Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola Francesco Bussone , often called Count of Carmagnola ( c . 1382 – May 5 , 1432 ) , was an Italian condottiero . Life . Bussone was born at Carmagnola , near Turin , in a humble peasant family . He began his military career when twelve years old under Facino Cane , a condottiero then in the service of Gian Galeazzo Visconti , duke of Milan . On the death of Cane , the duchy was divided among his captains ; but Gian Galeazzo ' s son and heir , Filippo Maria , determined to reconquer it by force of arms . Facino Cane being dead , Visconti applied to Carmagnola , then in his thirtieth year , and gave him command of the army . Carmagnola ' s success was astonishingly rapid : he subdued Bergamo , Brescia , Parma , Genoa , and other cities . Soon the whole duchy was brought once more under Visconti ' s sway . But Filippo Maria , although he rewarded Carmagnola generously , feared that he might become a danger to himself , and instead of giving him further military commands made him governor of Genoa . Carmagnola felt greatly aggrieved , and failing to obtain a personal interview with the duke , threw up his commission and offered his services to the Venetians ( 1425 ) . He was well received in Venice , for the republic was beginning to fear the ambitions of the Visconti , and the new doge , Francesco Foscari , was anxious to join the Florentines and go to war with Milan . Carmagnola himself represented the duke ' s forces as much less numerous than they were supposed to be , and said that the moment was an opportune one to attack him . These arguments , combined with the doge ' s warlike temper , prevailed ; Carmagnola was made captain - general of St . Mark in 1426 , and war was declared . But while the republic was desirous of rapid and conclusive operations , it was to the interest of Carmagnola , as indeed to all other soldiers of fortune , to make the operations last as long as possible , to avoid decisive operations , and to liberate all prisoners quickly . Consequently the campaign dragged on interminably , some battles were won and others lost , truces and peace treaties were made only to be broken , and no definite result was achieved . Carmagnola ' s most important success was the battle of Maclodio ( 1427 ) , but he did not follow it up . The republic , impatient of his dilatoriness , raised his emoluments and promised him immense fiefs including the lordship of Milan , so as to increase his ardour , but in vain . At the same time Carmagnola was perpetually receiving messengers from Visconti , who offered him great rewards if he would abandon the Venetians . The general trifled with his past as with his present employers , believing in his foolish vanity that he held the fate of both in his hand . But the Venetians were dangerous masters to trifle with , and when they at last lost all patience , the Council of Ten determined to bring him to justice . Summoned to Venice to discuss future operations on March 29 , 1432 , he came without suspicion . On his arrival at the ducal palace he was seized , imprisoned and brought to trial for treason against the republic . Although the doge befriended him he was condemned to death and beheaded on May 5 . A man of ability , his great mistake was that he failed to see that he could not do with a solvent and strong government what he could with bankrupt tyrants without military resources , and that the astute Visconti meant to ruin him for his abandonment . In 1416 , Carmagnola ordered for military reasons the destruction of the Trezzo Bridge , the largest single arch bridge in the medieval world . His daughter Luchina was married to the condottiero Luigi dal Verme . Culture . Alessandro Manzoni made Francesco Bussone the subject of a poetical drama , " Il Conte di Carmagnola " ( 1820 ) . Carmagnola is a character in Rafael Sabatini ' s " Bellarion " , though he is portrayed as swaggering and self - important , and becomes a minor antagonist .