Rinaldo Degli Albizzi
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Rinaldo degli Albizzi (1370–1442) was an Italian nobleman, a member of the Florentine family of the
Albizzi The Albizzi family () was a patrician noble family and were the de facto leaders of an oligarchy of wealthy families that ruled Florence in the second half of the 14th century. They were at the center of the oligarchy from 1382, in the reaction th ...
. Along with
Palla Strozzi Palla di Onofrio Strozzi (1372 – 8 May 1462) was an Italian banker, politician, writer, philosopher and philologist. Biography He was born in Florence into the rich banking family of the Strozzi. He was educated by humanists, learning Greek ...
, he was the primary opponent of
Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the House of Medici, Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derive ...
's rise in Florence. Albizzi entered public service for the
Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flor ...
in 1399 as a diplomat under the
oligarchic Oligarchy (; ) is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Members of this group, called oligarchs, generally hold usually hard, but sometimes soft power through nobility, fame, wealth, or education; or throug ...
rule of his father, Maso degli Albizzi. His brother, Luca di Maso degli Albizzi, married Aurelia de'
Medici The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...
, daughter of Nicola de Medici (b.1384), son of Vieri de Medici and Bice
Strozzi Strozzi is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Numerous members of the Strozzi family, an ancient later ennobled family from Florence ** Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi (c. 1408–1471), an Italian businesswoman and aristoc ...
. He served on several dozen official diplomatic missions, first locally in towns such as
Arezzo Arezzo ( , ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the Province of Arezzo, province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of Above mean sea level, above sea level. As of 2 ...
and
Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan language, Etr ...
, later on more distant assignments to
Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
,
Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...
,
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. At the height of his diplomatic career, he was the principal ambassador for Florence, and was particularly active in ecclesiastic affairs. On his father's death in 1417, Albizzi became the unofficial second-in-command of the oligarchy under his father's longtime friend, Niccolo da Uzzano. He eventually assumed leadership when Uzzano died in 1431. After
Volterra Volterra (; Latin: ''Volaterrae'') is a walled mountaintop town in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its history dates from before the 8th century BC and it has substantial structures from the Etruscan, Roman, and Medieval periods. History ...
revolted against Florence in 1428, Rinaldo degli Albizzi was sent to "reacquire" the city from the rebels led by Giovanni di Contugi and his fellow magistrates. Afterward, Rinaldo incited
Niccolò Fortebraccio Niccolò Fortebraccio (1375–1435), also known as Niccolò della Stella, was an Italian condottiero. Born in Sant'Angelo in Vado, he was the son of Stella, sister of Braccio da Montone. His half-brother Oddo and his cousin Carlo were also condo ...
to "attack the Lucchese under cover of some fictitious quarrel," an action that led Florence to attempt the conquest of
Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...
. During this campaign, Albizzi served as War Commissioner under the
Ten of War Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910, 2010, 2110 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA co ...
. However, after he was accused of trying to enrich himself by sacking conquered territory, he was removed from his position and recalled to Florence. Later, in 1433, Albizzi convinced several prominent nobles to strike out against
Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the House of Medici, Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derive ...
, who he feared was becoming too powerful. Eventually, Albizzi helped Bernardo Guadagni, a candidate for a position among the Signori, to pay off his debts, which had disqualified him from seeking office. Guadagni then won the position of
Gonfaloniere of Justice Gonfaloniere of Justice () was a post in the government of history of Florence, medieval and early Renaissance Florence. Like Florence's Priori, it was introduced in 1293 when Giano Della Bella's Ordinances of Justice came into force. He was one ...
. Through Guadagni, Albizzi summoned Cosimo to the palace, where he was captured. After a short trial, Cosimo was sentenced to 20 years' exile from Florence, although Albizzi sought the death penalty. However, with the downturn of Florentine fortunes during the war with
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Cosimo returned with popular acclamation barely a year later, and Rinaldo degli Albizzi was in his turn exiled. Although he tried several times to convince the Duke of Milan,
Filippo Maria Visconti Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447) was the duke of Duchy of Milan, Milan from 1412 to 1447. Reports stated that he was "paranoid", but "shrewd as a ruler." He went to war in the 1420s with Romagna, Republic of Florenc ...
, to intervene and restore him to power in Florence, his hopes ended in 1440 with the Florentine victory at the
Battle of Anghiari The Battle of Anghiari was fought on 29 June 1440, between the forces of Milan and the League of some Italian states led by the Republic of Florence in the course of the Wars in Lombardy. The battle was a victory for the Florentines, who secu ...
. Albizzi died at
Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...
in 1442 after a trip to Jerusalem.


Issue

Rinaldo married in
1392 Year 1392 ( MCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * June 13 – An assassination attempt by Pierre de Craon against Olivier de Clisson, C ...
Alessandra de' Ricco. They had twelve children, eight sons and four daughters: * Ormanno degli Albizzi (1398 - after 1457), ambassador and military; * Maso degli Albizzi (1400-1467), ''
podestà (), also potestate or podesta in English, was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of central and northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a c ...
''; * Francesco degli Albizzi (1402-1463), monk; * Tobia degli Albizzi (1403-?), religious; * Silvestro degli Albizzi (1407-?), monk; * Giovanni degli Albizzi (1412-1433); * Margherita degli Albizzi, she married Gherardo Gambacorti; * Felice degli Albizzi, monk; * Susanna degli Albizzi, she married Bartolomeo Nelli; * Dragotto degli Albizzi; * Nicoletta degli Albizzi, she married Giovanni degli Agli; * Selvaggia degli Albizzi, she married Francesco Mancini.


Fictional depictions

In
Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such a ...
's three-part miniseries ''
The Age of the Medici ''The Age of the Medici'', originally released in Italy as ''L'età di Cosimo de Medici'' (''The Age of Cosimo de Medici''), is a 1973 3-part TV series about the Renaissance in Florence, directed by Roberto Rossellini. The series was shot in Eng ...
'' (1973), Rinaldo degli Albizzi was portrayed by Hungarian actor
Tom Felleghy Tom Felleghy (born Tamás Fellegi; 26 November 1921 – 13 September 2005) was a Hungarian-born Italian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1958. Felleghy died in Bracciano, Lazio on 13 September 2005, at the age of 83. Film ...
. In
Frank Spotnitz Frank Charles Spotnitz (born 1960) is an American television writer and film producer, producer. He is best known for his work on the series ''The X-Files'' (1995-2002) and its spin-off The Lone Gunmen (TV series), ''The Lone Gunmen'' (2001), an ...
's eight-part television series '' Medici: Masters of Florence'' (2016), Albizzi was portrayed by English actor
Lex Shrapnel Alexander Carey Shrapnel (born 6 October 1979) is an English actor. Early life Shrapnel was born on 6 October 1979 in London, the second of three boys for actor John Shrapnel and Francesca Ann (née Bartley). He is the brother of director/write ...
. In this series, however, Albizzi is represented as approximately the same age as Cosimo de' Medici, whereas in reality he was 19 years older than Cosimo. He is also depicted as being murdered along with his son Ormanno (represented here as his only child and without issue) immediately upon their leaving Florence for exile, supposedly on Cosimo's orders.


Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albizzi, Rinaldo Degli 1370 births 1442 deaths Italian untitled nobility Nobility from the Republic of Florence 14th-century people from the Republic of Florence 15th-century people from the Republic of Florence 15th-century Italian nobility
Rinaldo Rinaldo may refer to: *Renaud de Montauban (also spelled Renaut, Renault, Italian: Rinaldo di Montalbano, Dutch: Reinout van Montalbaen, German: Reinhold von Montalban), a legendary knight in the medieval Matter of France * Rinaldo (''Jerusalem Lib ...