Astorre I Manfredi

Astorre Manfredi (c. 1345 – November 28, 1405) was an

Italian condottiero. He was the son of Giovanni Manfredi, who had been lord of Faenza (today's Emilia-Romagna) and other castles in the area before the Papal

reconquest. Astorre lived for a while in Pistoia after his father had lost his last possession in Romagna; three years after the latter's death, in 1375, he managed to recover Granarolo.

In 1377, he conquered back Faenza, then occupied by the

florins

, he moved back; when he tried again to assault the city, his troops were ambushed in the Bisagno valley and badly defeated. Astorre himself barely escaped being taken prisoner.

In the meantime, his brother Francesco has attempted to attain power in Faenza, and Astorre imprisoned him in the castle of Solarolo. Later, Astorre was at the service of Bologna in the war against the Visconti. His deeds gained him the praise of the Bolognesi, who gave him the palace in the city that still bears his name.

In the

lord of Ferrara

, to capture his son Gian Galeazzo, who was later exchanged with Azzo.

In 1400, the possession of the castle of Solarolo caused a war against Giovanni I Bentivoglio, the Papal vicar of Bologna, who had hired the famous Alberico da Barbiano. The outnumbered Astorre could only get help from the Pope and, in 1404, Faenza and all his territories were returned to the Papal States. After a period as condottiero under the Papal banners, he was captured when allegedly planning to regain Faenza through a revolt. He was condemned to death and executed in the main square of his city in 1405.

References

Rendina, Claudio (1994). Capitani di Ventura. Rome: Newton Compton.

Preceded by Niccolò III d'Este	Lord of Faenza 1377–1404	Succeeded by To the Papal States

v t e Companies of Mercenaries
Companies	Catalan Company Company of the Hat Compagnia della Stella Compagnia di San Giorgio Company of the Rose Great Company (German) Navarrese Company Tard-Venus White Company
Leaders	Seguin de Badefol Gian Paolo Baglioni Roger de Flor John Hawkwood Francois Hennequin Konrad von Landau Camus Bour John Creswey Bascot de Mauléon Astorre I Manfredi Petit Meschin Federico da Montefeltro Braccio da Montone Robert Briquet Fra' Moriale Bernat de Rocafort Hagre l'Escot Albert Sterz Talbart Talbardon Bour de Breteuil Pedro de San Superano Werner von Urslingen Bernard de la Salle Juan de Urtubia Lodrisio Visconti
Battles	Apros Brignais Campo delle Mosche Canturino Cyzicus Halmyros Parabiago