Between 1459 and 1460 all the actors of the Italian political system (which had just reached a fragile equilibrium after the so-called Peace of Lodi of 1454) were very worried (or also interested, according to the case) by the possibility, soon put into effect, that the House of Anjou (and by consequence the French Monarchy) could try to unseat the Aragonese dynasty from the throne of Naples. In particular, everyone was looking with apprehension (or with hope) at the hypothesis that the Angevins could take in their service the feared military company of Giacomo Piccinino, the most powerful mercenary captain active in Italy at that time. The paper examines the reasons why the condottiere, despite his well-established relations with the Aragoneses of Naples, could be pushed to such a change of field. But the main focus is dedicated to the investigations which were led in Venice by two Milanese ambassadors, who tried to understand the movement of money proving the agreement between the Angevins and the captain. Venice in fact, for a whole series of reasons, which are quickly examined in the paper, was definitely the ideal place to catch such a sort of information. Anyway, the first purpose of this article is actually to demonstrate that even in historiography it is often (or always) important to recall the precept of every good investigative journalism: follow the money.
F. SOMAINI, Chi pagò (e come) la "svolta angioina" di Giacomo Piccinino? Le indagini veneziane di due ambasciatori sforzeschi
SOMAINI, Francesco
2018-01-01
Abstract
Between 1459 and 1460 all the actors of the Italian political system (which had just reached a fragile equilibrium after the so-called Peace of Lodi of 1454) were very worried (or also interested, according to the case) by the possibility, soon put into effect, that the House of Anjou (and by consequence the French Monarchy) could try to unseat the Aragonese dynasty from the throne of Naples. In particular, everyone was looking with apprehension (or with hope) at the hypothesis that the Angevins could take in their service the feared military company of Giacomo Piccinino, the most powerful mercenary captain active in Italy at that time. The paper examines the reasons why the condottiere, despite his well-established relations with the Aragoneses of Naples, could be pushed to such a change of field. But the main focus is dedicated to the investigations which were led in Venice by two Milanese ambassadors, who tried to understand the movement of money proving the agreement between the Angevins and the captain. Venice in fact, for a whole series of reasons, which are quickly examined in the paper, was definitely the ideal place to catch such a sort of information. Anyway, the first purpose of this article is actually to demonstrate that even in historiography it is often (or always) important to recall the precept of every good investigative journalism: follow the money.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
