Ottaviano Fregoso, was the son of
Agostino Fregoso and Gentile di Montefeltro, daughter of the renowned
condottiero, patron of
humanists, and book collector,
Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of
Urbino. Ottaviano was born in
Genoa, but, like his brother, the future cardinal,
Federigo, spent much of his youth at the court of
Urbino, presided over by their uncle,
Guidobaldo da Montefeltro. There the brothers received a classical humanistic education and were the companions and close friends of such humanists as
Pietro Bembo and
Baldassare Castiglione and the painter
Raphael. Ottaviano and Federigo Fregoso are participants in the fictional discussion presided over by
Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino, in
Baldassare Castiglione's
The Book of the Courtier, which was supposed to have taken place at the court of Urbino in 1507. In the dialog, both brothers, who themselves (like the other interlocutors in the discussion), are supposed to embody the
Italian Renaissance ideal of courtly behavior in an ideal court, are depicted as defending a
republican form of
government. Beginning in 1497, Ottaviano participated in an alliance with King
Charles VII of France, in order to expel the
Sforza family from Genoa. In the early 1500s, he also defended his uncle's duchy of Urbino against
Cesare Borgia, known as Valentino, the son of
Pope Alexander VI. In the course of this war, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, was forced to destroy several fortresses rather than cede them to the enemy. In 1506 Guidobaldo conferred on Ottaviano the lordship of
Sant'Agata Feltria, which was confirmed in 1513 by
Pope Leo X. Also in 1506, Ottaviano was sent to
Bologna to recover for the
Papal States the cities that had fallen into the hands of
Giovanni Bentivoglio. Subsequently, Ottaviano returned to Genoa, where he and his cousin,
Giano II Campofregoso, attempted to expel their former allies, the French. At that time the Fregoso (
Guelph) and the
Adorno (
Ghibelline) families were engaged in a violent struggle for the supremacy of the city. These clashes culminated in 1510 with the victory of Adornos: the Fregoso faction was forced again into exile and again took refuge in Urbino. Three years later, the Fregosos turned the tables and defeated the Adornos, returning to Genoa, where in June 1513 Ottaviano became Doge. During his government he initiated important public works such as the modernization of the port of Genoa and the construction of the tower of the
Cathedral of San Lorenzo. For its times, Ottaviano's government displayed notable magnanimity towards its opponents, both those within his family, as with his cousin (and former ally against the French), Giano II Campofregoso, who plotted to take Ottaviano's place as Doge, and toward members of such traditionally hostile families as the Adorno and the Fieschi. After 1515, Ottaviano Fregoso was forced to acknowledge King
Francis I of France, as his overlord; Francis, however, allowed Ottaviano to remain on as ruler of Genoa. In 1520 Pope Leo X conferred on him the title of Count. When Spanish troops under Emperor
Charles V sacked and occupied Genoa in 1522, Ottaviano was captured and imprisoned, first at Naples, then at Aversa, and then in the
fortress of
Ischia, where he died in 1524, according to some authors, by poisoning. After his death, the fief of S. Agatha was ruled, first by his brother, Cardinal
Federigo Fregoso and then by his son Aurelio. To this day, descendants of Ottaviano Fregoso are noted to reside in the United States, with the majority of them residing in the states of; CA, VA, NY, NV, and FL, with the majority of them residing in CA, VA and NY. Descendants noted; Immediate; Antonasio Fregoso, Robert Fregoso, Deborah Fregoso, Cynthia Fregoso, Bobby Fregoso, Charlotte Fregoso, Sean Fregoso, Elizabeth Fregoso, Skylar Fregoso, Jordan Fregoso, and Garrett Fregoso. ==Assessments==