Ghino is a Persona in Persona 5: The Phantom X.
History[]
Ghinotto di Tacco, commonly called Ghino, was an outlaw in the thirteen century Italy. As a brigand with noble qualities, he was greatly admired by the people in Siena.
Born in a Ghibelline family at La Fratta (currently part of Sinalunga in the Province of Siena), Ghino had a difficult childhood as the Tacco family was excluded from the honors reserved for the noble families. Because of this and the excessive taxes imposed by the Sienese church, which was supported by the powerful Sienese family of Cacciaconti, the young Ghino and his family resorted to robbery and plunder to earn their living. In 1279, the Tacco family razed one of the castles owned by the Cacciaconti family. Ghino's father and uncle were hence executed, but Ghino and his younger brother managed to escape because they were underage.
Ghino returned to his brigandage to compensate part of the loss caused by his robbery, but eventually got exiled by the Sienese authorities. In 1297, he occupied a fortress in Radicofani located on the border between the Sienese Republic and the Papal States, and made it his base for his next career of brigandage. Ghino then continuously robbed the travelers on the Via Francigena, an important route for pilgrims travelling to Rome, in his unique manner. He ambushed travelers, robbed their goods, but avoided killing anyone and always left them enough to survive, sometimes even offered them a banquet. He also allowed poor people and students to pass with no loss or harm. Ghino's behavior was considered as noble and admirable, which earned him a good reputation.
Later, Ghino led a troop of armed men to make their way into Rome, aiming to seek revenge on Benincasa, the jurist that gave his father and uncle their death sentence. Ghino managed to find him, who had become an influential judge at the court of the Papal States, beheaded him and brought his head back to Radicofani for exposure. This brutal but justified act of punishment was cited in Purgatorio, the second part of Dante’s Divine Comedy. With this feat, Ghino became legendary as a noble but also fierce and undefeated fighter.
Another event related to the Abbot of Cluny brought Ghino an unexpected credit. Knowing the abbot was travelling back from Rome, Ghino kidnapped him and offered him only simple food like bread, dried beans and cheap white wine. Beyond Ghino's expectation, this dietary regimen cured the abbot’s stomach disorder, which the abbot was planning to take a cure for. The abbot was soon released after his cure, and reconciled Ghino with Pope Boniface VIII in return. Ghino was then granted a pardon for killing Benincasa and appointed as a knight of St. John and prior of Hospital of the Holy Spirit. This helped Ghino win back his reputation in Siena. Boccaccio cited this event in The Decameron, emphasizing Ghino's proactive will to help the abbot and depicting him as a good brigand.
Ghino's fate remains unconfirmed. Some have argued that he devoted the rest of his life to acts of altruism and was killed in the first half of fourteenth century when trying to mediate a fight.
Appearances[]
Profile[]
Persona 5: The Phantom X[]
Ghino is Shoki Ikenami's Persona. It is a Bless Enhance Persona.
Gallery[]
