He pushed back Alberico da Barbiano's troops, and then moved to the defence of Mantua; he was however defeated by Jacopo dal Verme, who captured the city.
In 1398 Malatesta was made Senator of Rome by Pope Boniface IX, a position he held for some one year driving some attacks on the Colonna family's lands.
In 1408 Malatesta was hired by Giovanni Maria Visconti of Milan, with the task of countering Facino Cane in the territory of Pavia.
Back in Cesena, he allied with Niccolò III d'Este of Ferrara against the lord of Parma, Ottobono Terzi, taking part in the latter's defeat at Modena by Muzio Attendolo.
Malatesta married in 1391 [2]his first marriage Ricciarda or Rengarda Aldosi,[2]daughter of Bertrando Alidoso with whom he had; Secondly, Malatesta was married to Lucrezia Ordelaffi daughter of Francesco III Ordelaffi Lucrezia died young and was said to have been poisoned by her father for conspiring against her illegitimate brother Antonio becoming her fathers successor, or by her husband for committing adultery.