Person

Giovanni Malatesta

c. 1240–1304 · 13th century · Also known as Gianciotto Malatesta

Giovanni Malatesta, known as Gianciotto, was a son of Malatesta da Verucchio, lord of Rimini, and served as podestà of Pesaro. Married for political reasons to Francesca da Polenta of Ravenna, he killed her and his brother Paolo around 1285 after discovering their love affair. In Dante's Inferno, Francesca foretells that he will be punished in Caina, among the traitors to their kin.

Giovanni Malatesta — Image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Lordship of Rimini

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Giovanni Malatesta. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/giovanni-malatesta
MLA: “Giovanni Malatesta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/giovanni-malatesta. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Giovanni Malatesta.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/giovanni-malatesta.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Giovanni Malatesta’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/giovanni-malatesta (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻