LORDSHIP OF RIMINI (MALATESTA) «
The emperor, [...] gave to all who had assumed sovereignty over the cities or territories of the Church, the imperial authority to retain possession of them. By this means Galeotto Malatesti and his brothers became lords of Rimini, Pesaro, and Fano».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book I, Chapter VI.
«
The pope also commenced hostilities in Romagna against the Malatesta, from whom he wished to take Rimini and Cesena, held by them».
Niccolò Machiavelli's History of Florence - Book VII, Chapter I.
HISTORYThe
House of Malatesta was an Italian family that ruled over Rimini from 1295 onward, temporarily holding power in other cities in Romagna and Lombardy. The family's progenitor is said to be Rodolfo of Carpegna whose fighting spirit yielded him the sobriquet
mala testa (lit. "bad head"). Hi son
Malatesta da Verucchio, born in 1212, became leader of the Guelphs while his adversary Guido I. of Montefeltro took the lead of the Ghibellines in the Marche and Romagna regions, forecasting the continuous struggle between the two families, competing for power in that area of Italy.
During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Malatestas served as condottieri
at the service of various Italian states, while ruling over a number of cities in the Romagna and the Marche, including
Rimini,
Pesaro,
Fano,
Cesena,
Fossombrone and
Cervia.
TERRITORY Romagna is an area that is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west. The region's major cities include
Cesena,
Faenza,
Forlì,
Imola,
Ravenna,
Rimini and
San Marino. Ruled in distant past by the Exarchate of Ravenna, Romagna was officially ceded to the
Papal States
by
Emperor Rudolf I in 1278; however, Papal control was mostly nominal, as local families held power, fragmenting the region.
ECONOMY Agriculture and mining In the mountainous part of Romagna there are several caves of chalk, limestone and clay, used locally as building materials.
Nearby Cervia, large Salt flats are amongst the largest and most productive in Italy.
Agriculture is well developed, as several rivers and creeks provide abundance of water; the land is suitable for farming and animal husbandry, and dedicated cultivations such as fruits, grain, oats and wine prosper.
Nearby Cesena lies a quite rich sulphur deposit that could be mined, although with expensive techniques due to extraction difficulties. Sulphur extraction dates since 1047
Trade and commerce POLITICS Relations with Papal States Relations with Montefeltro Relations with other states ARMY SOURCES[Modificato da Mylae 26/12/2018 14:58]
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È pericoloso porre in modo sbagliato questioni sostanzialmente giuste.
Indro Montanelli