Prospero Adorno (1428 in Genoa – 1485 in Asti) was the 34th

Doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

of 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 Lat ...

. Between 1477 and 1478 he was appointed Genoese governor for Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza, after the submission of the Republic to the

House of Sforza The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last me ...

Dukes of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elec ...

Biography

Son of Barnaba Adorno and Brigida Giustiniani, he was born in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

around 1428. An exponent of the Genoese

Adorno family The Adorno family was a noble family of the Republic of Genoa, with the branches of Botta in Milan, several of whom were Doges of the republic. The family is considered one of the most influential in the history of the republic. The elder branc ...

, considered the most influential in the history of the republic, he came to an agreement with

Francesco I Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L' ...

and the archbishop of Genoa

Paolo Fregoso Paolo di Campofregoso (1427 – 22 March 1498) was an Italian Catholic archbishop who was three times doge of Genoa. Biography The son of doge Battista Fregoso, he was convinced by Pope Nicholas V to study ecclesiastical matters at Pavia. In 14 ...

, future doge, to bring down the dedication of the Republic of Genoa towards the lordship of

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...

who had been dominating the republican scene since 1458. From 9 March to 12 March 1461, Prospero Adorno himself was elected doge of Genoa. During his dogate, the thirty-fourth in Genoese history, he soon came to the clash with the archbishop Fregoso, the latter eager for the promised cardinal title, due to the Adorno's friendship with

Pope Pius II Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...

, to which was added a new increase in tense relations between Genoa and

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

. In May 1461 Carlo Adorno, Prospero's brother, attempted a siege on the Savonese city, that was ally of France and seat of the Genoese exiles opposed to the politics of the dogato, which had a bankruptcy outcome. The sudden arrival of

René of Anjou René of Anjou ( it, Renato; oc, Rainièr; ca, Renat; 1409–1480) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1434 to 1480, who also reigned as King of Naples as René I from 1435 to 1442 (then deposed as the preceding dynasty was restored to ...

in Genoa forced a strange and rapid alliance between Adorno and the archbishop Fregoso who, also thanks to a hesitation of the opponent, was decisive in the battle of 17 July 1461 at

Sampierdarena Sampierdarena (also San Pier d'Arena; Ligurian: San Pè d'ænn-a) is a major port and industrial area of Genoa, in northwest Italy. With San Teodoro it forms the West Central (Centro Ovest) ''municipio''. Geography Sampierdarena lies on t ...

. Despite the joint victory, the triumphal entry into the republican capital was denied to the prelate who, indignant and strong of naval support by Bartolomeo Doria, did not delay in waging war on the fleet of Carlo Adorno who was defeated. The heavy loss necessarily forced his brother Prospero to leave the dogal power and therefore to flee from Genoa in July 1461. He found refuge in the Sforza court in

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 ...

, where he placed himself at the service of the lordship. He tried to insert himself in the diplomatic game that saw the Sforza family buying Savona in December 1463, and Genoa itself in 1464 which thus saw a first dedication to the Milanese lordship. In this historical phase Prospero Adorno withdrew from the political scene to manage the various fiefdoms received, some also in

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, from Duke Francesco Sforza. Under the lordship of Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza, from April 1477, Prospero Adorno was governor of Genoa on behalf of the Milanese lordship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adorno, Prospero 15th-century Doges of Genoa 1428 births 1485 deaths

Biography

See also

References