Castruccio

Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (1281 – 1328) was an Italian condottiero. He was the lord of Lucca from 1316 until his death.

Born in Lucca, Castruccio belonged to the Guelph family of the Antelminelli. Exiled from Lucca in his youth due to political infighting, he gained military experience serving under various captains, including the Visconti of Milan and the Ghibelline leader Uguccione della Faggiuola.

He returned to Lucca in 1313 and, through a combination of military skill and political maneuvering, became its lord in 1316. Castruccio then led Lucca in a series of wars, expanding its territory and influence in Tuscany. He became a major power in the region, challenging the authority of Florence and other Guelph cities. Notable victories included the Battle of Altopascio in 1325, where he decisively defeated the Florentine army.

Castruccio's military successes and ambition attracted the attention of Emperor Louis IV, who appointed him Duke of Lucca and imperial vicar in Tuscany. He consolidated his power further through alliances and strategic marriages.

He died in 1328, likely from malaria, after a successful campaign against Pisa. Without a clear successor, Lucca was plunged into instability after his death, eventually falling under Florentine control.

Castruccio is remembered as a skilled military commander and a shrewd political operator. His life and career were the subject of a biography written by Niccolò Machiavelli, The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca, which uses Castruccio as a model of leadership and virtù. Although Machiavelli's biography is partly fictionalized, it solidified Castruccio's place in history as a prominent figure of the Italian Trecento.