Condottieri (film)

Condottieri is a 1937 Italian historical film directed by Luis Trenker and starring Trenker, Loris Gizzi and Laura Nucci. It portrays the life of Giovanni de' Medici, a celebrated condottiere of the sixteenth century. A separate German-language version was also made.

The film received 9.6 million lire of funding from the Italian government, as part as a major drive by the Fascist authorities to develop the Italian film industry (which also involved the construction of the large Cinecittà complex in Rome). Along with Scipio Africanus, the film was an attempt to harness history to support the Fascist regime's current policies. Condottieri drew parallels between the dictator Benito Mussolini and the historical figure of de' Medici, portraying both as unifying Italy. The film's elaborate sets were designed by Virgilio Marchi.

Cast
Luis Trenker, as Giovanni de' Medici
Loris Gizzi, as Malatesta
Laura Nucci, as Tullia delle Grazie		
Carla Sveva, as Maria Salviati
Ethel Maggi, as Caterina Sforza
Mario Ferrari, as Cesare Borgia
Angelo Ferrari		
Giulio Cirino, as Rüschli
Sandro Dani, as D'Argentière	
Tito Gobbi, as Nino
Augusto Marcacci, as Daniello		
Nino Marchetti, as Corrado
Lando Muzio, as Pedro
Ernesto Nannicini	
Umberto Sacripante, as Sanzio
Carlo Tamberlani, as Duke of Urbino
Gino Viotti, as Pope
Giuseppe Addobbati, as Duke of Imola
Friedl Trenker, as Giovanni 
Oreste Bilancia
Alberto Emmerich
Carlo Fontana
Tullio Galvani
Luis Gerold, as Barbo
Alberto Minoprio
Carlo Simoneschi
Virgilio Botti
Mara Danieli
Claudio Ermelli
Carlo Duse

See also 
The Violent Patriot (1956)
The Profession of Arms (2001)

References

Bibliography 
 Gundle, Stephen. Mussolini's Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy. Berghahn Books, 2013.
 Ricci, Steven. Cinema and Fascism: Italian Film and Society. University of California Press, 2008.

External links 
 

Category:1937 films
Category:1930s action films
Category:1930s historical films
Category:1930s war films
Category:Italian films
Category:Italian action films
Category:Italian war films
Category:Italian historical films
Category:German films
Category:Films of Nazi Germany
Category:German black-and-white films
Category:Italian-language films
Category:Films directed by Luis Trenker
Category:Films set in the 16th century
Category:Italian multilingual films
Category:Italian black-and-white films
Category:Cultural depictions of Cesare Borgia
Category:1930s multilingual films