Cangrande I

Italian ruler

Also known as: Can Francesco della Scala

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June 22, 2026

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Cangrande I was a prominent Italian ruler who led the della Scala family in Verona during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He became the sole ruler of Verona in 1311 and expanded his territory through successful wars against Vicenza and Padua. Cangrande I was also a protector of the exiled poet Dante Alighieri. He reached the height of his power in 1327 when he was named imperial vicar of Mantua. His rule marked a significant period for the della Scala family, though their influence eventually waned, leading to Verona's annexation by the Visconti in 1387.12

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della Scala family
Bartolomeo’s brother Can Francesco, called Cangrande I (d. 1329), was the greatest figure of the family and protector of the exiled Dante. He first ruled Verona jointly with his brother Alboino, and together they gained the title of imperial vicar from the Holy Roman emperor Henry VII (1311). After Alboino’s…
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Bartolomeo’s brother Can Francesco, called Cangrande I (d. 1329), was the greatest figure of the family and protector of the exiled Dante. He first ruled Verona jointly with his brother Alboino, and together they gained the title of imperial vicar from the Holy Roman emperor Henry VII (1311). After Alboino’s…
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Verona
Bartolomeo’s brother Cangrande I (died 1329), the greatest member of the della Scala family, protected the exiled poet Dante. Verona fell to Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1387 and in 1405 to Venice, which held it, apart from its occupation by Emperor Maximilian I (1509–17), until 1797, when…
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Bartolomeo’s brother Cangrande I (died 1329), the greatest member of the della Scala family, protected the exiled poet Dante. Verona fell to Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1387 and in 1405 to Venice, which held it, apart from its occupation by Emperor Maximilian I (1509–17), until 1797, when…
Read More