CASTRU'CCIO CASTRACA'NI was born at Lucca about the year III. family Dime was Interminelli, but he assumed that of Costricani oe his adoption Into the family of that name, which was oat of the prioelpal of Lama. When he was twenty years of ago he vaulted Kngland, where some of the Interminalli, who had been exiled from Lama as Ghibelines, had settled, and had acquired wealth by trade. Osetruessio was admitted into the court of Edward I., and served in the snake of that prince, but having killed in a quarrel a nobleman of the court, he was obliged to leave England for Menders where be served under Philip le Bel, king of France, and greatly distinguished himself by his valour and abilities. About 1313 he Mussed to Italy, and joined the Ghlbellnes of Pisa, whom he assisted is expelling the Guelphs from Loom. But Uguocione della Fagginoire the leader of the Mans and e soldier of fortune, having made himself tyrant of both Pies and Lucca, threw Castrucci° into prison. In 1316 as ineurreetion of both Pisa and Lures drove away Uguocione, and the dams. of Lucca, having liberatel CAstruecio, proclaimed him chief of their republic. lie wee young, handsome, and bravo, clever end unscrepulosse, and he strengthened himself in his elaoe by ring, by fair or foul means, all those who were illellepoled towards Ile then attacked Florecos, which was the stronghold of the Guelph tarty is Italy. Ile took Piatoja and completely defeated, at Alto Pmeles, the Florentine army under Raymond of Cardona, • Cataionlan meraenary chief, in September 1323. lie then joined the °tin r Ghibeline leaders in iuviting the Emperor Louis of Bavaria to march into Italy and complete the subjugation of the Guelphs. The emperor came, and Caatruocio became his chief adviser. In 1327 Louis reduced Pisa, and then proceeded with Castrumie to Rome, which he entered by force, and was crowned In the Vatican by the bishops of Venice and Alert* in January 1328, uotwithstanding the excommunications of the pope John XXIL Castrucci° was made Count Palatine. lie
had already been acknowledged by the emperor as Duke of Lucca, Piste* Volterra, and Lunigiaus. He aimed at uniting all Tuscany under his sway, and establishing at the same time the anprernacy of the emperor over all Italy, according to the prineiplea of the Ghibeliuo party. While at Rome he received intelligence that the Florentines had surprised Piatoja, upon which he immediately returned to Tuscany, and on his way made himself master of Pisa, and besieged nod took Kato* notwithstanding all the efforts of the Florentines to relieve the place. His exertions during the siege brought on an illness of which he died, 3rd of September 1323, at forty-five years of age. Ili. death relieved Florence of one of its most dangerous enemies, and gave at the same time a fetal blow to the Ghibeline party in Italy. His children were driven away from Lucca in the following year. Castrucci° is admitted by Italian historians to have been one of the few Italian chiefs of the middle ages whose ideas soared beyond the narrow circle of municipal ambition, and who entertained enlarged views for consolidating all Italy into one system. His military tactics, the secretes of his plans, and the quickness of their execution, are also highly extolled. The life of Cestruccio by Dlachinvelli la more a romance than a real biography. Aldo Manuzio the younger has written 'Le Attloni di Castrucci° Castracani, Signore di Luces,ito, Roma, 1590, a good work. Tegrimi of Lucca has written the life of Castrucci°, Modeoa, 1496, and Paris, 1546: it is also printed in vol xi. of Muratori, Rerum Ital. Scriptures.' Sismondi, Histoire des Rdpubliques Italieones,' a work however decidedly hostile to the Ghibelines in general, may be consulted.