Alberico da Barbiano Alberico da Barbiano ( c . 1344 – 1409 ) was the first of the Italian condottieri . His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood , known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto . Alberico ' s " compagnia " fought under the banner of Saint George , as the " compagnia San Giorgio " . Biography . Born in Barbiano di Cotignola , a commune of what is now eastern Emilia - Romagna , Alberico was son of Aldisio . The family were nobles of Romagna of long standing , claiming descent from Carolingian times . They were hereditary lords of Barbiano , Cunio and Lugo di Romagna and claimed as kin the lords of Ravenna , Forlì and Carrara . He married Beatrice da Polenta of Ravenna , and had by her two sons , Manfredo and Ludovico . Alberico gained his first military experience in the " compagnia " of the English captain John Hawkwood , taking part in the famous slaughter at Faenza and the " Cesena Bloodbath " in the 1370s . Allegedly touched by these excesses , Alberico left the foreign " compagnia " , deciding to form a military corps constituted only by Italian mercenaries . Barbiano ' s " Compagnia di San Giorgio " ( " St . George Company " ) renovated the military style of the mercenary companies of the period , with sharply improved cavalry armor and tactics , and with a strong attention paid to the training aspect . Famous condottieri like Facino Cane , Jacopo dal Verme , Braccio da Montone and Muzio Attendolo began their military career in the St . George Company . Starting with 200 men , Alberico could soon boast 4 , 000 soldiers under his command , prompting a quick decline of the foreign companies that had dominated the Italian grounds till that moment . The first " condotta " ( " contract " ) for Alberico ' s force was in 1378 , at the service of Barnabò Visconti of Milan , against the Scaliger and the Carraresi . The following year Alberico was called by Pope Urban VI to fight against Antipope Clement VII , the slaughterer at Cesena . The latter ' s infamous Breton troops were crushed in the neighbourhood of Rome on 29 June 1379 , after five hours of battles . Alberico was later involved in the war for the Crown of Naples between Queen Joan I ( and her husband Otto of Brunswick ) and Charles of Durazzo , backed by Urban VI . On 18 June 1381 , Alberico defeated Otto and subsequently besieged Joan in the Castel Nuovo of Naples . After the Queen was captured and imprisoned in the Abruzzi , Barbiano was named " gran conestabile " ( " chief of staff " ) by the new king Charles III , and in his new role he had to face Louis I of Anjou , Joan ' s heir , who had arrived in Italy with an army of 40 , 000 men . Alberico managed to protect Forlì and Cesena . However , Louis defeated Charles III at Campobasso and was declared king of Naples . Louis eventually died after a pestilence , while Urban VI changed sides declaring Alberico , who was besieging him in Nocera , to be an enemy of the church . Charles was assassinated on 24 February 1386 , but Barbiano declared his loyalty to the latter ' s son Ladislaus . The latter had to face a new French invasion , this time led by Louis II . Alberico for the first time in his career was defeated , at Ascoli Piceno , in 1392 . Gian Galeazzo Visconti paid 3 , 000 florin s for his freedom , engaging him for the war against Florence , Bologna and Mantua . During this campaign his brother , Giovanni , was captured and beheaded by the enemy condottiero Astorre I Manfredi . Alberico , eager for vengeance , won a series of battles in 1397 and was ready for the final siege of Mantua . However , a treaty of peace signed by Visconti with Francesco I of Gonzaga stopped him . On 26 June 1402 , he defeated a combined Bolognese - Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio , leading to the Milanese conquest of Bologna . The following year he left Milan to re - enter service to Ladislaus of Naples . Alberico da Barbiano died in the spring of 1409 , on the way to meet his king at Città della Pieve ( Umbria ) . Dynasty . His son Ludovico was count of Lugo from 1411 . The latter ' s son Alberico II was ousted from the city in 1431 , and moved to Lombardy , where his heirs become feudataries of Belgioioso ( current province of Pavia ) . In 1566 the Barbiano - Belgioioso received the title of " Grandees of Spain " Cruiser " Alberico da Barbiano " . In 1930 the Italian Regia Marina launched a cruiser " Alberico da Barbiano " of the " Condottieri " class .