[Born at Bergamo, in Italy, 1400. Died at Venice, 1475. Aged 75.]
Remarkable for his unstable loyalty. Served at first under Sforza and De
Montone in the army of Queen Joan of Naples. Then passed into the
service of Venice. Fighting against and nearly destroying the army of
the ambitious Duke of Milan, he went over to the enemy with 500
soldiers. He now fought against the Venetians; but in 1446, was thrown
into prison on a charge of treason. Released by the Milanese, he
deserted to the Venetians, whom he again led on against his latest
employers. Instead of fighting Sforza, the Milanese general, he deserted
to his side, and assisted him to gain the sovereignty of Milan.
Immediately afterwards he returned to the Venetians, and, strange to
say, continued their generalissimo for twenty-one years. The Senate,
upon his death, employed the celebrated Andrea Verrocchio to raise an
equestrian statue in bronze to his memory, of which the one before the
visitor is a cast. Shortly before his death, Coleoni, not without
reason, warned the Venetian Senate not to trust another man with such
power as they had confided to him.
[For account of this fine equestrian statue, see Handbook to the
Renaissance Court.]