Giovanni delle Bande Nere
| Lodovico de' Medici | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Giovanni by Gian Paolo Pace.
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| Born |
5 April 1498 Forlì |
| Died | 30 November 1526 (aged 28) (DOW) Mantua, Duchy of Mantua |
| Noble family | Medici |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Salviati |
| Issue | |
| Father | Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano |
| Mother | Caterina Sforza |
Lodovico de' Medici, also known as Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (5 April 1498 – 30 November 1526) was an Italian condottiero.
Giovanni was born in the Northern Italian town of Forlì to Giovanni de' Medici (also known as il Popolano) and Caterina Sforza, one of the most famous women of the Italian Renaissance.
From an early age, he demonstrated great interest and ability in physical activity, especially the martial arts of the age: horse riding, sword-fighting, etc. He committed his first murder at the age of 12, and was twice banished from the city of Florence for his unruly behavior, including involvement in the rape of a sixteen-year-old boy, Giovanni being about thirteen at the time. He had a son, Cosimo (1519–1574), who went on to become the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Giovanni became a condottiero, or mercenary military captain, in the employ of Pope Leo X (Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici) and on March 5, 1516 led the war against Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. He thenceforth formed a company of his own, mounted on light horses and specializing in fast but devastating skirmishing tactics and ambushes. In 1520 he defeated several rebel barons in the Marche. The following year Leo X allied with Emperor Charles V against King Francis I of France to regain Milan, Parma and Piacenza; Giovanni was called in under the command of Prospero Colonna, defeating the French at Vaprio d'Adda in November.
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