Malatesta, Sigismondo (1417-68)
He was accused of numerous depravities by Pope Pius II and has for long been held up as an archetype of the artistically-minded immoral Renaissance prince. Recently more moderate judgments have emphasized his prevailing weakness as imprudence inclining towards puerility. The illegitimate son of Pandolfo, Malatesta ruler of Fano, Sigismondo succeeded his uncle Carlo as signore of Rimini in 1432. His prestige as a condottiere was high during his years of service with Francesco Sforza and on behalf of Eugenius IV, and his advanced interest in military science is borne out by his patronage of Valturio and the many fortified buildings he commissioned, including the redesigned castle in Rimini which was also his residence. But Sigismondo's desertion of King Alfonso of Naples in 1447, added to his implacable hostility towards the neighbouring Montefeltro of Urbino and Sforza of Pesaro, tarnished his reputation, and his disregard of the peace terms (very unfavourable to himself) proposed by Pius II in 1459 brought upon his head excommunication, war and further censures, including a unique canonization to hell in April 1462. After the siege of Fano (1463) Sigismondo submitted to heavy penalties, including the loss of all his dominions except Rimini. Quixotically he then entered Venetian service against the Turks in southern Greece (1464-66), but died at Rimini.
The most scurrilous allegations against Sigismondo concerned sexual irregularities and impiety. In fact he was constant in his passion for Isotta degli Atti: it survived 2 marriages (the death of his second wife Polissena Sforza in 1449 gave rise to rumours of poison) and he married Isotta in 1456. About his irreligion there is little clear evidence. The design of the so-called Malatesta Temple in Rimini has never been fully explained, but profane decorative features appear to contain various, if enigmatic, levels of meaning. In 1447 Sigismondo had started the rebuilding of the church of S. Francesco in Rimini with a chapel to his name-saint, but by 1450. a more ambitious scheme was in progress; marble was brought from ancient sites and the opinions of Matteo de' Pasti and Alberti were sought. The façade, incorporating Roman arch motifs, was never completed, much less the cupola, though an arcade of niches to contain the funerary urns of famous men was built along one side, and side chapels within contain a diversity of sculptured motifs, including the celebration of Isotta and of the zodiacal powers. Work ceased in 1461.
