Oddantonio da Montefeltro

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Oddantonio da Montefeltro (* 1426, † July 22, 1444 ) was named after the death of his father Guidantonio da Montefeltro in 1443 "Signore d'Urbino" and was appointed Duke of Urbino by the Pope . Oddantonio was the younger half-brother of Federico da Montefeltro , born out of wedlock , one of the most important condottiere of the Renaissance . He belonged to the Montefeltro family .

Life

Little is known about Oddantonio's relationship with his half-brother Federico. The suspicion arises that the dislike of Oddantonio's mother Catarina towards the illegitimate born Federico also clouded the relationship between the half brothers. Guidantonio's testamentary regulation is unclear. It is possible that he was considering the idea of ​​a division of labor between the two half-brothers. In any case, Federico was able to expand his position of power over his half-brother without having to be present in Urbino for a long time. The real power of the Montefeltrin state was not based in any case on their possessions in the mountains of the Marche . Rather, there is much to suggest that the financial income of the state resulted from the use of mercenaries in the great Italian conflicts of that time. Federico hired himself as a mercenary leader and was highly successful in his ventures. Oddantonio's court was therefore dependent on Federico in a special way. The de facto division of the line of succession lasted only one year.

Oddantonio has also been portrayed as "selfish, brutal, wasteful" at times in recent literature. It remains to be seen whether these are actually attributes that do justice to him. Because Federico's later splendor surely overshadowed Oddantonio, which he disregarded.

Assassination of Oddantonio

Piero della Francesca : Flagellation of Christ . According to a controversial theses in art and history, the man dressed in red in the foreground is said to be the murdered Oddantonio.

On July 22nd, 1444 Oddantonio was murdered together with his personal servants Manfredo de 'Pii and Tomaso da Rimini. During the events in Urbino, Federico stayed in Pesaro , where he wanted to protect the city from Malatesta's troops . Much can be assumed about the background to the crime. It is noticeable that at no time had there been any reports of resentment from the citizens of Urbino. They do not appear until the reign of Oddantonio. Two main reasons for dissatisfaction with Oddantonio are mentioned in the sources and in the literature:

On the one hand, Oddantonio is said to have led a dissolute life. There are reports of lavish festivals that lasted over 15 days and at which up to 2000 oxen are said to have been eaten. At the same time, Oddantonio, at sixteen, chased Urbino's women. The citizens of Urbino are said to have been charged high taxes. He also sought to be close to the archenemies of the Montefeltro, the Malatesta. The impression of the regent's complete dependence on archenemies among the biographers is described several times.

The thesis that Federico planned the murder is supported by the amnesty he later initiated for the perpetrators and, not least, his personality, which was shaped by the image of a gripping soldier and the strong feeling of moral superiority over Oddantonio. More recent findings that Federico helped plan the murders of the Pazzi conspiracy are evidence of the unscrupulousness of the Renaissance prince.

What is certain is that Oddantonio had to steer towards a confrontation with his half-brother from the start and that his own position was weak without outside help.

literature

credentials

  1. ↑ Cecil Clough: Montefeltro . In: Volker Rheinhardt (ed.): The great families of Italy . Stuttgart, 1992, p. 365 ff.
predecessor Office successor
Guidantonio da Montefeltro
(Count of Urbino) 		Duke of Urbino
1443–1444 		Federico da Montefeltro
personal data
SURNAME Oddantonio da Montefeltro
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Duke of Urbino
DATE OF BIRTH 1426
DATE OF DEATH July 2, 1444