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Cicco Simonetta
Signore di Sartirana
(c. 1410–80)

Other names: Francesco, Cicco de Gucia, Cicco da Policastro

Biographical

Signore di Sartirana 1451–80 depr.
Signore del sale nell’Oltrepò
Knight 1450 (Milan)

Ducal secretary of Milan 1450
Governor of Lodi 1449
Presidente della Regia Camera della Sommaria of Naples 1448

Highly educated, Cicco began his career as a notary, and entered the service of Duke Francesco Sforza of Milan after 1430. In 1436 he was involved with the Venetian-Florentine league at San Miniato, a position he owed to the influence of his maternal uncle Angelo whose surname he, along with his brothers Giovanni and Andrea, adopted. Documents show that Cicco was using his paternal surname (de Gucia) up until the 1440s. He began to rise rapidly in the Sforza administration, and was granted various fiefdoms in Ancona. He was present at the battle of Caravaggio in 1448. After the Sforza conquest of Milan, Cicco was made secretary of the ducal chancellery. Initially he resided at Cremona, obtaining citizenship there. As with his uncle and the rest of his family, he was able to accumulate much wealth, a number of citizenships and tax exemptions. He obtained the castle and lands of the Lomellina district in 1451-52, and continued to obtain numerous other properties and land throughout the Lombard domain. He was, by now, head of the ducal secretariat, and had become a highly respected, powerful, indispensable figure upon whom Duke Francesco was heavily reliant, and he was viewed with contempt by certain couriers and nobles, of which, Cicco was fully aware. His power and influence continued under the new duke, Galeazzo, with whom he sided during the dispute with his mother, Duchess Bianca Maria Visconti. After Galeazzo's assassination, Cicco continued as a political leader under Duke Gian Galeazzo and his mother, Bona Sforza, his regent, and lead a council created to deal with the difficult internal situation, particularly, the plotting of the Sforza brothers against the new duke, and foreign policy. Resentment against Cicco grew after various methods employed by him to uncover plots against the duke and the regent, and particularly after the exile of the Sforza brothers and of Roberto Sanseverino. The number of powerful enemies against him grew. He thwarted a number of assassination attempts and sought revenge against those who tried to oust him. The Sforza brothers and the Sanseverino intensified their plots and obtained significant successes during 1479. In September that year, the rebels defeated the ducal militia, and entered the duchy. With the consent of Duchess Bona, Cicco and his brother Giovanni were imprisoned in the castle of Pavia and tortured. The family's assets were confiscated and other family members forced to flee. After a trial, Cicco was executed and his assets dispersed.

Place of birth: Policastro or Caccuri, Calabria
Place of death: Pavia
Place of burial: Church of Sant'Apollinare, Pavia

Son of Margherita Simonetta and Antonio de Gucia. Husband of Elisabetta Visconti in around 1451. He had two illegitimate children by Giacomina da Lodi, one being Guido Antonio.

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