240px, Guidoriccio da Fogliano in the fresco '' Siege of Montemassi'' by Simone Martini. Guidoriccio da Fogliano (c. 1290 - 16 June 1352) was an Italian

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 is known as being portrayed by

Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a pupil ...

in the fresco of the

Palazzo Pubblico The Palazzo Pubblico (''town hall'') is a palace in Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. Construction began in 1297 to serve as the seat of the Republic of Siena's government, which consisted of the Podestà and Council of Nine, the elected officia ...

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

Biography

Guidoriccio was the son of Niccolò da Fogliano, condottiero and lord of

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia ( egl, Rèz; la, Regium Lepidi), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has abou ...

. In 1327 he was hired by 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 ...

to attack the possessions of the rival

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

and the

Aldobrandeschi The Aldobrandeschi were an Italian noble family from southern Tuscany. Overview Of probable Lombard origin, they appear in history as counts in the 9th century. The first known count was Hildebrand II (857). Their possession extended to what i ...

in the

Maremma The Maremma (, ; from Latin , "maritime and) is a coastal area of western central Italy, bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea. It includes much of south-western Tuscany and part of northern Lazio. It was formerly mostly marshland, often malarial, but ...

and

Mount Amiata Mount Amiata is the largest of the lava domes in the Amiata lava dome complex located about 20 km northwest of Lake Bolsena in the southern Tuscany region of Italy. It is located within the provinces of Grosseto and Siena. Geology Mount A ...

areas. In July 1328, with an army of 900 cavalry and 6,000 infantry, he besieged the village of

Montemassi Montemassi is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively part of the ''comune'' of Roccastrada, in the province of Grosseto. It is located on a hill about above sea level. The village originated as a fortified village of the Aldobrande ...

defended by

Castruccio Castracani Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (; 1281 – 3 September 1328) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and duke of Lucca. Biography Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he w ...

, conquering it after seven months. He also captured the Castle of Sassoforte. In 1331 Guidoriccio also took

Scansano Scansano is a town and comune, of medieval origin, in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, central Italy. The area which Scansano lies within is called Maremma. Scansano area is home to the production of Morellino di Scansano, a type of wine. '' ...

Arcidosso Arcidosso is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto and near the town of Montalcino. History The first certain documentation of ...

and

Massa Marittima Massa Marittima (Latin: ''Massa Veternensis'') is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Grosseto, southern Tuscany, Italy, 49 km NNW of Grosseto. There are mineral springs, mines of iron, mercury, lignite and copper, with foundries, ironw ...

and, the following year, he defeated the Pisani at

Giuncarico Giuncarico is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Gavorrano, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 399. History The village dates back to the Early Middle A ...

. However, in 1333 he was expelled by the Sienese, and he took refuge in Reggio where, together with his brother Giberto, he ousted Azzo Manfredi. Two years later the city was conquered by the Gonzaga, and the two brothers moved to

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

, where, in 1337, Guidoriccio became ''

podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

'' of

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

. He also fought under

Mastino I della Scala Mastino I della Scala (died 26 October 1277), born Leonardo or Leonardino, was an Italian '' condottiero,'' who founded the Scaliger house of Lords of Verona. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was ''podestà'' of Cerea in 1259, and then ''podes ...

. In 1348 he became ''podestà'' of

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

and, in 1351, he could return to Siena, where he died in 1352. He was buried in the church of San Domenico.

Sources

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guidoriccio 1290s births 1352 deaths People from Reggio Emilia 14th-century condottieri