Forzaté

The Forzaté were a noble house of Padua, a branch of the Transalgardi who held Montemerlo castle for the bishop before turning to politics. The monk Giordano Forzaté earned the title father of Padua through peacemaking and monastic reforms; he backed Azzo VII d'Este against Ezzelino III da Romano, was arrested when Ezzelino took Padua in 1237, and died in Venetian exile in 1248.

In the fourteenth century the family rose through service to the Carraresi: Alvise Forzaté commanded castles in the Valsugana and fought Venice in the war of 1372 to 1373. After the peace he joined a plot to murder Francesco da Carrara and replace him with Marsilio da Carrara.

Alvise was arrested in 1374 and beheaded with his nephew Philip before the Palazzo della Ragione. His son Aledusio was rehabilitated by Francesco Novello da Carrara in 1392.