Battle of Cerignola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cerignola |
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| Part of the Third Italian War | |||||||
 Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba finds the corpse of Louis d'Armagnac. Federico de Madrazo, 1835. Museo del Prado. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |
 Kingdom of France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba Prospero Colonna Pedro Navarro Fabrizio Colonna |
Duke of Nemours † Chandieu † Yves d'Alègre Pierre du Terrail |
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| Strength | |||||||
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~6,300
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~9,000
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 500 total casualties | 4,000 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Cerignola was a big fight on April 28, 1503. It happened near the town of Cerignola in what is now Italy. This battle was part of the Third Italian War.
The battle was between the armies of Spain and France. The Spanish army, led by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (also known as El Gran Capitán), had about 6,300 soldiers. They had new weapons like arquebuses (early firearms) and pikemen (soldiers with long spears). They also had 20 cannons.
The French army had about 9,000 soldiers. They mainly used heavy cavalry (knights on horseback) and Swiss mercenary pikemen. Their leader was Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours, who was killed during the battle. The French also had cannons, but they didn't arrive in time for the fight.
This battle was important because it was one of the first times that gunpowder weapons helped win a major European battle. The Spanish used their arquebuses from behind a defensive ditch. This stopped the French cavalry and Swiss pikemen from breaking through.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The Italian Wars Begin
The Third Italian War started again in late 1502. This was because of disagreements over a secret deal called the Treaty of Granada. This treaty was signed in 1500.
The treaty said that Louis XII of France would become the king of Naples. But soon, France and the Spanish rulers argued over different areas. They both wanted control of certain lands.
Spanish Strategy
The Spanish forces, led by Fernández de Córdoba, first tried to avoid a direct fight. They hoped to make the French feel too confident. After some smaller fights, the Battle of Cerignola became the first big battle in this part of the war. Another battle happened nearby a week before.
Fernández de Córdoba's army was smaller than the French army. But he chose a good place to fight. The Spanish set up their defenses on the high ground of Cerignola. They dug ditches and put stakes in the ground to protect themselves.
New Spanish Army Style
The Spanish foot soldiers were organized in a new way. These units were called coronelías. They were the early version of the famous tercios that Spain would use later. These soldiers used a mix of pikes, arquebuses, and swords.
This new way of fighting changed the Spanish army. Before, like the French, the Spanish army mostly relied on cavalry (soldiers on horseback). This new style came from battles in Spain against the Muslims during the Reconquista.
Setting Up the Battlefield
The Spanish dug a ditch in front of their position. The arquebusiers stood behind this ditch. Behind them were the Landsknecht pikemen. The Spanish artillery (cannons) were placed on top of the hill. From there, they could see the whole battlefield.
Spanish light cavalry (called jinetes) guarded the front of the position. The Spanish heavy cavalry, led by an Italian general named Prospero Colonna, waited in reserve.
The French army was very professional. They had strong heavy armoured cavalry and mercenary Swiss pikemen. The French also had more cannons than the Spanish. But, as mentioned, their cannons did not arrive in time for the battle.
The Battle Begins
French Attacks Fail
The battle started with two attacks by the French heavy cavalry. They charged towards the middle of the Spanish army. But the Spanish cannons and arquebuses fired heavily. This forced the French to turn back both times.
The next French attack tried to break through the Spanish right side. But many French cavalrymen fell into the Spanish ditch. Again, the Spanish arquebusiers fired a lot, pushing the attack back. The French leader, Nemours, was killed by these arquebus shots. He might have been the first European general killed by small-arms fire.
Swiss Attack
After Nemours died, the Swiss commander, Chandieu, took charge. The Swiss pikemen attacked with the cavalry. They did not wait for the rest of the French army or their cannons to arrive.
When Fernández de Córdoba saw the French foot soldiers attacking his center, he moved his arquebusiers to the sides. The Landsknecht pikemen then took their place behind the ditch. The Swiss soldiers, joined by French infantry, could not break through the Spanish defenses.
The Landsknechts held them in the front. The arquebusiers fired at their sides. The Spanish light cavalry also bothered them. The Swiss and French were pushed back again. They lost many soldiers, including Chandieu.
Spanish Counterattack
Then, Fernández de Córdoba ordered a counterattack. The Spanish and German foot soldiers, along with the Spanish heavy cavalry, charged forward. Spanish arquebusiers on horseback surrounded the remaining French cavalry and made them run away. However, the Swiss pikemen managed to retreat in a somewhat organized way.
When d'Alègre saw that both the French cavalry and the Swiss were defeated, he ordered a full retreat. The winning Spanish jinetes chased after them.
There's a story that during the battle, an Italian accidentally set fire to the Spanish gunpowder wagons. The army was confused, but El Gran Capitan (Fernández de Córdoba) encouraged them. He said, "Good sign, friends, those are the lights of victory!" And it turned out to be true.
After the Battle
Heavy Losses for France
The French suffered a big defeat. They lost about 4,000 soldiers. The Spanish, however, only lost around 500 men. The Spanish army also captured the French supply wagons and cannons.
After the battle, Fernández de Córdoba saw many dead French soldiers. They were Christians, just like the Spanish. He ordered three long trumpet sounds to be played. Then, he told his troops to pray for all the soldiers who had died. This "call to prayer" (toque de oracion) was later used by many armies.
Siege of Gaeta
The defeated French army went back to the fortress of Gaeta, north of Naples. De Córdoba's forces tried to attack the fortress, but they failed. The French inside Gaeta were ready for a long siege. They were also getting supplies by sea.
Because he couldn't take Gaeta and worried about more French soldiers arriving, de Córdoba stopped the siege. He moved his army to Castellone, about 8 kilometers south of Gaeta.
A New Way of Fighting
The Battle of Cerignola was very important. It showed the power of "pike and shot" tactics. This is when soldiers with long pikes work together with soldiers using firearms like arquebuses. This battle marked the start of 140 years where Spain was a very strong military power in Europe. This lasted until their defeat at the Battle of Rocroi in 1643.
Cerignola is seen as one of the first major battles won mostly because of firearms. It's often compared to the Battle of Nagashino in Japan in 1575, which happened much later.
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Learn more about the Battle of Cerignola in Spanish for kids.
