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 Saint George, as the compagnia San Giorgio.

Born in Barbiano di Cotignola, a commune of what is now eastern Emilia-Romagna, Alberico was son of Aldisio. The family were nobles of Romagna of long standing, claiming descent from Carolingian times. They were hereditary lords of Barbiano, Cunio and Lugo di Romagna and claimed as kin the lords of Ravenna, Forlì and Carrara. He married Beatrice da Polenta of Ravenna, and had by her two sons, Manfredo and Ludovico.

Alberico gained his first military experience in the compagnia of the English captain John Hawkwood, taking part in the famous slaughter at Faenza and the "Cesena Bloodbath" in the 1370s. Allegedly touched by these excesses, Alberico left the foreign compagnia, deciding to form a military corps constituted only by Italian mercenaries.

Barbiano's Compagnia di San Giorgio ("St. George Company") renovated the military style of the mercenary companies of the period, with sharply improved cavalry armor and tactics, and with a strong attention paid to the training aspect. Famous condottieri like Facino Cane, Jacopo dal Verme, Braccio da Montone and Muzio Attendolo began their military career in the St. George Company. Starting with 200 men, Alberico could soon boast 4,000 soldiers under his command, prompting a quick decline of the foreign companies that had dominated the Italian grounds till that moment.

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