Battle of Marignano
Part of the War of the League of Cambrai
Detail from a painting attributed to the Maître de la Ratière
Date September 13 – September 14, 1515 Location Near Melegnano, southeast of Milan, present-day Italy Result Decisive French victory
Belligerents
France  Venice	Swiss cantons
Commanders
Francis I Gian Giacomo Trivulzio Bartolomeo d'Alviano Louis de la Trémoille Charles III, Duke of Bourbon	Massimo Roist Maximilian Sforza[1] Cardinal Mattheus Schiner
Strength
1,700 cavalry, 37,000 infantry[2]	200 cavalry, 22,000 infantry
Casualties and losses
3,000/6,000	8,000/14,000

The Battle of Marignano was a battle fought during the phase of the Italian Wars (1494–1559) called the War of the League of Cambrai, that took place on 13 and 14 September 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km south east of Milan. The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Melegnano (formerly Marignano) is a town in Italy, in the Province of Milan, region of Lombardy. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Early Modern France is the Early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century (or from the French Renaissance The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Gian Giacomo Trivulzio (1440 or 1441 &ndash December 5 1518) was an Italian aristocrat of the Duchy of Milan who held several military Bartolomeo d'Alviano (1455-1515 was an Italian Condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the Louis II de la Trémoille or La Trimouille ( September 29 1460 – 1525 was a late medieval/early renaissance French general Charles III of Bourbon-Montpensier Eighth Duke of Bourbon ( February 17 1490 &ndash May 6, 1527 in Rome) was Count of Montpensier Maximilian (Massimiliano Sforza (1493 - 1530 was a Duke of Milan from the Sforza family the son of Lodovico Sforza. Matthäus Schiner (Schinner (b at Muhlbach in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland c The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Melegnano (formerly Marignano) is a town in Italy, in the Province of Milan, region of Lombardy. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. It resulted in a victory for French forces. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

On one side were the French forces of Francis I and some German landsknechts — and, eventually, his Venetian allies — and on the other the mercenaries of the Old Swiss Confederacy, since 1512 in control of Milan, where the nominal Sforza duke, Massimiliano — son of Lodovico il Moro, whom the French had previously defeated for possession of Milan — was under Swiss control. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Landsknechts (singular Landsknecht, German plural Landsknechte, sometimes also in English publications were European most often German, Mercenary The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica Swiss mercenaries were soldiers notable for their service in foreign armies especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. Maximilian (Massimiliano Sforza (1493 - 1530 was a Duke of Milan from the Sforza family the son of Lodovico Sforza. Ludovico Sforza Duke of Milan ( Ludovico il Moro, "The Moor" July 27, 1452 &ndash May 27, 1508) a member The bloody battle of Marignano was fought to retake control of the duchy of Milan, the French gate to Italy. The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1394 to 1797

The prologue to the battle was a remarkable Alpine passage, in which François hauled pieces of artillery (including 40 or 70 huge cannons) over new-made roads over the Col d'Argentière, an unexpected route. At Villafranca the French surprised and seized Prospero Colonna and most of the Swiss cavalry. Villafranca is a town and Municipality located in the province and the autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. The Swiss retreated to Milan, where French gold sent some cantons' contingents of disciplined pikemen home.

After a delay of some time, the Swiss marched out to meet Francis's forces at the little burnt-out village at a bridgehead over a small river. The battle lasted more than 24 hours, a brutal and bloody engagement quite unlike either the courteous feinting of the condottieri of the previous century, or the orderly and schematic presentation in the memorial painting (upper right). Condottieri (singular condottiero, rarely condottiero) were Mercenary leaders employed by the Italian City-states from the Late Middle In the moonlight and confusion, the outcome hung in the balance. Only the early-morning arrival of fresh light cavalry commanded by the condottiero Bartolomeo d'Alviano, paid by the Venetian allies who had drawn Francis into Italy in the first place turned the tide against the Swiss. Bartolomeo d'Alviano (1455-1515 was an Italian Condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the The previous day had seen a scandalous public auction of official places in Venice, described by the diarist Marcantonio Michiel: "By the end of the day 47,000 ducats had been raised, though with the greatest shame and disrepute for the Great Council. Marcantonio Michiel (1484 — 1552 was a Venetian noble from a family prominent in the service of the State who was interested himself in matters of art The ducat (ˈdʌkət is a Gold coin that was used as a trade currency throughout Europe before World War I. " Dispatch riders placed the sum in the hands of the condottiero overnight. ^[3]

By the peace of Noyon (1516), Milan was returned to France. The Franco-Swiss treaty of peace after Marignano has never been broken. However France had a decisive intervention into Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system

Marignano established the superiority of French cast bronze artillery and cavalry over the until-then invincible phalanx tactics of the Swiss infantry. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The phalanx (Ancient Greek φάλαγξ Modern Greek φάλαγγα phālanga (plural phalanxes or phalanges (Ancient and Modern Greek φάλαγγες The victory of Francis at Marignano, however, eventually galvanized opposition in the divided peninsula, and turned the European balance of power against Francis I. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. In International relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces In the meantime, however, Francis gained the city, and more importantly, the Castello Sforzesco within it, the strategic key to control of Lombardy. Castello Sforzesco ( English: Sforza Castle is a castle in Milan, Italy that now houses several of the city's museum and art gallery collections Lombardy (Lombardia Latin: Langobardia, Western Lombard: Lumbardìa, Eastern Lombard: Lombardia) is one of the There Massimiliano Sforza and his Swiss mercenaries and the cardinal-bishop of Sion retreated, only submitting when French sappers had placed mines under the foundations. Maximilian (Massimiliano Sforza (1493 - 1530 was a Duke of Milan from the Sforza family the son of Lodovico Sforza. A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion (Bistum Sitten Dioecesis Sedunensis Évêché de Sion in the Swiss canton of Valais, is the oldest bishopric in Switzerland A sapper is an individual engineer soldier usually in British or Commonwealth military service The French regained Milan, and Massimiliano went into luxurious exile with a French purse of 30,000 ducats. ^[4]

Marignano was also the first battle in history in which the fife was used by the Swiss infantry to relay commands throughout the army. A fife is a small high-pitched transverse Flute that is similar to the Piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore

Commemorating the event are a bas-relief of the Battle of Marignano by Pierre Bontemps, which decorates Francis I's tomb at Saint-Denis; a painting by Antoine Caron for Fontainebleau (now at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa); and the most famous musical composition of Clément Janequin, the chanson La bataille. A bas-relief (baʁəljɛf in French; French for "low relief" derived from the Italian basso rilievo) or low relief is a Sculpture Pierre Bontemps (ca 1507 — 1568 a French sculptor known for his Funeral monuments was with Germain Pilon, one of the pre-eminent sculptors of the French Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. Antoine Caron (1521 in Beauvais - 1599 in Paris) was a French master Glassmaker illustrator Mannerist painter Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. The National Gallery of Canada ( Musée des beaux arts du Canada) located in the capital city Ottawa Ontario, is one of Canada 's premier Art Clément Janequin (c 1485 in Châtellerault, near Poitiers &ndash 1558 in Paris) was a French composer of the Renaissance. A chanson ( French for " Song " from Latin cantio) is in general any lyric -driven French songs usually Polyphonic

References

External links

• Eric Niderost, "The Swiss defeat at the battle of Marignano: Ancient tactics tested"
• War of the Holy League
• La Battaglia dei Giganti (in Italian)
• W. McAllister Johnson, "The Monumental Style of Fontainebleau and its Consequences: Antoine Caron and 'The Submission of Milan'" from National Gallery of Canada Bulletin 26 (1975)

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