BRACCIO, FORTEBRACCI, Count of MONTONE, a celebrated condotticre (see CosuoT miEni), born at Perugia in 1368, of an old patrician family, was, in early youth, the leader of a troop of mercenaries in the service of the count of Mon tefeltro, against the Malatesti, lords of Rimini. He became the champion of the Perugian nobles who were driven into exile in 1393; and after serving in Lombardy under Alberico da Barbiano, he carried on a partisan warfare in the marches of Ancona against the marquis Ludovico Migliorati, nephew of pope Innocent VII. In 1408, he entered the service of Ladislaus, king of Naples, who had designs on central Italy, and, with hie condotta, crossed the Apennines, scoured the valley of the Tiber, and took several towns. In June of the same year, the people of Perugia offered the dominion of their city to the Neapolitan king on condition that he would prevent the nobles from returning. He accepted it, and ungenerously sent a large force against B., who retired to the marches. In 1416, however, B. obtained the sovereignty of his native city, when the banished nobles, after an exile of twenty-four years, were restored. In 1417, B. got possession of Rome by
capitulation, but was soon obliged to evacuate it. He afterwards made terms with the pope (Martin V.), with whom he had a conference at Florence in Feb., 1420, and subse quently accepted from Joanna, queen of Naples, the command of her land-forces, with the rank of high constable of that kingdom. Entering the Abnizzo, he surprised Capua, and having relieved Naples, then besieged by the queen's enemies, was created by her count of Foggia and prince of Capua. In 1423, B. was, by her order, crowned at Perugia, as prince of Aquila and Capita. Aspiring to the throne of Naples, he overran Campania and Apulia with a considerable army, took Bari, and advanced into Calabria. In a battle which ensued for the relief of the strong town of Aquila, besieged by him, B. was wounded and taken prisoner. After lingering for three days, refusing food, lie died June 5, 1424, in his 56t11 year. His deeds, in chronological order, and those of his contemporary, Piccinino, are commemorated by Lorenzo 'Spirito, in a poem of 101 chapters, in terza rime, entitled L' Altro Mark (Vicenza, 1489).