Jacopo II Appiano

Early years

Born in Piombino around 1400 and 1401 years. Jacopo was the son of Count Gerardo Leonardo Appiano , Signor Piombino, and , daughters of Agapito Colonna, Signore Genazzano, and Catherine de Conti from the house of ^[1] . On the maternal side, he was the nephew of Pope Martin V. In May 1405, he inherited the deceased father under the name Jacopo II. Its full title was: Count Jacopo II d'Appiano, Signor Piombino, Scarlino, Populonia, Suvereto, Buriano, Abbad al-Fano, Vignale, Valle, Montyon and the islands of Elba, Montecristo, Pianosa, and Cherboli Palmaiola, palatine of the Holy Roman empire ^{[1] [2]} .

Regent with a minor ruler was his mother. In fulfillment of the last will of her late husband, on behalf of his heir, on May 30, 1405, she brought a commendation to the Florentine Republic , which took signor Piombino and her ruler under her protection ^[2] . One year before his death, Father Jacopo II brought the commendation of Florence. Mentor to the young ruler Florence sent a humanist Filippo Magalotti . On February 4, 1406, the Florentines extended the signor Piombino’s comments for another four years, and on February 28 of the same year, at the request of Jacopo II himself, granted him Florentine citizenship. On November 6, 1406, the republic's magistrate enlisted Jacopo II to the militia. On this occasion, a podesta arrived from Florence in Piombino, who knighted Jacopo II ^[3] .

The minor ruler did not take any decisions and did not sign documents without the consent of the mother. Paola Colonna, signor Piogbino’s dowager, was an intelligent woman with a strong-willed character. She ruled the Signoria together with the Florentine Commissioner, whom the republic annually sent to Piombino to monitor the situation. Trying to avoid a re-attack on the island of Elba by the Republic of Genoa, in 1413, the signor dowager in Genoa married her son Donella Fieschi (1400-1467), the daughter of a Genoese patrician Luca Fieschi, Count Lavagna. Signor Piombino's father-in-law was a representative of an influential Genoese family and general of the army of the Florence Republic ^{[2] [3]} .

In 1419, Jacopo II, with his mother and sisters, visited the Republic of Florence during his visit to Florence of Pope Martin V. The Florentines gave a warm welcome to Signor Piombino and his family members. On October 31, 1419, Jacopo II confirmed the eternal nature of the commendation of the Republic of Florence, which his mother had previously brought for him ^{[3] [2]} .

Relations with the Republic of Florence

In the war of 1431 between Venice and Genoa, Jacopo II participated on the side of the latter. He commanded the gallery in the Battle of Rapallo, in which the Genoese were defeated and the gallery Jacopo II was captured by the Venetians. In the same 1431, during the war of Florence with Lucca , Siena and Milan , Signor Piombino spoke out against the Florentine Republic, thereby violating the recommendations given to them. On the one hand, he wanted to get rid of the growing influence of Florence, on the other hand, he was driven by a desire to expand his possessions at the expense of the territory of the republic. Jacopo II was counting on the support of Genoa and Milan ^{[2] [4]} . He even managed to capture the fortress of Monteverdi , on the basis of which from 1431 to 1433 he bore the title of signor Monteverdi ^{[1] [3]} .

However, the situation soon changed dramatically. Uncle Jacopo II, Pope Martin V, died; he also counted on his patronage. Above the signor Piombino there is a danger of revenge from an ally loyal to him. He tried again to get closer to Florence in 1433 after the conclusion of a , when Jacopo II returned to the republic all the territories previously seized from it. His attempts to conclude a peace agreement with the Republic of Florence intensified after the victory of the Italian League under the leadership of Florence at the Battle of Anghiari . Finally, in November 1440, an agreement was concluded between the signoria and the republic, which restored the previous agreements ^[2] , which included tax breaks for Florentines in the territory of Signoria Piombino ^[3] .

Late years

In the 1430s, Jacopo II systematically carried out construction work and the settlement of the Signoria of Populonia . In many ways, this was contributed by Signor Piombino’s fascination with antiquity . He cherished the monuments of Etruscan culture in Populonia. Before the start of work, only the coastal strip near , where salt marshes, a tower, a port village and fish markets were settled, was settled in this signoria. Above, on the site of the ancient , at that time there was a forest that hid the ruins. By order of Jacopo II, the forest was cut down, and in its place was built a new village with a fortress and bastions. To settle the signoria, Jacopo II gave families and families who moved from Piombino to Populonia to house and land outside the walls of the new fortress ^[4] .

In 1435-1440, Jacopo II commissioned the Siena architect Nanni di Maggio da Terranova to begin the construction of a new large palace of priors and elders. The building was built with a Guelph battlement. The former building, the small palace of the elders at the Earthen Gate, was handed over to them by the Franciscan monks as a monastery ^[5] .

In 1439, Jacopo II expected the birth of a heir to a courtesan who had become pregnant. On the occasion of the upcoming birth, ambassadors of the Florentine and Siena Republics arrived at Piumbino at the invitation of Jacopo. On the very day of the birth, signor Piombino organized a large reception, which ended in an embarrassment - the courtesan gave birth to a black child ^[6] .

In July 1440, the condottieres attacked the possessions of Jacopo II and captured the Signoria of Suvereto. In November 1440, Signor Piombino entered into a new alliance with the Republic of Florence. On August 28, 1441, the condottiere army approached Piombino fortress. Baldaccio d'Angiari was joined by Jacobo II’s father’s half-brother, Emanuele Appiano , who, having learned of his nephew’s serious illness, decided to declare his rights to the signoria , according to the testament of the late brother. Both aggressors suffered a crushing defeat and were forced to retreat. Jacopo II died in the palace in Piombino on December 27, 1441. Before his death, he was long and painfully sick ^[7] , according to rumors, he was poisoned ^[3] .

Jacopo II's marriage turned out to be childless ^[1] , moreover, shortly before his death, his wife left him ^[3] . The mother of the late Signor Piombino, Paola Colonna, after her son's death, usurped power in the signoria and ruled it until her death, which occurred in November 1445. After her, , elder sister of Jacopo II, who ruled the signoria with her husband, condottiere ^{[1] [8],} became her new signor Piombino.

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