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Biography
- This article is not about Niccolò Fortiguerra (1674-1735), bishop and poet, author of Ricciardetto
Niccolò Fortiguerra (also spelled Forteguerri) (1419 – 21 December 1473) was an Italian papal legate, military commander, and Cardinal.
Born at Pistoia, he was related to Pope Pius II and is counted as a cardinal-nephew. He had a doctorate in utroque iure from the University of Siena.
He became bishop of Teano in 1458, and Cardinal in 1460. In 1462 he campaigned in the Papal States against Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, taking Fano. Later, in 1465, he defeated Deifobo d'Anguillara in battle. Fortiguerra was unable to participate in the Papal conclave, 1464, which elected Pope Paul II. He did participate in the Papal conclave, 1471 which elected Pope Sixtus IV.
He endowed a library, the Biblioteca Forteguerriana, in Pistoia.
He died at Viterbo in 1473 and was buried at Santa Cecilia in Rome, his titular church.