During the
War of the Guelphs and Ghibellines which tore apart Italy from the 12th to the 14th century, the Trinci were initially Guelphs, but switched to the other party from 1240. Corrado (I) and Trincia I Trinci held the title of
podestà or vicar of Foligno in the late 13th century. In 1305 the Trinci, after returning to the Guelphs, became lords of Foligno by expelling the Ghibelline Anastasi thanks to the support of nobles from
Spoleto and
Perugia.
Nallo governed as
capitano del popolo until 1318. After him, the Trinci held the titles of
gonfaloniere di giustizia (standard-bearer of justice) and
capitani. Nallo's brother,
Ugolino, ruled until 1336, being succeeded by Nallo's son,
Corrado I, who died in 1341. He was followed by
Ugolino Novello, the last to hold the aforementioned titles. The first official recognition came in 1367, when
Pope Urban V named Ugolino's son,
Trincia II Trinci, as
apostolic vicar. Trincia was killed in 1377 by some Ghibellin exiles. His brother
Corrado II ruled Foligno until 1386, followed by his son
Ugolino III, who was a friend of the condottiero
Braccio Fortebraccio. His sons Niccolò, Bartolomeo and
Corrado III co-ruled the city from 1415 to 1421. Corrado, however, decided to break with the Papal authority. Assailed by Cardinal
Giovanni Maria Vitelleschi, he lost Foligno, which thereafter lost its autonomy and became part of the
Papal States.
Palazzo Trinci was the residence of the Trinci family. The palace was built over a medieval building by Ugolino III between 1389 and 1411. After the defeat and death of Corrado III, the palace became the seat of the pontifical government of Foligno. == Lords of Foligno ==