Federigo da Montefeltro

Federico da Montefeltro
Duke of Urbino
Federico da Montefeltro. Portrait by Piero della Francesca. Federico lost his nasal bridge and his right eye at a tournament accident.
Born	7 June 1422 Castello di Petroia, Gubbio, Papal States
Died	10 September 1482 (1482-09-11) (aged 60) Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara
Noble family	House of Montefeltro
Spouse(s)	Gentile Brancaleoni (1437 - 1457) Battista Sforza (1460 - 1472)
Issue Costanza di Montefeltro (December 1460 - February 1461) Giovanna di Montefeltro (1462 - 1514) Isabetta di Montefeltro (c. 1464 - 1521) Costanza di Montefeltro (1466 - 1518) Violanta di Montefeltro Agnese di Montefeltro (1470 - 1522) Guidobaldo da Montefeltro (1472 - 1508)
Father	Guidantonio da Montefeltro, Lord of Urbino, Gubbio and Casteldurante, and Duke of Spoleto

Federico da Montefeltro, also known as Federico III da Montefeltro KG (7 June 1422 – 10 September 1482), was one of the most successful condottieri of the Italian Renaissance, and lord of Urbino from 1444 (as Duke from 1474) until his death. A renowned intellectual Humanist and civil leader in Urbino on top of his impeccable reputation for martial skill and honor, he commissioned the construction of a great library, perhaps the largest of Italy after the Vatican, with his own team of scribes in his scriptorium, and assembled around him a large humanistic court in the Ducal Palace of Urbino, designed by Luciano Laurana and Francesco di Giorgio Martini.

Federico was born in Castello di Petroia in Gubbio, the illegitimate son of Guidantonio da Montefeltro, lord of Urbino, Gubbio and Casteldurante, and Duke of Spoleto. Two years later he was legitimized by Pope Martin V, with the consent of Guidantonio's wife, Caterina Colonna, who was Martin's niece.

In the aftermath of the Peace of Ferrara (see Wars in Lombardy) in 1433, he lived in Venice and Mantua as a hostage. In 1437 he was knighted by Emperor Sigismund, and in the same year he married Gentile Brancaleoni in Gubbio.

At sixteen he began a career as condottiero under Niccolò Piccinino. In 1441 he distinguished himself in the conquest of the castle of St. Leo, which Federico was to hold for the rest of his life. After Piccinino's resignation, he went to Pesaro to defend it against his great enemy in the Marche, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, lord of Rimini.