Origins and Early Years
Ezzelino was son of Ezzelino II da Romano, ruler of Bassano, and Adelaide degli Alberti di Mangona, who came from a family of counts in Tuscany. At the age of four years he was sent as a hostage to Verona. Nothing else is known about his childhood or education. In 1213 he took part in the siege of the castle of Este, which belonged to his father's archenemy, marquis Azzo VI of Este, who died in 1212, and later to his son Aldobrandino. According to the chronicler Rolandino of Padua, the young Ezzelino already showed a keen interest in siegecraft and acquired a hatred of the Este which would last his entire life.
Read more about this topic: Ezzelino III Da Romano
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