Giovanni I. Bentivoglio

Giovanni I. Bentivoglio (* around 1358; † June 26, 1402 in Bologna ) was an Italian nobleman and patrician from Bologna, who managed to stay there for a short time (March 14, 1401 after a relaxation of the papal rule over Bologna in 1401) until June 28, 1402) to seize power. Despite personal failure, he ushered in the beginning of the rule of four generations of his family over this city.

Giovanni I. Bentivoglio

origin

Giovanni I came from the Bentivoglio family , which, according to tradition, is derived from Enzio von Hohenstaufen , King of Sardinia (1239-1249 / 72), an illegitimate son of Emperor Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen , who was "knightly" imprisonment for twenty-three years maintained a relationship with a girl from Bologna in the "Palazzo di Re Enzo" named after him in Bologna, from whom the progenitor of the house Bentivoglio is said to have sprung. It is said to have got its name from the words with which King Enzio used to greet his beloved: "amor mio, ben ti voglio" (My love, I love you)

The family, however, probably comes from the town of the same name in the province of Bologna, whose castle the family later used as their preferred place of residence outside of Bologna. It first appeared in a document in Bologna in 1323. What is certain is that the family belonged to the patriciate of the city of Bologna, owned houses in the city and also lands in the area, and that many of their relatives were members of the notaries' guild, who were considered noble.

Giovanni's father was Antonio Bentivoglio, who already enjoyed some prestige in the city, as he participated in the city's legation that traveled to Avignon in 1370 to meet Pope Gregory XI. (Pierre Roger de Beaufort) (1370–1378) - to congratulate the sovereign of Bologna - on his election. He lived in the parish of Santa Cecilia. In his will of October 22, 1374 he was referred to as "Nobilis vir Dominus Antonius de Bentivolis, civis Bononiensis" (The noble man Mr. Antonius de Bentivolis, citizen of the city of Bologna).

The name and origin of Giovanni I's mother are unknown.

Life

Political upheaval in Bologna

At the time of Giovanni the city of Bologna was in a phase of political upheaval. In 1360 it was placed under the direct control of the Pope by the Spanish Cardinal Gil Álvarez Carillo de Albornoz (* around 1310 in Cuenca , Spain, † August 24, 1367 near Viterbo , Italy), which seemed to end the dream of free city government forever. However, the papacy subsequently faced growing difficulties, which the citizens of Bologna saw as an opportunity to break free from this submission. In 1376 the papal legate was therefore driven out of the city, the citizenry adopted a constitution as a free commune, created a citizens' assembly in the form of a "Council of Six Hundred" and transferred the affairs of government to the body of the "Anziani", whose chairman was entitled " Gonfaloniere di giustizia ”(standard bearer of justice). The Anziani were advised by 16 “Gonfalonieri del popolo” chosen by the four neighborhoods.

It soon turned out, however, that this was not a government capable of acting, so a new government in the form of the "sedici riformatori dello stato di libertà" (Sixteen Reformers of the Freedom State) was created. An institution that survived into the 18th century. This originally provisional, democratic organ, elected for a year, soon turned into an instrument of the oligarchy, with its members belonging to the patriciate and serving for life.

A confirmation of the new form of government by Pope Gregory XI. took place in 1377. Another essential step was that Pope Boniface IX. (Pietro Tomacelli) (1389–1404), in 1392 the papal vicariate for 25 years to the Council of Sixteen and its chairman, the Gonfaloniere di Giudizia. This created the prerequisite for the later development of the Bentivoglio's rule over Bologna.

Rise to power

Giovanni Bentivoglio began his public career in 1397 when he was made Anziano.

In 1399 he tried - together with Nanne Gozzadini - to overthrow the government of the Gonfaloniere Carlo Zambeccari, who came from a respected family of lawyers and had seized the government with the help of the Bolognese patrician family of the Maltraversi. The coup failed, which forced Giovanni to go into exile. However, Zambeccari died of the plague that same year, which allowed Giovanni to return to Bologna before the end of the year.

His townhouse was on Strá San Donato in the parish of San Giacomo Maggiore, which was the main focus of the family's homes. The parish church was under the patronage of the Bentivoglio and was expanded and embellished by the family, especially in the 15th century.

San Giacomo Maggiore.

After his return to Bologna, Giovanni expanded his power base by not only relying on friends of his class, but also securing the support of the "arti minori" - the lower guilds - in particular the "macellai" (butchers) and thereby the advice of Six hundred could significantly influence. He was thereby elected to the city government of the "Sedici" (the sixteen). His old ally, Nanne Gozzadini, also belonged to this body, but now he turned out to be an influential rival in the dispute for supremacy in the city, which meant that the outcome of the power struggle could not be foreseen.

Giovanni finally managed to gain the upper hand through a clever exploitation of the differences between the patriciate and the other citizens as well as through a tactically clever reconciliation with the opposing patrician families of the Zambeccari and the Maltraversi.

However, Giovanni also tried to find support outside of Bologna for the planned coup. Astorre I. Manfredi (* approx. 1345, † November 28, 1405 in Faenza), Lord of Faenza , (in the province of Ravenna ) Fusignano , Brisihella etc. was one of his closest friends. This supported Giovanni not least because at that time the troops of Bologna were besieging Faenza and Astorre could hope to have the siege lifted by overthrowing the government of Bologna.

The decisive factor, however, was the financial support from Gian Galeazzo Visconti , Duke of Milan (1395-1402), which enabled Giovanni to recruit troops. He surprisingly brought this to Bologna and, with her help, was proclaimed Signor of Bologna on March 14, 1401.

Giovanni was the only Bentivoglio who was lord of Bologna on a legitimate and not merely factual basis, since he was formally confirmed as permanent gonfaloniere by the Council of Six Hundred on March 17, 1401.

In accordance with his new dignity, he was entitled "Johannes de Bentivoglis Bononiae dominus hac pacis et Justitcie conservator" (for example: John from the house of Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna, keeper of peace and justice). This should probably underline that the Pope Boniface IX. The government function assigned to the city as a collective was now completely transferred to Giovanni Bentivoglio.

This presumption towards the sovereign - the Pope - was naturally daring. According to the chronicler Fileno della Tuata, Giovanni is said to have asked the Pope through an embassy to personally entrust him with the papal vicariate, ie the secular deputy function, but this was refused. However, there is no documentary evidence of this mission. What is certain is that Bentivoglio tried to reach an agreement with the Pope.

Fall and death

Giovanni's reign did not last long, however: it lasted only a little more than fifteen months, namely from March 14, 1401 to June 28, 1402. He, who had so far shown great political skill, was overthrown by a change in the foreign policy alliance.

He renounced Gian Galeazzo Visconti , Duke of Milan - who had brought him to power - and entered into an alliance with the city of Florence , which was established by Gian Galeazzo, who at the height of his power as Duke of Lombardy (since 1397) found was threatened. Milan reacted immediately, taking the side of its enemies, and giving support to the growing number of Bologna citizens who were dissatisfied with its sole rule. This was so effective that not only his opponents, such as Nanne Gozzadini, but also many of his own supporters conspired against him.

The conflict led to a military confrontation at the interstate level in which the troops of Milan faced a coalition of Florentine and Bolognese troops. On June 26, 1402 there was a battle at Casalecchio di Reno , in which the Florentines and the allied Bolognese were defeated. When the victorious Milanese troops advanced with two thousand prisoners against Bologna, there was an uprising against Giovanni in the city: the storm bells were rung, the masses of citizens gathered armed in the Piazza Maggiore and chanted "Viva il popolo e muora Giovanni" ( For example: Long live the people, death to Giovanni). The deposed city lord fought like a lion, lost two horses in battle and personally killed eight opponents, but was finally captured and locked up in the city palace. His naked body was found three days later in front of the altar of the Church of San Giacomo.

Aftermath

Despite this failure after a very short reign, Giovanni was to shape the following epoch of the city's history, as he became a symbol as a defender of civic independence against the direct rule of the church and thereby gave his children a kind of priority in the future succession in the city rule. This allowed four generations of his descendants to rule the city with interruptions.

Marriages and offspring

Giovanni Bentivoglio was married twice

⚭ 1.) Elisabetta di Castel San Pietro

⚭ 2.) Margherita Guidotti

Children (unknown from which marriage):

• Anton Galeazzo Bentivoglio (also called Antongaleazzo I. Bentivoglio; * 1385, † murdered December 23, 1437 in Bologna), legal scholar, briefly (1420) lord of Bologna
• Ercole Bentivoglio
• Giovanna Bentivoglio & Gaspare Malvezzi

Individual evidence

1. ^ Cecilia M. Ady: "I Bentivoglio" dall'Oglio editore. (Translation of the original: “The Bentivoglio of Bologna”, Clarendon Press Oxford) without the year
2. ^ Ghirardacci: Historia di Bologna, Part II, pages 301 and 311
3. ↑ Cecilia M. Ady: op. Cit. P. 13
4. ↑ Cecilia M. Ady “I Bentivoglio” dall´Oglio, editore (without year), p. 17
5. ↑ Fileno della Tuata "Chronaca della Città di Bologna"; Bib. Univ. MS. 1438; Bib. Com. MSS. 99, 100. 2 volumes
6. ↑ Cecilia M. Ady: op. Cit. Family tree on page 301

literature

• Cecilia M. Ady: "I Bentivoglio" dall'Oglio editore. (Italian translation of the original: “The Bentivoglio of Bologna: A study in Despotism”, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1937) without the year
• Rendina, Claudio (1998). I capitani di ventura. Rome: Newton Compton.
• Bosdari F .: “Giovanni I Bentivoglio, Signore di Bologna” (atti, series IV, vol. 5 1915)