}) (died 1357 in
Altamura
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilic ...
) was an Italian
nobleman and ''
condottiero
''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...
''. He belonged to the ''Pipino'' noble family, which began with
Giovanni Pipino da Barletta (died 1316 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 ...
) and that, after just a few decades, declined.
He was the count of
Minervino Murge and
Altamura
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilic ...
, as well as the grandson of
Giovanni Pipino da Barletta. Together with his brothers, he was well known for his violent character and arrogance towards the people he ruled over. According to sources, the brothers tried to subjugate many cities and territories of the
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
over the first half of the XIV century, taking advantage of the disorder and absence of power in the
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
which started right before the death of
Robert of Anjou, king of Naples. Giovanni and his brothers did not comply with Robert's orders and, because of this and their arrogance, they were imprisoned. They managed to leave prison only after the king's death. They often changed sides: first, they fought for
Andrew of Hungary, and then for
Joanna I of Naples and her husband
Louis, Prince of Taranto
Louis I (Italian: ''Luigi'', ''Aloisio'' or "Ludovico" ; 1320 – 26 May 1362), also known as Louis of Taranto, was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou who reigned as King of Naples, Count of Provence and Forcalquier, and Prince of Taranto. ...
. Eventually, they backed
Louis of Durazzo
Louis of Durazzo (1324 – 22 July 1362) was Count of Gravina and Morrone. He was the son of John of Durazzo and Agnes of Périgord.
In 1337, he was named Vicar- and Captain-General of the Kingdom of Albania. During the ascension of the Durazz ...
.
Because of his character and his disloyalty to the king, Giovanni Pipino di Altamura was captured in 1357 in
Matera Castle and then he was brought to the nearby city of
Altamura
Altamura (, ; nap, label= Barese, Ialtamùre) is a town and ''comune'' of Apulia, in southern Italy. It is located on one of the hills of the Murge plateau in the Metropolitan City of Bari, southwest of Bari, close to the border with Basilic ...
, where he was hanged from the battlements of
Altamura Castle
Altamura Castle ( it, Castello di Altamura) was a castle located in the city of Altamura, now completely demolished. It was located over today's ''piazza Matteotti'' and a few remains of it are still visible inside the adjacent buildings, which wer ...
. According to the book ''Vita di Cola di Rienzo'' (written by an anonymous author), he had to wear a paper crown because he called himself "king of Apulia". His corpse was then dismembered in four parts, which were then displayed in areas of the city of Altamura as a warning to the subjects. One of his legs was displayed on the right of
Porta Matera
Porta Matera was one of the main gates of the old city of Altamura. They were part of the City Walls of Altamura (dating back to Middle Ages and rebuilt in 1648), which were completely demolished during the nineteenth century since they had become ...
(one of the main gates of the
City Walls of Altamura). The leg was then replaced by a
bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
depicting Pipino's coat of arms and his leg. The bas-relief was destroyed and rebuilt in 1648 because of the restoration of the city walls; it is still visible on the right side of
Porta Matera
Porta Matera was one of the main gates of the old city of Altamura. They were part of the City Walls of Altamura (dating back to Middle Ages and rebuilt in 1648), which were completely demolished during the nineteenth century since they had become ...
.
Shortly thereafter, his brother Luigi Pipino was also captured and hanged on the battlements of the castle of
Minervino Murge; while the last brother Pietro Pipino went into a self-imposed exile in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, losing all the property of his family and ending the Pipino dynasty.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of the ''Pipino'' family is shown in the tomb of
Giovanni Pipino da Barletta (located in the church of
San Pietro a Majella
San Pietro a Majella is a church in Naples, Italy. The term may also refer to the adjacent Naples music conservatory, which occupies the premises of the monastery that used to form a single complex with the church.
The church stands at the west ...
,
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 ...
) and it is made of a gray background, and a light blue transverse band containing three golden shells.
The coat of arms can also be seen inside the castle of
Minervino Murge, but it's been partly damaged, presumably by his and his brothers' enemies.
Family
* Nicola Pipino (great-grandfather)
*
Giovanni Pipino da Barletta (died 1316) (grandfather)
* Nicola Pipino (uncle)
* Niccolò Pipino (father)
* Giovannella di Altamura (mother) - daughter of Giovanni di Sparano di Bari
* Angiola Pipino (aunt)
* Margherita Pipino (aunt)
* Maria Pipino (aunt)
* Pietro Pipino (brother)
* Luigi (o Ludovico) Pipino (brother)
* Matteo Pipino (brother)
Sources
*
*
* (In this book, Giovanni Pipino di Altamura is called "il Paladino", while
his grandfather is called "Gianni Pipino")
*
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Treccani.it - Giovanni PipinoTreccani.it - Pipino, conti di AltamuraGiovanni Pipino - Condottieri di ventura - condottieridiventura.it
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pipino, Giovanni
Year of birth unknown
1357 deaths
14th-century Italian nobility
14th-century condottieri