Biordo Michelotti (1352 – 10 March 1398) was an Italian

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Euro ...

, who was lord of

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part ...

and commander-in-chief of the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Fl ...

. Born in Perugia, he was a pupil of

Alberico da Barbiano Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344–1409) was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's ''compagnia'' fought under the banner of Sain ...

. He fought for the

Visconti of Milan The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...

and later become ''capitano generale'' of Florence. In 1392 numerous minor fiefs in the Perugine territory, including

Assisi Assisi (, also , ; from la, Asisium) is a town and '' comune'' of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Propertius, born arou ...

, Nocera,

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are comp ...

, Deruta and

Todi Todi () is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction. I ...

, fearing to lose their independence as part of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

, gave themselves to Michelotti in exchange of military protection. The following year turmoils in Perugia brought power to the ''Ruspanti'' ("Rough") party against the ''Beccherini'', who were of noble origin. The latter were exiled while a commission of 25 asked Michelotti to lead the new government. He therefore became ''

Signore A signoria () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The word signoria comes from ''signore'' , or "lord"; an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government; governing authority; ...

'' of the city. Five year later, however, Michelotti was assassinated in his residence by killers sent by Francesco Guidalotti, Abbot of San Pietro. The Seigniory, whose influence had quickly extended to much of what is now

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

region, disappeared. Biordo's younger brother, Ceccolino, returned in Perugia together with Biordo's followers in the aftermath of the city's passage under

Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Milan (1395) and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò. He was the found ...

in 1400. He was however killed by the famous condottiero Braccio da Montone, who had been exiled by Biordo.

References

History of Italy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michelotti, Biordo 1352 births 1398 deaths Lords of Perugia 14th-century condottieri Assassinated Italian people 14th-century assassinated people