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Marcantonio Colonna

Marcantonio I Colonna (1478-1522) was the Lord of Frascati, a condottiero, and a member of the powerful House of Colonna. Colonna married the niece of Pope Julius II, who he later fought against as a general of the Republic of Venice and France. He was killed during Spain's 1522 siege of Milan.

Biography[]

Marcantonio Colonna was the nephew of Fabrizio Colonna and a member of the powerful Colonna family of Rome. In 1492, he was senselessly beaten by Juan Borgia the Younger and Cesare Borgia for insulting the Spanish House of Borgia. In another fight with Borgia, one of his fingers was cut off. Following in his uncle's footsteps, Marcantonio started his military career in 1502 at the age of 24. Colonna became a renowned and able condottiero, serving the Republic of Florence in 1502 and Pope Julius II afterwards. After marrying Pope Julius' niece, he was made Lord of Frascati. Colonna distinguished himself fighting for the Republic of Venice and France against the Pope during the War of the League of Cambrai, and he organized the 1522 defense of Milan against Spain. While inspecting the front lines, he was mortally wounded by a cannon shell.

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