Cangrande I Della Scala - Conquest of Treviso and Death

Conquest of Treviso and Death

In Spring of 1329 Cangrande succeeded in obtaining the title of Imperial Vicar of Mantua from the Emperor, intending to move against the ruling Gonzaga family in that city. These plans were put on hold however as a change of government at Treviso had produced a number of powerful exiles willing to help him conquer the city in exchange for their reinstatement. On 2 July 1329 Cangrande left Verona for the last time and within a few days his large army was laying siege to Treviso. Running quickly low on supplies and bereft of external help, the city's overlord Guecello Tempesta surrendered the city to Cangrande.

On 18 July, Cangrande made his state entry to Treviso, the crowning moment in his long struggle to subdue the cities of the Trevisan Mark. However his triumph was marred, for he had become seriously ill as the result, according to contemporary accounts, of drinking from a polluted spring a few days before. As soon as he arrived at his lodgings he took to his bed and on morning of 22 July 1329, after settling his affairs as best he could, he died. Cangrande's body was taken out of Treviso at nightfall and drawn on a bier to Verona where it was escorted by the nobles into the city preceded by twelve knights, one of whom wore Cangrande's armour and carried his unsheathed sword. The body was temporarily housed in the church of Santa Maria Antiqua, then appears to have been moved twice, once to a marble tomb in the church yard (previously believed to be that of Cangrande's father Alberto I della Scala) and finally to the impressive marble tomb over the church entrance, topped with an equestrian statue of a smiling Cangrande in tournament attire (the latter now in the Museum of Castelvecchio). As he had no legitimate sons his titles passed to his nephews Mastino and Alberto della Scala.