The House of Colleoni was a Guelf-allied noble family in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Com ...

. Their Ghibelline opponents were the Suardi family, of which the Colleoni themselves were a branch.

History

When the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

seized Bergamo, they exiled the Colleoni and other Guelfs. On October 23, 1404, Paolo Colleoni seized

Trezzo Castle Trezzo sull'Adda (Milanese: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan on the Adda River. The Naviglio Martesana canal starts from the Adda in Trezzo's ter ...

by wile and held it by force until he was assassinated by his cousins, probably acting on behalf of the

Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that ele ...

. Paolo's son

Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include: * Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and lich ...

became a famous mercenary and

Captain-General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...

of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

. He purchased and refurbished the

Malpaga Castle The Malpaga Castle (Italian: ''Castello di Malpaga'') is a castle in the communal territory of Cavernago, a village in the province of Bergamo, northern Italy. Its main features are the interior rooms frescoed by the Renaissance painter Il Roman ...

Cavernago Cavernago ( Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southeast of Bergamo. Cavernago borders the municipalities of Calcinate, Ghisal ...

as a new base for his family. The

Colleoni Chapel The Cappella Colleoni (Italian language, Italian: "Colleoni Chapel") is a chapel and mausoleum attached to the Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo, Basilica of St. Mary Major in the northern Italian city of Bergamo. Dedicated to the saints St. ...

in Bergamo was built in his honor and houses his remains and those of his beloved daughter Medea. Bartolomeo's grandson Count Alessandro Martinengo Colleoni commissioned

Lorenzo Lotto Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpieces, religiou ...

's 1516

Martinengo Altarpiece The ''Martinengo Altarpiece'' is a painting by the Italian High Renaissance painter Lorenzo Lotto, finished in 1516. It is housed in the church of Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano in Bergamo in northern Italy. History On 15 May 1516, Lotto was in Berg ...

for the Dominican church of Santi Bartolomei e Stefano in Bergamo. The family's name is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

''coleus'', or

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testoste ...

, and indeed, the family's coat of arms was two pairs of white testicles on a red field, above one red pair on a white field. The progenitor of the family, Gisalberto, was reportedly proud of this coat of arms which he displayed prominently on his properties. Later members of the family modified the testicles on the coat of arms into upside-down hearts.

References

{{italy-hist-stub Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines

History

See also

References