Overview
Spinetta Malaspina "the Great", a descendant of Obizzo Malaspina, was the Marquisse of Verrucola and the lord of Fosdinovo; he is the forefather of the marquisses of Fosdinovo and of its related imperial feud.
Biography
First political assignments
Spinetta, also known as "il Grande" (the great in Italian), was the first-born son of Gabriele of Isnardo Malaspina, the marquise of Verrucola, of the Malaspinas of Fosdinovo (a sub-branch of the Spino Fiorito branch of the family).
He was a close friend of Uguccione della Faggiola and Cangrande della Scala but he strongly antagonised Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli.
In 1308 he acquired jurisdictional power in the lordship of Fosdinovo, in 1340 he gained absolute power over the feud. In 1311 he was nominated by Emperor Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor to be imperial vicar of the feud of Reggio, a year later, in 1312 he was excused from his role. Spinetta's father-in-law Matteo Visconti granted him the role of podestà of Milan in 1314.
The fight against Castruccio Castracani
Castruccio Castracani, in 1317, took control of several feuds in Lunigiana, including some territories owned by the lordship of Fosdinivo (some villages such as Giucano, Tendola and Gragnola pledged their loyalty to Castruccio voluntarily), this forced Spinetta to hide in Verona, he was helped by the Scaligeri family, and offered his services to Cangrande for several years to come.
In 1320, thanks to Cangrande's military aid, he was able to re-conquer the territories he had lost, the rivalry between him and Castruccio only ended with the premature death of Castruccio in 1328. In 1330 he fought against Florence under remuneration from the Genovese family of the Spinola.
Because of the services he offered the Della Scala family he was awarded some feuds near Verona, including Affi, Povegliano Veronese and Cavaion Veronese. In 1340 he came back to his lands where he claimed all of the nobility rights of the neighbouring nobles, gaining the title of uncontested lord of the marquisate of Fosdinovo.
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