The Castle
of Montecchio
Vesponi
Tuscany - Italy
John Hawkwood and the Castle of Montecchio Vesponi
Sir John Hawkwood , Giovanni Acuto the mercenary
commander, depicted in Paolo Uccello's fresco in the cathedral of Santa
Maria del Fiore the Duomo of Florence.
This image was captured again over five
hundred years later in the philatelic leaflet and stamp of the castle, issued
in 1986
Hawkwood was the powerful and respected Lord of the Castle from 1384 when the
Commune of Florence made the Castle of Montecchio over to him as their Captain
General of the Florentine armies.
Sir John renowned strategist in war was the son-in-law of Bernabó Visconti,
Lord of Milan.
Hawkwood remained ambassador and loyal subject and trusted servant of his English king, Richard II, until his death in 1394.Then King Richard requested that the Florentines to return Hawkwood's remains to his native England.
Over the centuries since his death, the memory of Hawkwood endures, fascinating and inspiring people to continue to write about him.
In 1994 and to celebrate the occasion of six centuries since Hawkwood's death, Daniela Piegai published a vivid and poetic romantized biography of John Hawkwood (the first chapter is available on the net).
2003, a new historical treatise on John Hawkwood was published by Duccio Balestracci, Professor of medieval history at the University of Siena.
Frances Stonor Saunders, a young journalist who previously wrote a best-seller on the CIA and its influence on the European literati and intelligentsia after WW II).In her book on John Hawkwood, she has returned to her first love, entitled "Hawkwood, Diabolical Englishman".
The book's subtitle comes from a popular saying of the medieval period: 'an Italianized Englishman is the devil incarnate'. The term applied to foreigners in general and mercenaries in particular, "Inglese" was to apply to all who fought in the wars of the city states. This book was published in the United States under another title.
New friends of Montecchio and admirers and people with interest in John Hawkwood abound...
A kind-hearted and 'sharp' Englishwoman, Valerie Nicholson has compiled a time- line of the life and times of John Hawkwood (a small portion of which is available on this web-site.
"The John Hawkwood Letters" 2006.
Stephen Cooper, another dear friend has entrusted Castello Montecchio Vesponi with a series of his unpublished articles on the increasingly famous mercenary Sir John Hawkwood/Giovanni Acuto (the first article is available on the net).
Stephen, published an interesting article in 'History Today' An unsung Villain: The reputation of a Condottierre; History Today Volume 56(1) January 2006
He is now working on a book about John Hawkwood.
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