5 June

Ludovico III Gonzaga – Marquis of Mantua

Condottiero fought to improve the town of his birth

Ludovico Gonzaga, who ruled his native city for 34 years, was born on this day in 1412 in Mantua.  He grew up to fight as a condottiero - a military leader for hire - and in 1433 he married Barbara of Brandenburg, the niece of the Holy Roman Emperor, Sigismund.  After Ludovico entered the service of the Visconti family in Milan, he and his wife were exiled from Mantua by his father, Gianfrancesco I.  But father and son were later reconciled and Ludovico became Marquis of Mantua in 1444, inheriting territory that had been reduced in size and was impoverished after years of war.  He continued to serve as a condottiero, switching his allegiance between Milan, Florence, Venice and Naples, to gain territory and secure peace for Mantua.  The high point of his reign came when Pope Pius II held a Council in Mantua between 1459 and 1460 to plan a crusade against the Ottoman Turks. Although the Pope was unimpressed with Mantua and criticised the food and wine afterwards, the event earned prestige for Ludovico, whose son, Francesco, was made a Cardinal.  During Ludovico’s reign, he paved the streets of Mantua, built a clock tower and reorganised the city centre.  Read more…

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Carmine Crocco - soldier and brigand

Bandit seen by peasants as Italy’s ‘Robin Hood’

Carmine Crocco, whose life of brigandry was driven by a hatred of what he saw as the bourgeois oppressors of the poor, was born on this day in 1830 in the town of Rionero in Vulture, in Basilicata.  Crocco fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the Expedition of the Thousand but was no supporter of Italian Unification and spent much of his life thereafter fighting on the side of the ousted Bourbons and of the peasant people of the south, many of whom were as poor after unification as they had been before, if not poorer.  He assembled his own private ‘army’, including many other fearsome brigands, which at one point numbered more than 2,000 men.  For this reason, he is regarded as something of a folk hero in southern Italy, where there is a popular belief that he robbed the rich to give to the poor in the manner of the legendary English outlaw, Robin Hood.  Nonetheless, when he was arrested for the final time he was tried and convicted of 67 murders and seven attempted murders among many crimes, having led a life of violence.  His initial death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment with hard labour. Read more…

Salvatore Ferragamo - shoe designer

From humble beginnings to giant of the fashion industry

Salvatore Ferragamo, the craftsman once dubbed 'Shoemaker to the Stars' after his success in creating made-to-measure footwear for movie stars and celebrities, was born on this day in 1898 in Bonito, a small hill town in Campania, in the province of Avellino.  Although in time he would become a prominent figure in the fashion world of Florence, Ferragamo learned how to make shoes in Naples, around 100km (62 miles) from his home village.  He was apprenticed to a Neapolitan shoemaker at the age of just 11 years and opened his first shop, trading from his parents' house, at 13.  When he was 16 he made the bold decision to move to the United States, joining one of his brothers in Boston, where they both worked in a factory manufacturing cowboy boots.  Salvatore was impressed at how modern production methods enabled the factory to turn out large numbers of boots but was concerned about compromises to quality.  This led him to move to California and to set up shop selling his own hand-made shoes in Santa Barbara, where he made his first contacts in the burgeoning American film industry.  Read more…

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Braccio da Montone - condottiero

Soldier of fortune briefly ruled Perugia

Military leader Braccio da Montone, who is considered one of the greatest of the Italian condottieri who fought in the 14th and 15th centuries, died on this day in 1424.  He had a lifelong rivalry with another condottiero, Muzio Attendolo Sforza, and during the first quarter of the 15th century all the major Italian cities either hired Braccio or Sforza to carry out their military action.  The rapid movements of Braccio’s troops became legendary and he founded a military school, which became known as ‘the Braccesca’. This had a major impact on Italian warfare. Braccio’s men employed tactics such as speed, shock and the rapid rotation of small units on the battlefield.  Braccio was born Andrea Fortebraccio into a wealthy family in Perugia in 1368. He began his military career as a page, but after his family were exiled from Perugia and they lost the castle of Montone, he entered the company of the condottiero Alberico da Barbiano, which was where he first encountered Muzio Attendolo Sforza.  He fought for the Malatesta and Montefeltro families in Romagna and was injured during the siege of the castle of Fossombrone in 1391.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Blue Guide: Lombardy, Milan & the Italian Lakes, by Alta Macadam and Annabel Barber

Blue Guides have been published continuously since 1918 and are the most comprehensive travel guides concentrating on history, architecture and art. This guide to Lombardy, Milan & the Italian Lakes also takes in Lakes Maggiore, Como and Garda as well as the historically and artistically rich towns of Cremona, Bergamo, Mantua, Brescia and Pavia. The depth of information and quality of research make this 300-page book the best guide for the independent cultural traveller. With high-quality maps from Blue Guides' award-winning cartography series, numerous plans and photos, and full coverage of places to stay and eat.

Art historian Alta Macadam is a resident of Fiesole, on the hillside above Florence. Annabel Barber, co-author of Blue Guide: Rome, is Blue Guides editor-in-chief.

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4 June

Cecilia Bartoli – opera singer

Soprano put the spotlight back on ‘forgotten’ composers and singers

Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli was born on this day in 1966 in Rome. Bartoli is renowned for her interpretations of the music of Mozart and Rossini and for her performances of music by some of the lesser-known Baroque and 19th century composers.  Her parents were both professional singers and gave her music lessons themselves and her first public performance was at the age of eight when she appeared as the shepherd boy in Tosca.  Bartoli studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome and made her professional opera debut in 1987 at the Arena di Verona.  The following year she earned rave reviews for her portrayal of Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville in Germany and Switzerland.  Bartoli made her debut at La Scala in 1996, followed by the Metropolitan Opera in 1997 and the Royal Opera House in 2001.  She has performed and recorded Baroque music by composers such as Gluck, Vivaldi, Haydn and Salieri.  She has sold more than ten million copies of her albums, received numerous gold and platinum certificates and been given many awards and honours.  Read more…

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Claudia de’ Medici – Archduchess of Tyrol

Medici daughter who was born to rule

Claudia de’ Medici, who ruled the Tyrol region of Austria while her son was still a minor, was born on this day in 1604 in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.  Claudia was the daughter of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his wife Christina of Lorraine.  She was destined for a marital alliance with someone equally aristocratic and became engaged at just four years old to Federico Ubaldo della Rovere, Duke of Urbino.  She was educated in a convent where, in addition to piety, she learned to play the harp and paint pictures.  At the age of 16, she married Federico, Duke of Urbino and was initially disappointed when she found out he had his mistress installed in the ducal palace.  But two years later she had a daughter with him, Vittoria della Rovere. Her husband died a year later in 1623 leaving her a widow at the age of 19.  Claudia remarried in 1626 to Leopold V, Archduke of Austria, and became the Archduchess consort of Austria. She had five children by Leopold before his death six years later in 1632.  She assumed the regency of Tyrol in the name of her son, Ferdinand Charles, and held it until 1646 when Ferdinand became 18.  Read more…

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Dino Grandi - politician

Fascist who ultimately turned against Mussolini

The Fascist politician Dino Grandi was born on this day in 1895 in Mordano, a small town near Imola in Emilia-Romagna.  Although Grandi was an active member of Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts and a staunch advocate of using violence to suppress opponents of Mussolini’s National Fascist Party, he ultimately became central to the Italian dictator’s downfall.  During his time as the Italian Ambassador in London, Grandi tried to forge a pact between Italy and Britain that would have prevented Italy entering World War Two.  Under pressure from the German leader Adolf Hitler, Mussolini removed him from the post of ambassador and appointed him Minister of Justice.  Grandi had also opposed the antisemitic Italian racial laws of 1938. He enjoyed a good relationship with the Italian king, Victor Emmanuel III, who gave him the title Count of Mordano.  His increasing criticism of Italy’s war effort saw him dropped from the Cabinet in February 1943 but remained chairman of the Fascist Grand Council. In this role, he colluded with others to remove Mussolini as leader.  Read more…

Flavio Biondo – historian and archaeologist

Writer reconstructed ancient Roman topography

Flavio Biondo, the first historian to write about the concept of the Middle Ages, died on this day in 1463 in Rome.  Biondo, who is also sometimes referred to as Flavius Biondus, his Latin name, wrote Historiarum, which ran to 32 volumes. It was a comprehensive treatment of both Europe and Christendom from the sack of Rome by the Goths in AD 410 to the rise of Italian cities in the 15th century.  His work provided a definite chronological scheme, from ancient Rome up to his own time, which started the idea of the 1000 year period we now refer to as the Middle Ages. It is known that the writer Niccolò Machiavelli often consulted this work.  Biondo was born in 1392 in Forlì in Romagna, which is now part of the region of Emilia-Romagna. He was educated well and during a brief stay in Milan he discovered, and was able to transcribe, the only existing manuscript of Cicero’s dialogue, Brutus.  Biondo trained as a notary before moving to Rome, where he was appointed as an apostolic secretary.  After embarking on diplomatic missions throughout Italy, he wrote De Roma instaurata (Rome Restored), a three-volume work that reconstructed ancient Roman topography.  Read more…

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Deborah Compagnoni - Olympic skiing champion

Alpine ace won gold medals in 1992, 1994 and 1998

The three-times Olympic skiing champion Deborah Compagnoni was born on this day in 1970 in Bormio, northern Lombardy.  Regarded as the greatest Italian female skier of all-time, she won gold medals at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.  Despite suffering two serious cruciate ligament injuries, she also won multiple events at the Alpine Skiing World Cup between 1992 and 1998.  Born in Bormio but raised in Santa Caterina di Valfurva, in Valtellina, Compagnoni’s talent became obvious at a young age but she began suffering injuries also at an early age.  At just 16 years old she won the bronze medal in the downhill at the World junior championships in 1987, and the following year won the junior title in giant slalom and achieved her first podium in the World Cup.  However, shortly afterwards she broke her right knee at Val d'Isére downhill, the first of a number of major injuries, but for which she could have attained even greater success.  Compagnoni won her first race in the World Cup in 1992, in the super-G. She also won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics of the same year, again in the super-G, at Albertville in France.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: Cinderella & Company: Backstage at the Opera with Cecilia Bartoli, by Manuela Hoelterhoff

Manuela Hoelterhoff's biography of Cecilia Bartoli offers a personal account of the mezzo-soprano's rise to fame and life in the opera world. Hoelterhoff accompanied Bartoli on her travels, documenting her performances, rehearsals, and interactions with other opera luminaries. The book provides insights into Bartoli's musical talents, personality, and the behind-the-scenes aspects of opera. As well as providing a personal and intimate look at Bartoli's life and career, offering insights beyond the typical biographical details, Cinderella & Company offers a glimpse into the world of opera, from rehearsals and backstage preparations to opening nights and galas.  The book explores Bartoli's remarkable vocal abilities, her passion for music, and her personality as a performer.  It features encounters with other prominent opera singers and figures, such as Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, providing a broader perspective on the opera world. The book uses Rossini's La Cenerentola (Cinderella) as a recurring metaphor to frame the story, highlighting Bartoli's journey from humble beginnings to international stardom.

Manuela Vali Hoelterhoff is a German-born American cultural journalist, who was the executive editor of Muse, the arts and culture section of Bloomberg News until 2015. This followed a 20-year stint at The Wall Street Journal, where she wrote reviews and served as arts editor, books editor and member of the editorial board, and where she received a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

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Boldrino da Panicale - condottiero

Fierce fighter murdered in act of treachery

Boldrino da Panicale grew up
in violent times in Italy

The soldier of fortune known as Boldrino da Panicale, one of the most feared yet respected of Italy’s many condottieri in the second half of the 14th century, was killed on this day in 1391 near the town of Macerata in what is now the Marche region.

He had been lured to a banquet, thought to have been staged at the Castello della Rancia, a castle about 13km (8 miles) west of Macerata, by Andrea Tomacelli, brother of Pope Boniface IX and Rector of the Duchy of Spoleto.

During an era when towns and neighbouring land changed hands regularly as rival leaders fought for territorial gains, Boldrino had been employed by Boniface IX to retake some captured parts of the Marche for the Papal States.

He handed back some of the papal territory but decided to keep other areas for himself, using the threat of violence to extract payments from local governors and hoping that he would be allowed to rule the area and be granted a marquisate.

Boniface IX had sent Tomacelli to bring peace to the region. While there was no love lost between him and Tomacelli, Boldrino accepted the invitation to the banquet, perhaps hoping that the occasion would be some sort of investiture, giving him the title he craved. Tomacelli had already agreed to impose a new tax on the area Boldrino controlled, essentially to enrich Boldrino himself.

But the occasion was not what Boldrino expected, far from it. During a break between courses, when washing his hands, he was attacked from behind and repeatedly stabbed, perhaps by Tomacelli himself, or somebody acting on his behalf. Some accounts say Boldrino was also beheaded.

Boldrino is thought to have been murdered
during a banquet at Castello della Rancia

Boldrino, originally named Giacomo Paneri, came from a lower middle class family in Panicale, a town in what is now Umbria, near Lago Trasimeno. The Panieri were said to be bakers, in the service of the Tarlati of Arezzo and the Casali of Cortona, two important and rich Ghibelline families.

He was born in around 1331, when fighting between rival factions in the area around Panicale was common. Boldrino was used to witnessing bloodshed from an early age. Nonetheless he looked set to have a life in farming until everything changed when his father, Ambrogio, was murdered. 

Determined to take revenge, Boldrino abandoned farming and embarked on a path of violence and warfare. He moved to Perugia to train at a military college. In 1351, he learned the names of his father’s killers, returned to Panicale, found where they lived and killed them both. 

Convicted in absentia for the crime by the municipal authorities in Panicale, he was forced to flee. He initially found refuge in the small church of Santa Maria La Querciolana, just outside the town, before encountering a  company of mercenaries who were looking for recruits, and deciding to join them. 

Quickly emerging as a highly-skilled condottiero both in combat and strategy, Boldrino’s prowess earned him a place in the company of the legendary Sir John Hawkwood, also known as Giovanni Acuto, an English mercenary who dominated Italian warfare at the time. 

Boldrino fought for many years
alongside Sir John Hawkwood

Boldrino fought in numerous battles, including the Battle of Cascina, where Hawkwood’s forces, representing Pisa, were outnumbered and defeated by an army defending Florence, but from which Hawkwood and Boldrino both escaped.

In 1376, after about 14 years of service alongside Hawkwood, Boldrino established himself as an independent leader, commanding his own forces and securing territories. 

He became Lord of Civitanova Marche, Arquata del Tronto, and other feudal holdings. His reputation as a ruthless yet effective commander grew, and he was frequently employed by powerful factions, including the Papal States under Pope Urban VI. His campaigns left devastation in their wake, particularly in Tuscany and the Marche region. He accumulated great wealth in the process.

His own soldiers became fiercely loyal to him, responding to his death by mounting a campaign of massacre against the people of Macerata, which ended following the intervention of mediators from Florence only when the body of Boldrino was returned to them, along with a sum of 12,000 florins as compensation.

His troops had the body embalmed and placed in an artistically made coffin, around which the troops swore never to disband. The company went on to fight successfully under the leadership of the Perugian condottiero, Biordo Michelotti.

Panicale is notable for its layout of streets in
concentric ovals leading to the main square

Travel tip:

Panicale, in Umbria, is a mostly medieval walled town. Located on the eastern slope of Monte Petrarvella, in the southeast of Valdichiana, it overlooks Lago di Trasimeno and is about 35km (22 miles)from Perugia. It is notable in that its streets form concentric ovals that lead to the main square, Piazza Umberto I, at the centre of which is the 15th century fountain, the Fontana Maggiore. For such a small town - it has fewer than 6,000 inhabitants - Panicale has some remarkable art including two works by Pietro Perugino, one a magnificent fresco, The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, in the church of San Sebastiano. The 18th century Teatro Cesare Caporali is one of the smallest in Umbria. Just off Piazza Umberto I, in a small square at the start of Via Paolo Corsetti, is a 13th century building which was the birthplace of Boldrino Paneri. It carries a plaque bearing words which translate to “Boldrino, very proud leader, always crowned by victory, generous to friends, ominous to enemies.”

Macerata's 16th century
Loggia dei Mercanti

Travel tip:

The city of Macerata, home to about 43,000 people, is situated in an inland area of Marche, about 48km (30 miles) south of Ancona and 30km (19 miles) from the coastal town of Civitanova Marche. Not a well-known tourist destination, its older part nonetheless has a charming hill town feel, with a maze of narrow cobblestone streets and one of Italy’s oldest universities, dating back to 1290. It is the setting each summer for a month-long opera festival at the atmospheric Arena Sferisterio, which has attracted some of the world’s biggest stars.  Other notable attractions are the Torre Civica, which offers panoramic views, and Piazza della Libertà, the heart of the historic centre, with its 16th century Loggia dei Mercanti, where travelling merchants once sold their wares. The Basilica della Misericordia and the church of Santa Maria della Porta are also worth visiting.

Also on this day: 

1603: The birth of painter Pietro Paolini

1678: The birth of painter, sculptor and architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro

1751: The birth of Naples priest the Blessed Vincent Romano

1977: The death of film director Roberto Rossellini

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3 June

NEW - Boldrino da Panicale - condottiero

Fierce fighter murdered in act of treachery

The soldier of fortune known as Boldrino da Panicale, one of the most feared yet respected of Italy’s many condottieri in the second half of the 14th century, was killed on this day in 1391 near the town of Macerata in what is now the Marche region.  He had been lured to a banquet, thought to have been staged at the Castello della Rancia, a castle about 13km (8 miles) west of Macerata, by Andrea Tomacelli, brother of Pope Boniface IX and Rector of the Duchy of Spoleto.  During an era when towns and neighbouring land changed hands regularly as rival leaders fought for territorial gains, Boldrino had been employed by Boniface IX to retake some captured parts of the Marche for the Papal States.  He handed back some of the papal territory but decided to keep other areas for himself, using the threat of violence to extract payments from local governors and hoping that he would be allowed to rule the area and be granted a marquisate.  Boniface IX had sent Tomacelli to bring peace to the region. While there was no love lost between him and Tomacelli, Boldrino accepted the invitation to the banquet, perhaps hoping that the occasion would be some sort of investiture, giving him the title he craved.  Read more…

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Roberto Rossellini - film director

Roman movie pioneer whose 'neorealism' had lasting influence

Film director Roberto Rossellini died on this day in 1977 in Rome, the city that provided the backdrop to his greatest work and earned him the reputation as the 'father of neorealism'.  Rossellini had been associated with the Fascist regime during the early part of the Second World War, in part due to his friendship with Vittorio Mussolini, the film producer son of the dictator, Benito Mussolini.  His three wartime movies, The White Ship, A Pilot Returns and The Man with a Cross, all had elements of pro-Fascist propaganda.  But after Mussolini was dismissed and his government collapsed in 1943, Rossellini began work on the anti-Fascist film Rome, Open City, which he described as a history of Rome under Nazi occupation.  It starred the popular actor Aldo Fabrizi in the role of a priest ultimately executed by the Nazis and the actress Anna Magnani as the heroine, Pina, but also featured footage of real Roman citizens originally intended to be used in two short documentary films.  Rossellini also used non-professional actors for many scenes, feeling that they could portray the hardships and poverty of Rome under occupation more authentically.  Read more…

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Pietro Paolini – artist

Follower of Caravaggio passed on his techniques to the next generation

Pietro Paolini, a painter in the Baroque period in Italy, was born on this day in 1603 in Lucca in Tuscany.  Sometimes referred to as Il Lucchese, Paolini was a follower of the controversial Italian artist Caravaggio.  He also founded an academy in his native city and taught the next generation of painters in Lucca.  Paolini’s father, Tommaso, sent him to Rome when he was 16 to train in the workshop of Angelo Caroselli, who was a follower of Caravaggio.  Paolini had the opportunity to study various schools and techniques, which is reflected in the flexible style of his work. He was exposed to the second generation of painters in the Caravaggio tradition such as Bartolomeo Manfredi, Cecco del Caravaggio and Bartolomeo Cavarozzi.  The principal themes of Paolini’s work were the subjects popularised by Caravaggio around the turn of the 17th century involving lower class people such as hawkers, prostitutes and musicians. Some of his paintings have allegorical meanings, such as The Allegory of the Five Senses, which depicts a darkened inn with people engaged in playing music and drinking, each representing one of the five senses.  Read more…

Domenico Antonio Vaccaro - painter, sculptor and architect

Creative genius whose legacy is still visible around Naples

The painter, sculptor and architect Domenico Antonio Vaccaro, who created some notable sculptures and designed some of the finest churches and palaces around Naples in the early 18th century, was born in the great southern Italian city on this day in 1678.  Vaccaro was also an accomplished painter, but it is his architectural legacy for which he is most remembered.  Among the famous churches attributed to Vaccaro are the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, which overlooks Piazza Dante, and the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione a Montecalvario, which can be found in the Spanish Quarter, while he completed the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Stella in the district of the same name.  His notable palaces included the Palazzo Spinelli di Tarsia, just off Via Toledo, and the beautiful late Baroque palace, the Palazzo dell’Immacolatella, built on the water’s edge in the 1740s and now dwarfed by the enormous ocean-going ships that dock either side of it. Vaccaro was also responsible for finishing the carved obelisk topped by a bronze statue in Piazza di San Domenico Maggiore.  He sculpted a statue of San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples, in the city’s cathedral.  Read more...

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The Blessed Vincent Romano

Priest who devoted himself to helping the poor

The Blessed Vincent Romano, a priest from Torre del Greco on the Bay of Naples who became known for his tireless devotion to helping the poor, was born on this day in 1751.  Admired for his simple way of life and his efforts in particular to look after the wellbeing of orphaned children, he was nicknamed “the worker priest” by the local community. His commitment to helping poor people extended across the whole Neapolitan region.  He would demonstrate his willingness to roll up his sleeves in a different way in 1794 after his church – now the Basilica of Santa Croce – was all but destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius.  Not only did Romano devote many hours to organising the rebuilding he actually cleared a good deal of rubble with his own hands.  He was born Vincenzo Domenico Romano to poor parents in Naples. He developed a strong faith as a child and began to study for the priesthood in Naples at the age of 14.  He was ordained as a priest in 1775 and assigned to Torre del Greco, where he led a simple and austere life.  The eruption of Vesuvius in June 1794 destroyed most of Torre del Greco as a lava flow swept down to the sea.  Read more…

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Book of the Day: The Adventures Of Roberto Rossellini: His Life And Films, by Tag Gallagher 

Roberto Rossellini, movie-maker, bon vivant, and passionate intellectual,was the key figure of Italian neorealism, the godfather of the French New Wave, and a television pioneer. The maker of such classics as Rome Open City, Paisan, Stromboli, The Flowers of St. Francis, Voyage to Italy, and The Rise of Louis XIV, he was Anna Magnani's lover, Ingrid Bergman's husband and Isabella Rossellini's father. Continually enmeshed in controversy, perhaps no other figure in the history of world cinema has been so reviled, and so revered. Tag Gallagher's masterful biography of Rossellini, the first in any language, was 25 years in the making. It is the result of assiduous research, lengthy interviews with almost everyone who knew him, and investigations into the making and reception of his films. The cast of characters includes Vittorio Mussolini - Il Duce's son and Rossellini's Fascist-era producer - Howard Hughes, who produced Stromboli and then, in a fit of jealousy over Ingrid Bergman, butchered its American release, plus many others who figured in his life. Combining a portrait of a dynamic and daring man with brilliant discussions of his work, The Adventures of Roberto Rossellini tells a story as rich and moving as his films.

Born in Philadelphia in 1943 to an Irish-American family, Tag Gallagher is a film critic and author, with specialist knowledge of the lives and works of directors such as John Ford, Roberto Rossellini, Jean Renoir and Kenji Mizoguchi.

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