Ezzelino da Romano III

Ezzelino III da Romano (April 25, 1194 – October 7, 1259) was an Italian feudal lord in the March of Treviso (in the modern Veneto) who was a close ally of the emperor Frederick II and ruled Verona, Vicenza and Padua for almost two decades. He became infamous as a cruel tyrant.

Ezzelino was a son of Ezzelino II da Romano, ruler of Bassano del Grappa and other fiefs in the Veneto, and Adelaide degli Alberti di Mangona, who came from a family of counts in Tuscany. At the age of four years, he was sent as a hostage to Verona, but nothing else is known about his childhood or education. In 1213, he took part in the siege of the castle of Este, which belonged to his father's archenemy, marquess Azzo VI of Este, who died in 1212 and later to his son Aldobrandino. According to the chronicler Rolandino of Padua, the young Ezzelino already showed a keen interest in siegecraft and acquired a hatred of the Este which would last his entire life.

When Ezzelino II retired to a monastery in 1223, his possessions went to his sons Alberico, who got the castles and villages in the countryside of Vicenza (including the important centre of Bassano del Grappa) and Ezzelino, who got the possessions in the countryside of Treviso. In 1226 Ezzelino intervened in a faction struggle in Verona and aided the Veronese factions of the Monticuli and Quattuorviginti against their enemies, the so-called pars comitis ("party of the" count), which was headed by the Veronese count Richard of San Bonifacio. From this time onwards Ezzelino became an important factor in Veronese politics and in 1226/1227 he had become podestà - Lord Mayor, that is - of that city.

At this time control over Verona was highly important because the Emperor Frederick II was in conflict with the Second Lombard League, an alliance of cities in Northern Italy. Whoever controlled Verona, could block the Brenner pass and thereby prevent the arrival of reinforcements for Frederick from Germany. Initially in 1226, Ezzelino favoured the Lombard League which could block the Brenner and emerge victorious from its first confrontation with the Emperor. Later however, he and his brother Alberico changed sides, when it became apparent that the League favoured their enemies in the March: the Este and the San Bonifacio. In 1232 they struck an alliance with Frederick and received an imperial privilege of protection. However four years passed before the emperor could personally intervene in the March of Treviso. The years 1232-1236 were therefore very hard for Ezzelino and Alberico, who were assaulted by many enemies, primarily the San Bonifacio, the Este and the city of Padua. Finally in 1236, Frederick II arrived in the March. Since Ezzelino and his Veronese allies, the Monticuli and Quattuorviginti, had gained control of Verona in early 1236, the emperor could bring reinforcements - among them 3000 German knights - from across the Alps; in a campaign that began in November 1236 Frederich and Ezzelino, who was becoming an increasingly important ally of the emperor, subjugated all the important cities of the March of Treviso: Vicenza was conquered in November 1236, Padua and Treviso surrendered in February/March 1237.

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