Ciro Alidosi
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Castel del Rio, Duchy of Florence
Ciro Alidosi | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of Ciro Alidosi as a knight of St. Stephen | |
| Lord of Castel del Rio | |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Tenure | 1560 – 1589 |
| Predecessor | Cesare Alidosi |
| Successor | Roderigo Alidosi |
| Born | c. 1520 Castel del Rio, Duchy of Florence |
| Died | November 29, 1589 (aged 68–69) Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany |
| Family | Alidosi |
| Spouse(s) | Elena di Rodrigo de Mendoza |
| Father | Giulio Alidosi |
| Mother | Virginia Chigi |
Ciro Alidosi (c. 1520, Castel del Rio — 1589, Florence) was a 16th-century Italian nobleman, diplomat, and lord of Castel del Rio, known for his service to the Medici and his controversial governance.
Ciro Alidosi was born around 1520 to Giulio Alidosi and Virginia Chigi. His mother was from Chigi family of Siena. His maternal grandmother was Sulpizia Petrucci,[1] one of the daughters of the lord of Siena, Pandolfo Petrucci.[2] His grandfather Beltrando was brother of Cardinal Francesco. Entrusted by his cousin and guardian, Cesare Alidosi, he was presented to Cosimo I who gave Ciro the title of chamberlain.[3]
Tenure as lord of Castel del Rio
In 1560, following the death of Cesare Alidosi, who left no male heirs, Ciro inherited the lordship of Castel del Rio and became head of Alidosi family. In addition to Castel del Rio, his domains included Massa, Fornione, Fossignano, Fontana, Gaggio near Bologna.[4]
On March 30, 1562, Cosimo I knighted him as part of Order of Saint Stephen[1] as one of its 310 original knights.[5] His reign saw completion of the Palazzo Alidosi, a construction project that had begun earlier in the century under the design of Bramante. However, his governance was marred by controversy. Ciro was known for imposing heavy taxes, territorial usurpations, and acts of violence against his subjects, even by the standards of his time.[3]
In 1585, Giacomo Ravaglia, a notary of the Curia of Bologna, accused Ciro and his son Giulio Cesare of orchestrating the murder of Camillo Galbini, a small landowner from Cedrecchia who had refused to sell his property to Ciro. According to Ottavio Mazzoni Toselli, Galbini once bought these lands from dona Laura Legnani, a cousin of Alidosi family.[6] The resulting trial found Ciro guilty, and he was condemned in absentia. That same year, Ravaglia further accused Ciro of organizing a retaliatory attack against him. Once again, Ciro was convicted in absentia, but thanks to the protection of the Medici family, he faced no consequences for either conviction.[3]
The papal authorities took a particular interest in Ciro's rule due to his liberal use of a policy that allowed bandits to find refuge within the territories of his lordship, located on the border of the Romagna. This practice, viewed as an abuse by the papacy, became particularly problematic in 1585, when Pope Sixtus V launched a vigorous campaign against banditry. Despite this effort, Ciro's protection prevented the capture of certain members of the Pepoli family, who were identified as major supporters and organizers of banditry in the Imola region.[3]
