Born in the province of Lodi (but for Guicciardini he is allegedly from Parma), Fanfulla almost certainly died 24 February 1525 in the battle of Pavia.

They say of him: There is no important battle fought across the 16th century in which Fanfulla did not fight, first as simple soldier of fortune and then as Captain of a flag (Alfiere) with his Lanza of fifty armed men directly reporting to him and paid by himIn his life he fought on the side of Florence (1499), Spain (from 1503) and empire (from 1515) having as enemies Pisa (in 1499) and France (from 1503 onwards).

Together with Ettore Fieramosca he was the main character of the famous battle of Barletta, which on 13 February 1503 saw thirteen Italian warriors fight against the same number of Frenchmen.

Having remained horseless (together with Giovanni Bracalone) during the fight, he fought on foot killing the horses of the French jousters.

In the city of Lecce, bronze statue of him by the Italian sculptor Antonio Bortone from Ruffano is found in the square Raimondello Orsini.