldrovandi (1668–1752), Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church * Pompeo Aldrovandini ...

, became the bishop of Tropea.

Notes

{{reflist 1499 births 1559 deaths Dukes of Amalfi House of Piccolomini