Bartolomeo Colleoni facts for kids
Bartolomeo Colleoni (born around 1400 – died November 2, 1475) was a famous Italian soldier, known as a condottiero. A condottiero was a leader of a group of mercenary soldiers in Italy during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Colleoni became the main general, called a captain-general, for the powerful Republic of Venice. He was known as one of the best military planners and trainers of soldiers in the 1400s. He also helped fix up some old Roman baths in Trescore Balneario.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Family
Bartolomeo Colleoni was born in Solza, a town near Bergamo. At that time, Bergamo was part of the Duchy of Milan. Later in his life, Colleoni built a special chapel in Bergamo, called the Cappella Colleoni, where he planned to be buried.
His family, the Colleoni family, was noble, meaning they came from a high social class. However, they had been forced to leave Milan by the powerful Visconti of Milan family. Bartolomeo's father, Paolo Colleoni, took control of the castle of Trezzo. Sadly, he was killed by his cousins, likely because the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti, wanted it to happen.
Military Career
Young Bartolomeo trained to be a soldier. He first worked for Filippo d'Arcello, who was in charge of Piacenza. After that, he joined different condottieri. He fought with Braccio da Montone in Apulia, taking advantage of fights between different rulers.
In 1432, Colleoni joined the Venetian Republic. This was the most important part of his military career. Even though Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua was officially the commander-in-chief, Colleoni was truly the main leader of the army. He helped Venice win back many towns and areas from Milan. When Gonzaga switched sides to join the enemy, Colleoni continued to fight for Venice. He served under other famous generals like Erasmo of Narni (also known as Gattamelata) and Francesco I Sforza. He won important battles in places like Brescia, Verona, and on the Lake of Garda.
In 1441, when Venice and Milan made peace, Colleoni joined the Milanese side with Sforza. At first, he was treated well, but soon the Visconti family became suspicious of him. He was put in prison in Monza and stayed there until the Duke died in 1447.
After his release, Milan became the Golden Ambrosian Republic, and Sforza was its commander. Colleoni worked for Sforza for a while. But in 1448, he left Sforza and went back to the Venetians. He was disappointed that he wasn't chosen as the captain-general. So, in 1452, he went back to Sforza, who had conquered Milan and become its new Duke.
However, Venice really needed Colleoni. They offered him more money, and in 1453, he returned to Venice. In 1455, he was made captain-general of the Republic of Venice for the rest of his life. Even though he sometimes fought on his own when Venice was not at war, he always served the Republic when they needed him, until he died.
Later Life and Legacy
Bartolomeo Colleoni made his home in the castle of Malpaga, which he bought in 1465 and fixed up.
Even though he changed sides often, people did not accuse him of being a traitor. He also did not let his soldiers rob or destroy the lands they passed through, which was common for other mercenary leaders. When he wasn't fighting, he spent his time improving farming on the large lands Venice had given him. He also did a lot of good deeds for charity.
When he died in 1475 at Malpaga, he left a large amount of money to the Venetian Republic to help them fight against the Turkish forces. He also asked for an equestrian statue of himself to be built in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. The famous artist Andrea del Verrocchio created the model for the statue. After Verrocchio's death, Alessandro Leopardi cast it in bronze. However, no monuments were allowed in Piazza San Marco. So, the statue was placed near the Scuola Grande of St Mark, outside the Church of Saints Giovanni e Paolo.
Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni
In 1930, the Italian navy, called the Regia Marina, launched a warship named after Bartolomeo Colleoni. It was a cruiser that belonged to the Condottieri class of ships.
See also
In Spanish: Bartolomeo Colleoni para niños
