Signoria in the context of Middle Ages

Bologna (/bəˈloʊnjə/ bə-LOHN-yə, UK also /bəˈlɒnjə/ bə-LON-yə, Italian: [boˈloɲɲa] ; Emilian: Bulåggna [buˈlʌɲɲɐ]; Latin: Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy, with 390,734 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its metropolitan province is home to more than 1 million people as of 2025. Bologna is most famous for being the home to the oldest university in continuous operation, the University of Bologna, established in AD 1088.

The city has been an important urban center for centuries, first under the Etruscans (who called it Felsina), then under the Celts as Bona, later under the Romans (Bonōnia), then again in the Middle Ages, as a free municipality and later signoria, when it was among the largest European cities by population. Famous for its towers, churches and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre, thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s. In 2000, it was declared European capital of culture and in 2006, a UNESCO "City of Music" and became part of the Creative Cities Network. In 2021, UNESCO recognized the lengthy porticoes of the city as a World Heritage Site.

The Gherardini family of Montagliari (or Florence) was one of the most prominent historical Italian noble families from Tuscany, Italy. Through the Amideis, the family was of Roman descent. Between the 9th and 14th centuries, they played an important role in Tuscany. Its influence was also felt in the Veneto and Emilia regions between the 16th and 18th centuries, and during the Italian Risorgimento as well as in today's Italian politics and economy. The family's restless and fighting nature has aroused the curiosity of many historians of the Middle Ages. Originating from feudal tradition, it was one of the founding families of the Republic of Florence.

The family took part in Florence's political life between 1100 and 1300. In 1300, they were exiled from the city when Florence began its transformation into a Signoria, later ruled by the Medicis. In his Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, who was exiled with the Gherardinis, placed the family in Paradise's V Sphere. Following its exile from Tuscany, the family joined the Great Council of Venice (Venice's Chamber of Peers), becoming Patricians of that city, and members of the Venetian nobility. Until 1800, they kept some fiefs between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.

The Battle of Desio was fought on 21 January 1277 between the Della Torre and Visconti families for the control of Milan and its countryside. The battlefield is located near the modern Desio, a commune outside the city in Lombardy, Northern Italy.

Although generally considered one of the numerous minor battles fought in the 13th century in Italy during the Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, it was in fact the conclusion of a long inner struggle for the possession of Milan, leading to the transformation of the former democratic regime into an aristocratic signoria. The Visconti victory granted them the rule over Milan, which lasted until the 15th century.

The Renaissance in Ferrara began with the signoria of Leonello d'Este around the mid-15th century. Under Leonello's patronage, Ferrara became a hub for the arts and intellectual thought, attracting prominent artists and scholars of the time. A significant contribution came from the Ferrarese school of painters, including Cosmè Tura, Francesco del Cossa, and Ercole de' Roberti. These artists were known for their innovative use of color, intricate detail, and emotive expressions, helping to define early Italian Renaissance art.

The 16th century saw the emergence of another influential school led by Dosso Dossi, who was known for his imaginative and often fantastical landscapes and subjects. In addition to painting, Ferrara was a vibrant center for literature, music, and architecture. The Este family, as patrons of the arts, played a crucial role in fostering this environment, supporting not only visual artists but also poets and musicians.

Giovanni II Bentivoglio (12 February 1443 – 15 February 1508) was an Italian nobleman who ruled as lord of Bologna from 1463 until 1506. He had no formal position, but held power as the city's "first citizen." The Bentivoglio family ruled over Bologna from 1443, and repeatedly attempted to consolidate their hold of the Signoria of the city.

The Pepoli family was an Italian aristocratic banking family of Bologna, in northern Italy. They were lords of the city for thirteen years in the fourteenth century.A branch of the family moved to Trapani in Sicily and were granted several feudal lordships and baronies.