Pirro del Balzo

Pirro (Pietro) del Balzo ( Italian: Pirro del Balzo , d. After 1487) - Duke of Andria , Count of Montescalozo and Prince of Altamura since 1482.

Pirro del Balzo
ital. Pirro del balzo
Coat of arms of the house de Beau
4th Duke of Andria 1482 - 1487
Predecessor	Francois II de Beau
Count Copertino
Predecessor	Sancha de Chiaramonte
Duke of Venosa (by right of wife)
Count of Montescalozo 1482 - 1487
Predecessor	Francois II de Beau
Prince of Altamura 1482 - 1487
Grand Connectable of the Kingdom of Naples 1482 - 1487
Predecessor	Francois II de Beau
Birth
Death
Kind	de bo
Father	Francois II de Beau
Mother	Sancha de Chiaramonte
Children	and

The son of Francois II de Beau , Duke of Andria, and Sanchi de Chiaramonte.

He inherited the county of Copertino from his mother. He married Maria Donate, daughter of Gabriele del Balzo-Orsini , Duke of Venos, who died in 1453 during the defense of Constantinople . His wife brought him a rich dowry, which included the cities of Acherra , Guardia Lombardi , Lacedonia , Lavello , Venosa with the title of Duke, Ruvo , Carpignano , Galatone , Minervino and others. Alfons V of Aragon on June 10, 1454 approved the inheritance of these possessions.

During the Anjou-Aragon war of 1460-1464, Pirro and his father fought on the side of King Ferrante I against the uncle of his wife Giovanni Antonio del Balzo-Orsini , Prince of Tarento. He was with his father in besieged Andria, but managed to leave it before the fall of the city. Taking Andria, Giovanni Antonio approached the castle of Minervino, and the siege was so cruel that, as they say, came to shelling the room where his pregnant niece lay. Pirro with the children was besieged in Spinazzola and also forced to surrender. They were released from captivity only after the defeat of the Anjou in the battle of Troy (08/18/1462) and the conclusion of peace.

On August 10, 1464 Ferrante presented Pirro with the city of Genosa in the Otranto region, confiscated from one of the rebels, and around this time also transferred the county of Bizaccia to him.

In 1480-1481 he participated in the struggle against the Turks who captured Otranto , distinguished himself in the capture of the citadel, where his detachment destroyed 70 Turks. On November 3, 1482 he was appointed a great Connectable and bought from the king for 27 thousand ducats the land of Altamur with the title of prince. Ferrante harbored the youngest daughter, Pirro Isabella, for his son Francesco, and when he died in 1486, he gave her as a wife to his third son, Federigo .

In 1485, Pirro, his brother Anjilberto , the Duke of Nardo , and their three sons joined the conspiracy of barons, unhappy with the politics of King Ferrante. The conspirators contacted Pope Innocent VIII and Rene II of Anjou , the Duke of Lorraine, to whom they intended to hand over the crown. Having failed, the Neapolitan aristocrats were forced to surrender to the king, who, despite the promise made to the pope, dealt with them.

Pirro took an ambiguous position: he fought on the side of the rebels and at the same time maintained relations with the king, who, trying to ensure his loyalty, wanted to marry him in 1485 with his illegitimate daughter Lucretia, previously promised to the Duke of Urbino . In November 1486, he surrendered to the royal troops, issued the keys to the castle of Venos, besieged by Alphonse of Calabria , and went with the king to Naples. He was forgiven and returned back to his possessions, but, realizing that Ferrante, known for his perverted cruelty, might change his mind, he planned, together with the other conspirators who were still at large, to run to Rome. Delayed in making a final decision, he was arrested on July 4, 1487, just like his brother and other barons.

Pirro and Angilberto were imprisoned in Castel Nuovo . According to the Neapolitan chronicler, on December 25, 1490, the king ordered the brothers to be strangled and the bodies thrown into the sea, but when they were actually killed, it is not known.

All the possessions of his and eldest daughter Isotta Ginevra were confiscated and transferred to Prince Federigo and his wife Isabella .