Ottaviano Fregoso | |
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| 44th Lifetime Doge of the Republic of Genoa | |
| In office 20 June 1513 –7 September 1515 | |
| Preceded by | Giano II di Campofregoso |
| Succeeded by | Antoniotto II Adorno |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1470 Genoa, Republic of Genoa |
| Died | 1524 Ischia, Kingdom of Naples |
Ottaviano Fregoso (born in Genoa, 1470 - died in Ischia, 1524) was the Doge of the Republic of Genoa.
Ottaviano Fregoso, was the son of Agostino Fregoso and Gentile di Montefeltro, daughter of the renowned condottiero , patron of humanists, and book collector, Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. Ottaviano was born in Genoa, but, like his brother, the future cardinal, Federigo, spent much of his youth at the court of Urbino, presided over by their uncle, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro. There the brothers received a classical humanistic education and were the companions and close friends of such humanists as Pietro Bembo and Baldassare Castiglione and the painter Raphael. Ottaviano and Federigo Fregoso are participants in the fictional discussion presided over by Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino, in Baldassare Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier , which was supposed to have taken place at the court of Urbino in 1507. In the dialog, both brothers, who themselves (like the other interlocutors in the discussion), are supposed to embody the Italian Renaissance ideal of courtly behavior in an ideal court, are depicted as defending a republican form of government.
Beginning in 1497, Ottaviano participated in an alliance with King Charles VII of France, in order to expel the Sforza family from Genoa. In the early 1500s, he also defended his uncle's duchy of Urbino against Cesare Borgia, known as Valentino, the son of Pope Alexander VI. In the course of this war, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, was forced to destroy several fortresses rather than cede them to the enemy.
In 1506 Guidobaldo conferred on Ottaviano the lordship of Sant'Agata Feltria, which was confirmed in 1513 by Pope Leo X. [1]
Also in 1506, Ottaviano was sent to Bologna to recover for the Papal States the cities that had fallen into the hands of Giovanni Bentivoglio.
Subsequently, Ottaviano returned to Genoa, where he and his cousin, Giano II Campofregoso, attempted to expel their former allies, the French. At that time the Fregoso (Guelph) and the Adorno (Ghibelline) families were engaged in a violent struggle for the supremacy of the city. These clashes culminated in 1510 with the victory of Adornos: the Fregoso faction was forced again into exile and again took refuge in Urbino.
Three years later, the Fregosos turned the tables and defeated the Adornos, returning to Genoa, where in June 1513 Ottaviano became Doge. During his government he initiated important public works such as the modernization of the port of Genoa and the construction of the tower of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.
For its times, Ottaviano's government displayed notable magnanimity towards its opponents, both those within his family, as with his cousin (and former ally against the French), Giano II Campofregoso, who plotted to take Ottaviano's place as Doge, and toward members of such traditionally hostile families as the Adorno and the Fieschi.
After 1515, Ottaviano Fregoso was forced to acknowledge King Francis I of France, as his overlord; Francis, however, allowed Ottaviano to remain on as ruler of Genoa.
In 1520 Pope Leo X conferred on him the title of Count.
When Spanish troops under Emperor Charles V sacked and occupied Genoa in 1522, Ottaviano was captured and imprisoned, first at Naples, then at Aversa, and then in the fortress of Ischia, where he died in 1524, according to some authors, by poisoning. After his death, the fief of S. Agatha was ruled, first by his brother, Cardinal Federigo Fregoso and then by his son Aurelio.
To this day, descendants of Ottaviano Fregoso are noted to reside in the United States, with the majority of them residing in the states of; CA, VA, NY, NV, and FL, with the majority of them residing in CA, VA and NY. Descendants noted; Immediate; Antonasio Fregoso, Robert Fregoso, Deborah Fregoso, Bobby Fregoso, Charlotte Fregoso, Sean Fregoso, Elizabeth Fregoso, Skylar Fregoso, Jordan Fregoso, and Garrett Fregoso.
Contemporary historians and intellectuals remembered Ottaviano as a liberal and magnanimous prince, holding him up as a quintessential Renaissance gentleman and a pattern for rulers, as did Baldassare Castiglione who made him one of the interlocutors in The Book of the Courtier (1528). Francesco Guicciardini, in his History of Italy (1561) records him as "certainly a prince of most excellent virtue, notable for his justice and other noble qualities, and as beloved in Genoa as any ruler could be in that city of factions, where the memory of their ancient liberties was not entirely extinguished in the minds of the citizenry." [2]
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482. The town, nestled on a high sloping hillside, retains much of its picturesque medieval aspect. It hosts the University of Urbino, founded in 1506, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Urbino. Its best-known architectural piece is the Palazzo Ducale, rebuilt by Luciano Laurana.
The Doge of Genoa was the ruler of the Republic of Genoa, a city-state and soon afterwards a maritime republic, from 1339 until the state's extinction in 1797. Originally elected for life, after 1528 the Doges were elected for terms of two years. In actuality, the Republic was an oligarchy ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom the doges were selected.
Łukasz Ogończyk Górnicki, was a Polish Renaissance, poet, humanist, political commentator as well as secretary and chancellor of king Sigismund Augustus of Poland.
Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is a c. 1514–1515 oil painting attributed to the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael. Considered one of the great portraits of the Renaissance, it has an enduring influence. It depicts Raphael's friend, the diplomat and humanist Baldassare Castiglione, who is considered a quintessential example of the High Renaissance gentleman.
The Ducal Palace is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
Francesco Maria I della Rovere was an Italian condottiero, who was Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1516 and, after retaking the throne from Lorenzo II de' Medici, from 1521 to 1538.
Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, also known as Guidobaldo I, was an Italian condottiero and the Duke of Urbino from 1482 to 1508.
Federigo Fregoso, was an Italian nobleman, prelate and general.
Giano II di Campofregoso (1455–1529) was the 43rd Doge of Genoa, ruling from 29 June 1512 to 25 May 1513.
Elisabetta Gonzaga (1471–1526) was a noblewoman of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for her cultured and virtuous life. A member of the House of Gonzaga, she was a sister of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua and by marriage the Duchess of Urbino. Because her husband, Duke Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, was impotent, Elisabetta never had children of her own, but did adopt her husband's nephew and heir, Francesco Maria I della Rovere.
Eleonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino was Duchess and sometime regent of Urbino by marriage to Francesco Maria I della Rovere, duke of Urbino.
Baldassare Castiglione, count of Casatico, was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissance author.
Giano I di Campofregoso was the 31st Doge of the Republic of Genoa.
Antoniotto II Adorno was Doge of the Republic of Genoa from 1522 to 1527. Adorno was the last of the Genoese doges elected for life.
Agostino Fregoso was an Italian condottiero belonging to the Fregoso family of Genoa. He was also lord of Sant'Agata Feltria.
Paolo di Campofregoso was an Italian Catholic archbishop who was three times doge of Genoa.
Domenico di Campofregoso (1325–1390) was the fifth doge of Genoa. He succeeded Gabriele Adorno upon the deposition of the latter on August 13, 1370 by the two vicars of the people. He held the longest consecutive term as Doge in the history of the Republic.
Giorgio Adorno was a statesman who became doge of the Republic of Genoa for two years. His father was Adornino Adorno and his mother Nicolosia della Rocca and his brother, Antoniotto, was elected four times as doge of the Republic. He was born c. 1350 but little is known about his youth except that he married Pietrina Montaldo, daughter of the doge Leonardo Montaldo. With her he had nine children, including the future doge Raffaele Adorno.
Filippo or Filippino Doria was a Genoese admiral from a cadet branch of the Doria family.
The Fregoso or di Campofregoso were a noble family of the Republic of Genoa and Liguria in general, divided into numerous branches, whose members distinguished themselves on numerous historical occasions; many of them held the position of Doge of Genoa, some were also lords of Sarzana; others finally held various fiefdoms, lands and titles along the arc of the Ligurian Apennines, such as the county of Sant'Agata Feltria which was owned by Agostino Fregoso. The Fregoso family monopolized the Dogate's lifetime office, becoming the dynasty who produced the highest number of doges in the history of the Republic.
But the timid Ottaviano deferred to the deliberations of the Senate and the citizenry. The multitude should be consulted in times of peace; but times of crisis call for action rather than words, and what is needed, rather, is a prompt and resolute will. In the event, there were so many differing opinions that nothing was concluded.
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