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Raimondo Orsini del Balzo (also known as ''Raimondello''; 1350–55 – 17 January 1406) was a nobleman from 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 ...
. He was Count of
Soleto Soleto (Griko: ; Salentino: ; la, Soletum) is a small Griko-speaking city located in the province of Lecce in Apulia, Italy. The town has a total population of 5,542 and is one of the nine towns of Grecìa Salentina where the greek dialect Griko ...
(1382),
Prince of Taranto The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of A ...
(1399–1406), Duke of
Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
, Grand Constable 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 ...
, Gonfalonier of the Holy Roman Church (1385, confirmed in 1399 together with the principality of Taranto). He was a member of the influential
Orsini family The House of Orsini is an Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes: Stephen II (752-757), Paul I (757-767), Celestine II ...
of
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 ...
. Although he is considered one of the most important people in the history of southern Italy, relatively little is known about his life.


Biography

Raimondo was born in
Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
, the second son of Nicola Orsini (1331–1399), 3rd Count of
Nola Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian wor ...
, grand Justiciar and also Grand Chancellor of the Kingdom of Naples, and his wife Giovanna of Sabran. His paternal grandparents were Roberto Orsini di Nola (1295–1345), 2nd Count of Nola, Grand Justiciar of Naples, and the heiress Sveva Del Balzo (born in the first years of 14th century), Countess of Soleto, heiress of des Baux. The family is later known as Orsini del Balzo. Nothing is known of his childhood and early youth, and the first mention of him dates to February 1372, describing him as a
squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...
in the
Avignon Papacy The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon – at the time within the Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles, Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire; now part of France – rather than i ...
. Sveva Del Balzo died in 1375, bequeathing Soleto to Nicola on the condition that he give it to Raimondo, who would then take on the Del Balzo name. However, Nicola instead gave it to his eldest son Roberto. This forced Raimondo to seek his fortune elsewhere. According to legend, he went on a
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
to the Middle East, though there is no documentary evidence of that. It is known that in February 1378, he arrived in
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
and participated in the
Galicia–Volhynia Wars The Galicia–Volhynia Wars were several wars fought in the years 1340–1392 over the succession in the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, also known as Ruthenia. After Yuri II Boleslav was poisoned by local Ruthenian nobles in 1340, both the Grand ...
, during which time he was made a
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
of the
Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. He returned to Italy in 1381, getting involved in the dispute between
Louis I, Duke of Anjou Louis I, Duke of Anjou (23 July 1339 – 20 September 1384) was a French prince, the second son of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. His career was markedly unsuccessful. Born at the Château de Vincennes, Louis was the first of the Ange ...
, and Charles of Durazzo over which of them would succeed
Joanna I of Naples Joanna I, also known as Johanna I ( it, Giovanna I; December 1325 – 27 July 1382), was Queen of Naples, and Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1343 to 1382; she was also Princess of Achaea from 1373 to 1381. Joanna was the eldest ...
after she was excommunicated for supporting
Antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI, was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election le ...
. At first he supported Louis, but switched his allegiance to Charles in 1382. In September 1384, he returned to the ranks of Louis, who died shortly afterwards, meaning that Charles became
King of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou In 1382, the Kin ...
. His reign was short-lived, however, as he too was excommunicated by
Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI ( la, Urbanus VI; it, Urbano VI; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (), was head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death in October 1389. He was the most recent pope to be elected from outside the ...
. Charles retaliated by besieging the pope at Nocera, but in July 1385 Raimondo freed the pope. Soon after this incident, Raimondo married
Mary of Enghien Mary of Enghien, also Maria d'Enghien (1367 or 1370 – 9 May 1446), was Countess of Lecce from 1384 to 1446 and Queen of Naples as well as titular Queen of Sicily, Jerusalem, and Hungary by marriage to Ladislaus of Naples from 1406 to 1414 ...
, the Countess of Lecce. This came about because
Louis, Count of Enghien Louis of Enghien (died March 17, 1394) titular Duke of Athens, Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien in 1381–1394, Count of Conversano in 1356–1394. His coat-of-arms was "Enghien (gyronny of eight argent and sable crusilly or), a label gules bez ...
(Mary's uncle) was (like Raimondo) a trusted advisor of both Louis I and his son Louis II (Louis II later became King of Naples). His position as Mary's husband and thus the
dominus Dominus or domini may refer to: * Dominus (title), a title of sovereignty, clergy and other uses Art, entertainment, and media * Dominus (band), a Danish death metal band * Dominus (DC Comics), an alien character in DC Comics * Dominus (Mar ...
of the County of Lecce allowed him to reclaim Soleto from his brother, officially becoming the Count upon his father's death in 1399. Additionally, over the years, he received numerous possessions and titles, many in the
Terra di Otranto The Terra di Otranto, or Terra d’Otranto (in English, Land of Otranto), is an historical and geographical region of Apulia, largely corresponding to the Salento peninsula, anciently part of the Kingdom of Sicily and later of the Kingdom of Nap ...
region. Meanwhile, Charles's son Ladislaus returned to reconquer Naples. Despite his many years of service to Louis's family, Raimondo knew he was allied with the losing side, and switched allegiances once more on the promise that he would be given the
Principality of Taranto The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Ap ...
, which happened in April 1399. However, by 1405, Ladislaus came into conflict with
Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII ( la, Innocentius VII; it, Innocenzo VII; 1339 – 6 November 1406), born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was head of the Catholic Church from 17 October 1404 to his death in November 1406. He was pope during the period of the Western ...
, whom he had previously supported on the condition that the pope not challenge his claim to the throne. Innocent excommunicated Ladislaus, but offered to pardon any of Louis II's supporters who came to his side, which Raimondo did, but he died soon afterwards on 17 January 1406, before Ladislaus had even learned of Raimondo's betrayal. Raimondo is buried at the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in
Galatina Galatina ( el, label=Griko, Ας Πέτρο, As Pètro; scn, label=Salentino, San Pietru), known before the unification of Italy as San Pietro in Galatina, is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Lecce in Apulia, southern Italy. It is situated ...
, which he had commissioned, together with his son and heir Giovanni Antonio. Despite having been one of the most important people in the history of southern Italy, there has been little scholarship done on Raimondo's life. One reason for this is that there are only six surviving documents from his years in the government of the Kingdom of Naples. This is likely due his being declared a
nonperson A nonperson is a citizen or a member of a group who lacks, loses, or is forcibly denied social or legal status, especially basic human rights, or who effectively ceases to have a record of their existence within a society (''damnatio memoriae''), ...
by Ladislaus, resulting in the destruction of many sources that would give insight into his life.


List of titles

* Prince of Taranto * Count of Soleto * Dominus of the Counties of Lecce and
Veglie Veglie ( Salentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy. Veglie is west of Lecce and east of the sea, the Gulf of Taranto. It is bounded by the ''comuni'' of Campi Salentina, Ca ...
* Baron of
Acerra Acerra () is a town and ''comune'' of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain. History Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the regio ...
, Altamura,
Lavello Lavello ( Potentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata of southern Italy; it is located in the middle Ofanto valley. History The area of Lavello was settled in prehistoric times, as attested by ...
,
Locorotondo Locorotondo ( Barese: ) is a town and municipality of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, with a population of about 14,000. It is situated between Martina Franca and Alberobello in the Valle d'Itria, a green stretch of countr ...
, Minervino,
Trevico Trevico is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy. Located in the Apennines upon a steep hill at 3,576 feet (1,090 m) altitude, Trevico is the highest inhabited place in Campania. Its main produce are hams, ch ...
, and
Tricase Tricase is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce, part of the Apulia region of south-east Italy. It is located in the Salento traditional region. In Tricase have Cardinale Giovanni Panico General Hospital. The area that is in between Otr ...
* Duke of
Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
*
Gonfalonier of the Church The gonfalonier of the Church or papal gonfalonier ( it, Gonfaloniere della Chiesa, "standard-bearer"; la, Vexillifer Ecclesiæ) was a military and political office of the Papal States. Originating from the use of the Papal banner during comba ...
* Chamberlain of the King of Naples * Captain general of the Terra di Otranto * Member of the
Order of the Ship The Order of the Ship (French ''Ordre de la Nef'') was a secular order of knighthood in the Kingdom of Naples founded and dedicated to the Holy Trinity by King Charles III of the House of Durazzo on 1 December 1381 and defunct by 1386. Charles III ...
In addition to the above, he was lord (both ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' and ''
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
'') of a number of other localities. He was said to be the secondmost powerful and possibly the richest man in the Kingdom of Naples.


Family

Raimondello and Mary had the following children: * Giovanni Antonio (1386–1463), Prince of Taranto, Duke of Bari, Count of Lecce, Acerra, Soleto, Conversano, also 1443 count of Matera, 1453 Ugento. * Maria del Balzo Orsini, married Antonio Acquaviva, 2nd Duke of Atri. Apparently childless. * Caterina del Balzo Orsini, married Bartolomeo (also known as Tristano) di Chiaramonte (de Clermont), Count of Copertino (1380 - c. 1432) * Gabriele (died 1453), Count of Ugento 1434, 1st Duke of Venosa 1441, Count of Lecce, Neapolitan General and Admiral. Married 1431 Giovanna (Ippolita) Caracciolo del Sole dei Duchi di Melfi, daughter of Sergianni Caracciolo dei Duchi di Melfi, Grand Seneschal of Kingdom of Sicily, and his wife Caterina Filangieri.


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orsini, Raimondo Del Balzo Year of birth unknown 1406 deaths Raimondo Raimondo Counts of Soleto Counts of Lecce Dukes of Bari Princes of Taranto 14th-century Italian nobility 15th-century Italian nobility Chancellors of Naples 1350 births Golden Rose