Family Ottobuono belonged to the
Terzi family of Parma. He was the eldest son of Niccolò Terzi
il Vecchio and Margherita. After becoming a widower in August 1405, he married Francesca, daughter of Carlo da Fogliano, on 1 December 1405 in Parma. Ottobuono fathered six children: Jacopo, Niccolò (known as "the Warrior"), Giorgio, Niccolò Carlo, Margherita, and Caterina.
Early military career From 1393 to 1397, Ottobuono fought primarily in central Italy, including the
Marche, where he was active in
Offida and defended
Fermo against Antonio Aceti. He also campaigned in
Tuscany and
Umbria. In Pisa, he fought alongside
Alberico da Barbiano and
Giovanni da Barbiano against Bernardo della Serra to counter Florentine forces. In 1397, after a failed attempt to capture
San Miniato, he ravaged the regions of
Lucca and the Florentine countryside, engaging in plunder, arson, and taking prisoners for ransom. Stopped at the Serchio River in San Quirico di Moriano, he withdrew with Paolo Orsini and Broglia. In August, he moved to the Mantua region and participated in the Battle of Governolo (1397) alongside his father, commanding the fifth line of 1,000 cavalry. Unhorsed by a lance from the Count da Carrara, he fought on foot with an axe until remounted by allies. Alliances, often fleeting, were formed among the Sanvitale, Rossi, Da
Correggio,
Terzi, and Pallavicino. Ottobuono, a Visconti condottiero, was appointed marshal (
maniscalco) in 1405, granting him command of a small army. The strategic fortress of Montechiarugolo was captured in January 1404 but later retaken by Ottobuono due to its proximity to the
Este state. Ottobuono assembled 2,500 infantry in Montechiarugolo and, with Guido, seized
Reggio Emilia, becoming lord of Parma, Piacenza, and Reggio. In January 1405, alongside Visconti and Venetian troops, Ottobuono joined
Francesco I of Mantua in the siege of
Verona, then held by
Jacopo da Carrara. Guido was captured but freed after a local rebellion. In March 1405, Guido captured Porporano castle with bombards, 300 cavalry, and 700 infantry, later attacking Mamiano and conquering bastions in Lesignano, San Michele di Tiorre, and Castrignano, halted only by snowfall. In exchange for his release, his father, Marsilio, his wife, Orsina, and his son, Cristoforo, became hostages of Niccolò III and were taken to Mantua, while Guido was forced to collaborate with Este. He was tasked with conquering Pariano castle in Basilicanova, defended by 100 cavalry, to cut off aid to San Polo d’Enza. At Niccolò III’s request, Guido conquered Forlì and returned it to the
Ordelaffi at the pope’s behest. == Descendants ==