Tommaso Ugi di Siena
Encyclopedia
Tommaso Ugi di Siena was a 14th century Italian adventurer, native of the city of Siena
in Italy
. He resided at the court of the Mongol Ilkhanid ruler Oljeitu in the Persian
capital of Tabriz
, where he held the high position of Ildüchi, "Sword bearer", for Oljeitu. Other adventurers, such as Buscarello de Ghizolfi
or Isol the Pisan
, are known to have played similar roles at the Mongol court. Hundreds such Western adventurers entered into the service of Mongol rulers.
In 1307, Tommaso led a Mongol embassy sent by Oljeitu to European monarchs. This embassy encouraged Pope Clement V
to speak in 1307 of the strong possibility that the Mongols could remit the Holy Land
to the Christians, and to declare that the Mongol embassy from Oljeitu "cheered him like spiritual sustenance". Relations were quite warm: in 1307, the Pope named John of Montecorvino
the first Archbishop of Khanbalik and Patriarch of the Orient.
The embassy further promised the delivery of between 100,000 to 200,000 horses to the Crusaders upon their arrival in the Holy Land.
European nations accordingly prepared a crusade, but were delayed. A memorandum drafted by the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers Guillaume de Villaret
about military plans for a Crusade envisaged a Mongol invasion of Syria as a preliminary to a Western intervention (1307/8). A corps of Frank mangonel
specialists is known to have accompanied the Ilkhanid army in the conquest of Herat
in 1307.
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He resided at the court of the Mongol Ilkhanid ruler Oljeitu in the Persian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
capital of Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, where he held the high position of Ildüchi, "Sword bearer", for Oljeitu. Other adventurers, such as Buscarello de Ghizolfi
Buscarello de Ghizolfi
Buscarello de Ghizolfi, or Buscarel of Gisolfe was a European who settled in Persia in the 13th century while it was part of the Mongol Ilkhanate. He was a Mongol ambassador to Europe from 1289 to 1305, serving the Mongol rulers Arghun, Ghazan and then Oljeitu...
or Isol the Pisan
Isol the Pisan
Isol the Pisan, also known as Ciolo Bofeti di Anastasio or Zolus Bofeti de Anestasio , was an Italian merchant, diplomat, and military leader. For some time he resided at the court of the Mongol Ilkhan, Ghazan, in Persia, rising to become his ambassador or liaison to the Kingdom of Cyprus...
, are known to have played similar roles at the Mongol court. Hundreds such Western adventurers entered into the service of Mongol rulers.
In 1307, Tommaso led a Mongol embassy sent by Oljeitu to European monarchs. This embassy encouraged Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
to speak in 1307 of the strong possibility that the Mongols could remit the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
to the Christians, and to declare that the Mongol embassy from Oljeitu "cheered him like spiritual sustenance". Relations were quite warm: in 1307, the Pope named John of Montecorvino
John of Montecorvino
John of Montecorvino or Giovanni da Montecorvino in Italian was an Italian Franciscan missionary, traveler and statesman, founder of the earliest Roman Catholic missions in India and China, and archbishop of Peking, and Latin Patriarch of the Orient.-Biography:John was born at Montecorvino...
the first Archbishop of Khanbalik and Patriarch of the Orient.
The embassy further promised the delivery of between 100,000 to 200,000 horses to the Crusaders upon their arrival in the Holy Land.
European nations accordingly prepared a crusade, but were delayed. A memorandum drafted by the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers Guillaume de Villaret
Guillaume de Villaret
Guillaume de Villaret , a native of Languedoc-Roussillon was the 24th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitallers, a position he held from 1296 to his death. He was succeeded by his nephew, Foulques de Villaret, whose career he had done much to advance.-Biography:Before his position as Master, he had...
about military plans for a Crusade envisaged a Mongol invasion of Syria as a preliminary to a Western intervention (1307/8). A corps of Frank mangonel
Mangonel
A mangonel was a type of catapult or siege engine used in the medieval period to throw projectiles at a castle's walls. The exact meaning of the term is debatable, and several possibilities have been suggested. Mangonel may also be indirectly referring to the 'mangon' a French hard stone found in...
specialists is known to have accompanied the Ilkhanid army in the conquest of Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
in 1307.