Battle of Gavinana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Gavinana |
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| Part of the War of the League of Cognac | |||||||
 Statues in the Uffizi outside Gallery. Famous florentine, Francesco Ferruccio. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Holy Roman Empire | Florence | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Philibert of Châlon †, Fabrizio Maramaldo |
Francesco Ferruccio † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5,000-7,000 infantry 2,000 cavalry |
3,000-3,500 infantry | ||||||
The Battle of Gavinana was an important fight during the War of the League of Cognac. It happened on August 3, 1530. This battle was fought between the city of Florence and the powerful army of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Battle of Gavinana
Who Fought?
The Imperial forces were led by Philibert of Châlon, who was the Prince of Orange. Later in the battle, more soldiers arrived under the command of Fabrizio Maramaldo.
On the other side, the Florentine army was led by Francesco Ferruccio. He was a Florentine military leader.
What Happened During the Battle?
At the start of the battle, the Florentine army pushed back the Imperial forces. This was surprising because the Florentines had fewer soldiers.
During this part of the fight, Prince Philibert of Châlon was hit by two arquebus (an early type of gun) shots. He was badly wounded and died.
However, the battle changed when Fabrizio Maramaldo arrived with 2,000 more Imperial troops. This extra help turned the fight around.
The Outcome
After the Imperial forces gained the upper hand, Francesco Ferruccio was wounded and captured. He was then killed by Maramaldo.
Ferruccio's last words to Maramaldo were, "tu uccidi un uomo morto" (which means "you are killing a dead man"). These words made him famous and a symbol of Italian bravery. He became an important figure in the Italian risorgimento (a movement for Italian unification).
In contrast, Maramaldo's actions during the battle gave him a bad reputation. Even today, in modern Italian, the word maramaldo can mean a "cowardly killer."
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Gavinana para niños
