Marcantonio I Colonna (1478 –

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, 1522) 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 ...

from the

Colonna family The House of Colonna, also known as ''Sciarrillo'' or ''Sciarra'', is an Italian noble family, forming part of the papal nobility. It was powerful in Middle Ages, medieval and Roman Renaissance, Renaissance Rome, supplying one pope (Pope Martin ...

. He was the son of Pietro Antonio, prince of

Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...

, and started his military career at the age of 24. He became a renowned

, since 1502 in the service of

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

, and later of

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or th ...

.
He married Lucrezia della Rovere (1485–1552), the Pope's niece, receiving as dowry the castle of

Frascati Frascati () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with ...

, where Colonna gave Frascati in 1515 its first statute, Statuti e Capituli del Castello di Frascati. The previous year he had also given to

Nemi Nemi is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome (central Italy), in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is northwest of Velletri and about southeast of Rome. The town's name derives from the Latin ...

the "Statuti e Capituli del Castello di Nemi", the first city statute with rules and regulations to observe. Later he distinguished himself fighting for

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

and then served the King of France, fighting his former employer, the Pope. In 1522 he organized the defense of Milan against the Spanish, but while inspecting the front lines along with Camillo Trivulzio, was hit by a cannon shot and fell mortally wounded. There are few depictions of Marcantonio Colonna in historical sources, but a picture of him can be found in a book of Philadelphus Mugnos.

Depictions in fiction

Marcantonio Colonna was a minor character in the 2011 television series '' The Borgias''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Colonna, Marcantonio I 1478 births 1522 deaths 16th-century condottieri 16th-century Italian nobility Marcantonio I