Giordano d'Anglano

Giordano d'Anglano (or Giordano d'Agliano), sometimes Jordan Lancia or Lanzia (died 1267) was an Italo-Swabian count and soldier, who served as marshal to Manfred of Sicily and acted as his commander in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines in Tuscany.

He was originally from Piedmont and was cousin to Manfred through the latter's mother, Bianca Lancia. He was a loyal servant to Manfred, who gave him a county in Apulia.

In 1260, Jordan was sent by Manfred with some hundreds of German knights as vicar-general and captain of Tuscany at the request of the Commune of Siena. Meeting with the leaders of the allied towns of Arezzo and Pisa at Empoli, Jordan was convinced by Farinata degli Uberti not to attack Florence itself, Siena's chief enemy and a centre of Guelph power. On 4 September, the Sienese army, depending largely on the German mercenaries, met the Florentine on a hill outside Siena in the Battle of Montaperti. Jordan and his cavalry led the second charge. Jordan followed up this victory by quickly snatching Florence itself, though once again Farinata intervened to prevent the razing of the city walls. He established Guido Novello as podestà and returned with his mercenaries after their paid service of three and a half months.

After the Battle of Tagliacozzo, Jordan was one of the captured who fell into the hands of Charles of Anjou. He was stripped of his eyes, a hand and a foot, and imprisoned in a jail in Brolo where he spent his days until he was decapitated. Brunetto Latini's Il Tesoro portrays Jordan wishing rather to die than endure further mutilation and then talking to his own severed hand, which, the encyclopaedist points out, dubbed many knights in its day.

Sources

• Giovanni Villani. Florentine Chronicle. translated by David Burr.