Micheletto Corella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Micheletto Corella
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| Miguel de Corella | |
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| Born | 1470 |
| Died | February 1508 (aged 38) |
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| Occupation | Condottiero |
Micheletto Corella (also known as Micheletto Coreglia, Michele de Corella, or Miguel de Corella) was a brave soldier and leader from Valencia, Spain. He was born around 1470 in Valencia and sadly passed away in Milan, Italy, in February 1508, at about 38 years old. He was a type of military leader called a condottiero, which means he led groups of soldiers for hire in Italy.
A Brave Soldier's Life
Micheletto Corella was often called "Valentino's executioner" because he worked closely with Cesare Borgia, who was known as "Valentino." It was believed that Micheletto and Cesare were close friends since they were children. They even studied together at the University of Pisa.
In December 1499, Micheletto Corella and the Bishop of Trani were left in Forlì as important officers in Cesare's army. This happened when Cesare's army took control of Forlì.
In March 1502, Cesare Borgia made Corella the governor of Piombino. A governor is someone who is in charge of a town or region. Later, in October 1502, Corella was sent to Pesaro with another leader named Ramiro de Lorqua, following Cesare Borgia's orders. On his way to Pesaro, Corella heard that the towns of Fossombrone and Pergola were rebelling. He went to these towns and punished them severely for their uprising.
Niccolò Machiavelli, a famous writer and diplomat, wrote about a conversation Corella had in December 1502. Corella told another leader, Oliverotto da Fermo, that his soldiers should go to their assigned living places. He also advised Oliverotto to meet with the Duke.
On the night of December 31, 1502, two leaders named Vitellozzo Vitelli and Oliverotto da Fermo were arrested under Cesare's command. It is believed that Corella was involved in their deaths, as hinted in Machiavelli's writings from that time.
In November 1503, Corella and another leader named della Volpe traveled north with many horsemen to help Cesare's forces. However, their group was defeated in Tuscany by the army of Gianpaolo Baglioni. After this, Corella and della Volpe were taken prisoner in 1503. Corella was first held in Florence and then in Rome. While he was a prisoner, he was questioned and pressured to reveal secrets about the powerful Borgia family. But Micheletto Corella was very loyal and refused to share the many secrets he knew.
In 1505, Corella was set free by Pope Julius II. Thanks to Niccolò Machiavelli's help, Corella was hired by the city of Florence as a bargello. A bargello was a chief of police or a high-ranking officer. He held this important job for two years, until 1507.
Micheletto Corella died in Milan in 1508. He was killed by people from his own country, though no one knows who ordered it.
The famous writer and historian Rafael Sabatini described Micheletto Corella as a "captain of foot," meaning a leader of soldiers. He was a soldier who had followed Cesare Borgia's military career from the very beginning. Sabatini also mentioned that Corella was the person who was thought to have killed Alfonso of Aragon under Cesare's orders. Corella was known for his strong loyalty to Cesare and for always carrying out his master's commands. Because of this, he was not always popular with others.
See also
In Spanish: Micheletto Corella para niños
