Castruccio was born in
Lucca, a member of the noble family of
Antelminelli, of the
Ghibelline party. In 1300, he was exiled with his parents and others of their faction by the
Guelphs "Black" party, then in the ascendant. At nineteen, he became orphaned and subsequently served as a
condottiero under
Philip IV of France in
Flanders, then with the
Visconti in
Lombardy, and in 1313, under the Ghibelline chief,
Uguccione della Faggiuola, lord of
Pisa, in central Italy. He assisted Uguccione in many enterprises, including the capture of Lucca (1314), and the
Battle of Montecatini (1315), in which he was the main protagonist of the victory over the Guelph League led by the
Florentines. However, due to his growing popularity, Uguccione had him jailed and condemned to death. An insurrection of the Lucchesi having led to the expulsion of Uguccione and his party, Castruccio regained his freedom and his position, and the Ghibelline triumph was presently assured. Elected lord (as lifelong
consul) of Lucca on 12 June 1316, he warred incessantly against the Florentines, though at home he renovated the
Ponte della Maddalena, spanning the
River Serchio. At first, he was the faithful adviser and staunch supporter of
Frederick of Austria, who made him imperial
vicar of Lucca,
Lunigiana and
Val di Nievole in 1320. After the
Battle of Mühldorf, he went over to the emperor
Louis the Bavarian, whom he served for many years. In 1325, he defeated the Florentines at the
Battle of Altopascio, and was appointed by the emperor duke of Lucca,
Pistoia,
Volterra and
Luni; two years later he captured Pisa, of which he was made imperial vicar. His relations with Louis seemed to have grown less friendly and he was afterwards
excommunicated by the papal legate in the interests of the Guelphs (1327). At his death in 1328, the fortunes of his young children were wrecked in the Guelph triumph.
Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a
Life of Castruccio Castracani. It is understood to be fictional in many places, and based upon classical aphorisms. It was made later in his life than some of Machiavelli's more well-known works and, according to
Leo Strauss, to be significant for the understanding of Machiavelli's political philosophy.
Mary Shelley's novel
Valperga; or, The Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca, published in 1823, is based on the life of Castruccio Castracani, though the dates are slightly changed. ==References==