Opicino Spinola (also called Opizzino Spinola) was a merchant and political leader in the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the La ...

in the early fourteenth century. He was a member of the

Spinola Family The House of Spinola, or Spinola family, was a leading Italian political family centered in the Republic of Genoa. Their influence was at its greatest extent in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Important members Guido Spinola was one o ...

and one of the richest men in Genoa. In January 1306, the citizens of Genoa replaced their ''Podesta'' with two ''Capitani del Popolo'' ("Captains of the People") as rulers of the republic, part of a constitutional struggle lasting from 1257 to 1339. Thanks to his wealth, Spinola was elected one of the Captains. In 1307, Spinola's daughter, Argentina Spinola, married Theodore Palaiologos, who claimed the

March of Montferrat The March (also ''margraviate'' or ''marquisate'') of Montferrat was a frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages and a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The margraviate was raised to become the Duchy of Montferrat in 1574. O ...

in succession to his maternal uncle. Spinola used his wealth to establish Theodore in power. Spinola's co-Captain Bernabo Doria was the father-in-law of

Manfred IV, Marquess of Saluzzo Manfred IV (died 1330) was the fifth marquess of Saluzzo from 1296, the son of Thomas I and Luisa of Ceva. Biography Manfred forced the commune of Saluzzo (granted it by his father) to sign a contract regulating the relations between the city, ...

, who claimed some of the territory of Montferrat. This led to conflicts between Spinola and Doria. In 1310, Spinola managed to get himself appointed the sole Captain of the People for life. However, his growing power made enemies, including even some of his Spinola kinsmen. In late 1310, he was forced from office; in 1311 the ''Podesta'' was restored, and Spinola was placed under perpetual banishment from Genoa.

Sources

*Epstain, Steve. ''Genoa and the Genoese''. p. 325. *Malleson, George Bruce. ''Studies in Genoese History''. p. 300 Spinola family Italian untitled nobility Politicians from Genoa 14th-century Genoese people 14th-century Italian businesspeople {{italy-politician-stub