Battle of Fornovo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fornovo |
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| Part of the First Italian War | |||||||
 Bataille de Fornoue, 6 juillet 1495 (oil on canvas by Éloi Firmin Féron, 1837) depicts king Charles VIII on the left and Bayard on the right. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
League of Venice: Republic of Venice Duchy of Milan.svg){kind=small} Margraviate of Mantua |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 King Charles VIII |
Francesco Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| Stradioti | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000–11,000 men | 20,000-21,500 men | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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The Battle of Fornovo happened near the city of Parma in Italy on July 6, 1495. It was a big fight during the First Italian War. King Charles VIII of France was leaving Naples when he heard that many Italian states had teamed up against him. Even though the French army was much smaller, they won the battle. This allowed King Charles to lead his army safely out of Italy. However, the French had to give up all the lands they had taken in Italy. Fornovo was the first major open battle of the Italian Wars.
Contents
Why Did the Battle of Fornovo Happen?
King Charles VIII's Big Dream
In 1495, Charles VIII was the young King of France. France was a very powerful country in Europe at that time. Charles had a big dream: he wanted to be a hero for Christian Europe. He believed he could stop the growing power of the Ottoman Turks. To do this, he decided he needed to control Southern Italy. He claimed the Kingdom of Naples because his grandmother, Marie of Anjou, was from there.
Making Deals for Italy
To focus on Italy, Charles made agreements with his neighbors. He gave money to Henry VII of England. He gave land to Ferdinand II of Aragon (from Spain) and Emperor Maximillian. Some people thought giving away land was a bad idea. But Charles was willing to do anything to get his base in Naples for his big plan.
The French March Through Italy
Starting the Campaign
Charles VIII was friendly with Milan and Venice in northern Italy. Both had even encouraged his claim to Naples. So, he thought they would help him against Alfonso II of Naples. In August 1494, Charles quickly moved his strong French army into Italy. He had many Swiss mercenaries helping him. His powerful cannons easily broke down the old castles in Italy.
He was allowed to pass through Milan without trouble. But Florence, Pope Alexander VI, and Naples fought against him.
Italy Forms a League
On February 22, 1495, King Charles VIII entered Naples almost without a fight. The speed of his army surprised the Italians. Soon, the Venetians and the new Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, realized something important. If Charles wasn't stopped, Italy might become part of France.
So, the Italian states joined together. On March 31, they formed the Holy League in Venice. The members were the Republic of Venice, the Duke of Milan, the Pope, the kings of Spain, the King of England, and the Holy Roman Emperor.
The French Retreat from Naples
Leaving Naples
The League hired a skilled general named Francesco II of Gonzaga, the Duke of Mantua. His job was to gather an army and force the French out of Italy. When King Charles VIII heard about this powerful new group, he decided to leave Naples. He left some soldiers behind to guard the city. Then, he marched north with the rest of his army, his cannons, and all the treasures they had collected. He wanted to meet another French army in Piedmont, in northwestern Italy.
Waiting for Battle
On June 27, the Venetians and their allies set up camp near Fornovo di Taro. This was about 30 kilometers southwest of Parma. They waited for the French army to arrive. Not everyone in Venice agreed on fighting the French. Some wanted to attack the French from behind to steal their loot. Others warned that Italy was risking too much in this battle. They worried that more French armies could come.
On July 4, Ercole d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, who was Charles's strongest ally in Italy, wrote to him. He told Charles that the Venetian Senate had not yet decided what to do. But Charles was worried. He saw the enemy army growing, and he had no hope of getting more soldiers.
Charles tried to get the city of Parma to join him, but the Venetians stopped this. So, Charles sent a messenger to ask for safe passage back to France. The Venetians replied that he would have to give back all his conquests first. Charles sent 40 soldiers to scout the enemy, but they were quickly defeated by the Stradioti. These were skilled mercenaries, mostly from Albania.
Preparing for the Fight
Two days later, on July 6, Charles decided to fight. The French army was running low on supplies. South of Milan, his army of about 10,000 French and Swiss soldiers was blocked. Facing them were 20,000 Venetians and Mantuans led by Gonzaga. A Venetian leader promised the League soldiers all the treasures from the battle if they won. This made them eager to fight.
Francesco Gonzaga split his forces into nine lines. His plan was to keep the first and middle French groups busy with two lines. Then, he would attack the French from the sides and behind. Once the French were confused, the rest of the Italian troops would attack. The League wanted to completely destroy the French army.
The Battle of Fornovo
Armies Take Position
The League army took its position on the right side of the Taro river. The French decided to stay on the left bank. Charles organized his army into different groups. The first group had about 2,500 men. The second and largest group had 3,000 foot soldiers, 300 archers, and 200 crossbowmen. The last group had about 1,750 men. There were also many spearmen.
The French cannons were placed in front of the first line. They were also on the side of the Taro river, protecting the second line. The League's right side was led by Count Caiazzo with 400 Milanese knights and 2,000 foot soldiers. The middle part of the League's army had 492 knights and 600 mounted crossbowmen, led by Francesco Gonzaga. The left side was led by Fortebraccio di Montone with 352 Venetian knights. Also in the center were 4,000 Venetian foot soldiers and 1,000 Mantuan foot soldiers. About 600 Stradioti were on the French left side.
The Fight Begins
The French started by firing their cannons. They wanted to kill as many enemies as possible. Then, their heavy cavalry charged forward. They quickly broke through the Italian lines in just a few minutes. Interestingly, the cannons didn't kill many people on either side. Their main effect was to scare the enemy. One person who saw the battle said that fewer than 10 people were killed by cannon fire.
After the battle, Charles marched into Lombardy and then returned to France.
Who Won the Battle of Fornovo?
Both sides tried to say they won the battle. In Venice, it was reported as a victory and celebrated. However, some people knew the truth. One Venetian leader, Domenico Malipiero, admitted that the League failed to stop the French from reaching Asti.
Francesco Gonzaga claimed victory and even ordered a painting called the Madonna della Vittoria to celebrate. But a famous Italian historian, Francesco Guicciardini, said the French clearly won. Privately, Gonzaga told his wife that the battle was very close. He said if the French had attacked them harder, the League's army would have been destroyed. A week later, Bernardino Fortebraccio told the Venetian Senate that the League's army could have won. But their soldiers had stopped fighting to loot the French baggage train instead.
The French had won their battle. They fought off a much larger army and continued their march to Asti. The League had many more soldiers killed and could not stop the French army from crossing Italy on its way back to France.
What Happened After the Battle?
Naples Changes Hands
On the same day the battle was fought, Ferdinand II arrived at Naples with a Spanish fleet. He entered and took back Naples the next day. The people of Naples were happy to see him. The French had behaved badly and made themselves disliked.
Pope Alexander VI said the French had done worse things in Italy than even the Goths. The Pope told Charles VIII to stop fighting and help bring peace to Christian lands. Alexander also wrote to the Venetians, congratulating them for gaining "immortal fame" by freeing Italy.
Charles VIII's Legacy
Charles left Italy and gave up all the lands he had conquered. In the next few years, he tried to rebuild his army. But he had serious debts from his last war. He never managed to get back any of the lands he lost. He died two and a half years after his retreat. He hit his head while walking through a doorway and fell into a coma.
Charles left France with many debts and in a mess. His big dream was not realistic. France also lost some important areas that would take centuries to get back. On the good side, his trip did help French and Italian thinkers connect more. This helped French art and writing during the Renaissance period.
Charles was the last king from the older branch of the House of Valois. After he died, the throne went to his cousin, the Duc d'Orléans. He became King Louis XII of France. Louis XII would later try to claim the Duchy of Milan.
Impact on Italy
For Italy, the results were very bad. Europe now knew that Italy was a very rich land. It was divided into many small states that were easy to conquer. These states were only defended by armies of mercenaries who often refused to fight if things looked bad. Italy became a battleground for the main powers of Europe. Italians were left with only a small role in their own future.
Only a few states like Venice, Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy, and Tuscany stayed independent after the Italian Wars. But they lost much of their original power and stability.
See also
- Madonna della Vittoria
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