Cansignorio della Scala (5 March 1340 – 10 October 1375) was Lord of Verona from 1359 until 1375, initially together with his brother Paolo Alboino

Paolo Alboino della Scala

Paolo Alboino della Scala was a lord of Verona of the Scaliger dynasty.In 1351, after the death of his father Mastino II della Scala, he inherited the lordship of Verona and Vicenza, nominally together his brothers Cangrande and Cansignorio although soon Cangrande stripped them of all effective...

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Biography

He inherited the lordship of Verona at the death of his father Mastino

Mastino II della Scala

Mastino II della Scala was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy.He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother Alberto II were associated in the rule of Verona. Soon, however, Mastino's...

, together with his brothers Cangrande II

Cangrande II della Scala

Cangrande II della Scala was Lord of Verona from 1351 until his death.In 1351, after the death of his father Mastino II della Scala, he inherited the lordship of Verona and Vicenza, initially under the regency of his uncle Antonio...

 and Paolo Alboino

Paolo Alboino della Scala

Paolo Alboino della Scala was a lord of Verona of the Scaliger dynasty.In 1351, after the death of his father Mastino II della Scala, he inherited the lordship of Verona and Vicenza, nominally together his brothers Cangrande and Cansignorio although soon Cangrande stripped them of all effective...

. However, Cangrande took the effective reins. Cansignorio plotted against his tyrannic rule and, after having him assassinated, could enter the city in 1359 with the help of the Carraresi of Padua

Padua

Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...

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Legacy

Before his death in 1375 he had his brother Paolo Alboino (who had been in prison since 1365) assassinated to grant succession to his illegitimate sons Bartolomeo II

Bartolomeo II della Scala

Bartolomeo II della Scala was lord of Verona from 1375 until his death, together with his brother Antonio I della Scala.The illegitimate son of Cansignorio della Scala, he obtained the power in Verona after the latter's death by assassinating Cansignorio's brother, Paolo Alboino...

 and Antonio. The latter however were forced by the city's bankrupt to accept the protectorate of Bernabò Visconti

Bernabo Visconti

Bernabò Visconti was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.-Life:He was born in Milan, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti...

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Despite his ruthless character, Cansignorio ruled Verona quite moderately and enriched it with numerous constructions, including the first masonry bridge on the Adige

Adige

The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....

 and the first tower watch in Italy, the Gardello. Cansignorio's tomb is one of the notable Gothic

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 Scaliger tombs

Scaliger Tombs

The Scaliger Tombs is a group of five Gothic funerary monuments in Verona, Italy, celebrating the Scaliger family, who ruled in Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century....

 in the courtyard of Santa Maria Antica of Verona.

Marriage and children

Cansignorio married Agnes of Durazzo

Agnes of Durazzo

Agnes of Durazzo was the Empress consort of James of Baux, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople. She was the last consort of the Latin Empire.-Family:She was the second daughter of Charles, Duke of Durazzo and Maria of Calabria...

, second daughter of Charles, Duke of Durazzo

Charles, Duke of Durazzo

Charles of Durazzo was a Neapolitan nobleman, the eldest son of John, Duke of Durazzo and Agnes de Périgord.He succeeded his father as Duke of Durazzo and Count of Gravina in 1336....

 and Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria

Maria of Calabria was the first Empress consort of Philip II of Taranto, titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople.-Family:...

. Agnes was a younger sister of Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo

Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo

Joanna of Durazzo was the eldest daughter and eldest surviving child of Charles, Duke of Durazzo and his wife Maria of Calabria. She succeeded as Duchess on the death of her father in 1348 when she was only a child of four years old. Joanna was a member of the House of Anjou-Durazzo.She reigned as...

 and an older sister of Margherita of Durazzo

Margherita of Durazzo

Margaret of Durazzo was Queen of Naples and Hungary and Princess of Achaea as the spouse of Charles III of Naples, and later regent of Naples during the minority of her son....

, Queen consort of Charles III of Naples

Charles III of Naples

Charles the Short or Charles of Durazzo was King of Naples and titular King of Jerusalem from 1382 to 1386 as Charles III, and King of Hungary from 1385 to 1386 as Charles II. In 1382 Charles created the order of Argonauts of Saint Nicholas...

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Their marriage was childless. Cansignorio had three known children, all illegitimates. His daughter Lucia della Scalla married first Cortesia Serego and secondly Bernardino da Polenta

Bernardino da Polenta (disambiguation)

Bernardino da Polenta was lord of Cervia, 1297–1313.Bernardino da Polenta may also refer to:*Bernardino I da Polenta, lord of Ravenna, 1346–1359*Bernardino II da Polenta, lord of Ravenna, 1389–1400, son of Guido III da Polenta...

, of the ruling family of Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...

. His sons Bartolomeo II della Scala

Bartolomeo II della Scala

Bartolomeo II della Scala was lord of Verona from 1375 until his death, together with his brother Antonio I della Scala.The illegitimate son of Cansignorio della Scala, he obtained the power in Verona after the latter's death by assassinating Cansignorio's brother, Paolo Alboino...

 and Antonio I della Scala

Antonio I della Scala

Antonio della Scala was Lord of Verona from 1375 until 1387, initially together with his brother Bartolomeo.Antonio was the illegitimate son of Cansignorio della Scala. At the latter's death, he was associated in the lordship with his brother Bartolomeo. In 1378 he married Samaritana da Polenta,...

 would succeed as Lords of Verona.