Cangrande I della Scala

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Cangrande I della Scala
Equestrian Statue of Cangrande, circa 1340, from his monument in Verona, with dog's head crest atop helm and on thigh
Lord of Verona and Imperial vicar
Born	9 March 1291 Verona
Died	(1329-07-22)22 July 1329 Treviso
Noble family	Scaliger
Spouse(s)	Giovanna di Svevia
Father	Alberto I della Scala
Mother	Verde da Salizzole

Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family who ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante Alighieri and featuring prominently in Giovanni Boccaccio's almost contemporary Decameron, Cangrande was in his own day chiefly acclaimed as a successful warrior and autocrat. Between becoming sole ruler of Verona in 1311 and his death in 1329 he took control of several neighbouring cities, notably Vicenza, Padua and Treviso, and came to be regarded as the leader of the Ghibelline faction in northern Italy.