Ettore Fieramosca

Who was Ettore Fieramosca?

Ettore Fieramosca or Ferramosca was an Italian condottiero and nobleman during the Italian Wars. His father was Rainaldo, baron of Rocca d'Evandro, and it is thought that his mother was a noble woman from the Gaetani family of Aragon.

Ettore served as a page to Ferdinand I of Naples and later became a condottiero for Ferdinand II. As such he fought against Charles VIII of France in 1493, during the French invasion of Italy. He continued to serve Frederick IV against the kings of France and Spain, but after Frederick's defeat in 1501, he turned to serve Prospero Colonna against France and Spain. In 1503 he led thirteen Italian knights to victory over thirteen French in the Challenge of Barletta. Later he served Ferdinand the Catholic, king of Spain, who made him count of Miglionico. Because he was stripped of some of his fief, he fought once more against Spain and France under the Republic of Venice and Fabrizio Colonna. In 1512 he fought at the Battle of Ravenna. Reconciled with Ferdinand, he died in Spain in 1515. Massimo D'Azeglio published Ettore Fieramosca in 1833 to honor him.

During the Risorgimento and the rise of Fascism, he was presented as a national hero and became the subject of national celebretions. In 1915 and in 1938 he was the main subject of two Italian movies, both named Ettore Fieramosca. The submarine Ettore Fieramosca, which served in the Royal Italian Navy during the Second World War, was named after him.