Ottavio Piccolomini, 1st Duke of Amalfi (11 November 1599 – 11 August 1656) was an Italian nobleman whose military career included service as a Spanish general and then as a
field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
.
Early life
Piccolomini was born in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
as youngest son of Silvio Piccolomini and Violante Gerini. The house of
Piccolomini was a
Sienese family that had seen two of its members elected to the
papal throne (
Popes Pius II and
Pius III). Piccolomini received a military education as a young boy and became a
tercio pikeman for the
Crown of Spain at the age of almost seventeen.
1618 saw the outbreak of the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. Piccolomini was appointed
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of a cavalry regiment in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
, sent by the
Grand Duke of Tuscany
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma, USA
* Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre
* Grand County (disambiguation), se ...
to the
emperor's army. He fought with distinction under
Count Charles Bucquoy at the
Battle of White Mountain in 1620 and later in Hungary.
In 1624 he served for a short time again in the Spanish army
besieging Breda and then as a lieutenant-colonel of
Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim's
cuirassier
A cuirassier ( ; ; ) was a cavalryman equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as man-at-arms, men-at-arms and demi-lancers discarding their ...
regiment in Northern Italy. In 1627 he returned to the Imperial service as colonel and captain of the personal guard of
Albrecht von Wallenstein,
Duke of Friedland. In this capacity, Piccolomini fell into disgrace for attempting to extort money from people of
Stargard
Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; ) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2021 it was inhabited by 67,293 people. It is situated on ...
in
Pomerania
Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...
. But his dedication and contrition saw him return to the rank of "colonel of horse and foot", commanding both a cavalry and an infantry regiment.
In 1628 his brother,
Ascanio Piccolomini, was appointed
Archbishop of Siena which secured Ottavio a position in the diplomatic world. Wallenstein made use of his subordinate's capacity for negotiation and intrigue. During the
Mantuan War, Piccolomini took a prominent part in the dual role of subtle diplomat and plundering
soldier of fortune.
In 1630 came the
invasion of Germany by
. Piccolomini could not directly return to Germany because he was held hostage at
Ferrara
Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...
until September 1631 to guarantee the Peace of Cherasco that ended the Mantuan War. Despite his support for Wallenstein, he was not included in the list of promotions when the Duke resumed action against
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
,
Brandenburg
Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
and Sweden. Thereafter, Piccolomini served as a colonel under
Feldmarschallleutnant Heinrich Holk, a Danish officer, in the
battle of Lützen and other operations.
Nineteenth-century authors were so impressed by Piccolomini's role in the battle of Lützen that they falsely ascribed to him the command of the entire Imperial left wing. He did, though, play a pivotal role at the head of his cavalry regiment, leading numerous cavalry charges against the Swedish army, having five horses shot under him, and receiving six painful bruises from
musket balls that deflected off his armour.
As a commanding officer
After reading the official report of the battle, the emperor made Piccolomini ''
General-Feldwachtmeister''. At the same time, Holk, who had played an even more crucial role in holding the Imperial army together at Lützen, was promoted to field marshal at Wallenstein's insistence, much to Piccolomini's chagrin.
In the campaign of 1633, Piccolomini was appointed commander of a detachment posted at
Königgratz assigned to bar the enemy's advance from
Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
into Bohemia. In May, Piccolomini accompanied Wallenstein and the main army on their way to Silesia in an attempt to compel the electors of Brandenburg and Saxony to join the emperor against the Swedes. Because Piccolomini disapproved of Wallenstein's policy and its results, he joined in the military conspiracy to oust the duke. On 24 January 1634
Ferdinand II signed a decree dismissing Wallenstein and instructed
Count Gallas and Piccolomini to determine a course of action for removing the duke, but did not specifically demand his death. Nevertheless, the conspiracy developed into a plot to
assassinate the Duke; Wallenstein was killed on 25 February 1634 at
Cheb
Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River.
Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...
Castle. Piccolomini's reward was his marshal's baton, 100,000
gulden and the estate of
Náchod
Náchod (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and i ...
in the
Orlické mountains
The Orlické Mountains (, , ) or Eagle Mountains are a mountain range located mainly in northeastern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is a mesoregion of the Central Sudetes. They follow the border with Kłodzko Land in Poland
Poland, of ...
in East Bohemia. Piccolomini's part in the assassination was set out in fictionalised form in
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright.
He was born i ...
's play, ''
Wallenstein''.
On 5 and 6 September of that same year, Piccolomini distinguished himself at the
Battle of Nördlingen. In his first independent command following the battle, he expelled the opposing troops of Sweden and the
Heilbronn League from Franconia. From 1635 to 1639, Piccolomini commanded an Imperial auxiliary corps supporting Spain in the
Southern Netherlands and Northern France. In this position, he achieved a number of military successes but often complained about a lack of support from the Spanish authorities. In 1636, his corps supported the Spanish offensive in France that
crossed the Somme and captured the important fortress of
Corbie. After his own troops took
Roye and approached
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
as far as
Compiègne
Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' ().
Administration
Compiègne is t ...
, Piccolomini urged
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (also known as Don Fernando de Austria, Cardenal-Infante Fernando de España and as Ferdinand von Österreich; 16 May 1609 – 9 November 1641) was a Spanish and Portuguese prince (Infante of Spain, Infante of Portugal (u ...
, the leader of the Spanish operations, to advance further, but the Cardinal-Infante deemed the offensive to be too high risk with little reward.
Piccolomini's achievements included relieving French sieges of
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer (; ; Picard: ''Saint-Onmé'') is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France.
It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Sa ...
in 1638 together with
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano and especially of
Thionville
Thionville (; ; ) is a city in the northeastern French Departments of France, department of Moselle (department), Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle (river), Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.
History
Thionvi ...
on 7 July 1639 in a crushing victory over the
Marquis de Feuquieres. He was rewarded with the status of
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of the Empire in 1638 and the elevation to the office of
privy councillor and the dukedom of
Amalfi from King
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...
in 1639.
Still in 1639, Piccolomini and his corps were recalled from the Southern Netherlands by the emperor to end the Swedish invasion of Bohemia. Despite own hopes to replace
Matthias Gallas as main commander of the Imperials, Piccolomini was ordered to assist the emperor's brother,
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria. Together they repelled the Swedes under
Johan Banér
Johan Banér (23 June 1596 – 10 May 1641) was a Swedish field marshal in the Thirty Years' War.
Early life
Johan Banér was born at Djursholm Castle in Uppland. As a four-year-old he was forced to witness the execution of his father, the ...
and secured Bohemia and Saxony in 1640. However, they failed in their main goal to beat the Swedish army in battle. After Banér's failed attempt to attack the
Regensburg Reichstag in January 1641, Piccolomini and
Gottfried Huyn von Geleen chased him with the united Imperial and Bavarian force. Nonetheless, Piccolomini could only catch and defeat the rear of Banér's army in
Neunburg vorm Wald and
Preßnitz while the rest escaped. In November 1642, the Imperials finally faced the entire Swedish army but lost the
second battle of Breitenfeld against
Lennart Torstensson.
Thereafter he spent several years in the Spanish service and received the title of
grandee
Grandee (; , ) is an official royal and noble ranks, aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...
and induction into the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...
. After being recalled to Spain in 1647, he resigned as Spanish commander with the intention to return to the Imperial army.
Promotion to Generalissimo
When the Imperial commander
Peter Melander, Graf von Holzappel, fell in battle at
Zusmarshausen in May 1648, Piccolomini was at last appointed lieutenant-general of the emperor. He conducted the final campaign of the Thirty Years' War in which he and the Bavarians under
Hunolstein stopped the Swedish and French advance at the rivers
Inn and
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
and forced them to retreat out of
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
across the
Lech.
After the
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...
, Piccolomini served as Imperial plenipotentiary at the executive congress of
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
that discussed and oversaw the execution of the peace regulations. Three days after the congress had finished its labours in October 1650,
Ferdinand III addressed a letter of thanks to the "Prince Piccolomini", declaring him
Prince of the Empire and awarding him a gift of 114,566 gulden.
Marriage, death, and legacy
On 4 June 1651 Piccolomini married Maria Benigna Francisca of
Saxe-Lauenburg
The Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg (, ), was a ''reichsfrei'' duchy that existed from 1296 to 1803 and again from 1814 to 1876 in the extreme southeast region of what is now Schleswig-Holstein. Its territorial centre was in the modern district of Herz ...
, daughter of Duke
Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg with no legitimate children. Piccolomini had adopted his distant nephew Josef Silvio, most likely Schiller's inspiration for the fictional son Max Piccolomini in ''Wallenstein''. Josef Silvio was murdered by the Swedes after the
Battle of Jankov (near
Votice in the district of Tábor) in southern Bohemia in 1645.
Piccolomini's titles and estates passed to his brother's grandson. With the death of the latter's nephew Octavio Aeneas Josef in 1757, the line became extinct. Piccolomini had two known illegitimate sons – Ascanio and Diego, who left descendants, one in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
and the other in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. His elder son Ascanio died as a captain of infantry in the battle near
Mírov in September 1643, while the younger son Diego died in Italy after gaining the title "
don" and becoming a "noble" married to Nobile Donna Maria Anna Tarragona Ruxoto. Ascanio himself had an illegitimate son with Liduska Nyvlt.
Piccolomini died after falling from a horse on 11 August 1656.
References and notes
Sources
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Piccolominiin Libro de Oro de la Nobleza del Mediterráneo
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piccolomini, Ottavio
1599 births
1656 deaths
Tuscan nobility
Counts of Austria
Counts in Italy
Spanish generals
Knights of the Golden Fleece
Ottavio
Imperial Army personnel of the Thirty Years' War
Generals of former Italian states
Ottavio
17th-century Italian military personnel
Field marshals of the Holy Roman Empire
Military personnel from Florence
Military personnel of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)