Siege of Mirandola (1511) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Mirandola
Part of the War of the League of Cambrai
Pope Julius II on the walls of Mirandola (Raffaello Tancredi, oil on canvas, 1890)
Date January 1511 Location Mirandola, Emilia (present-day Italy) Result Papal victory
Belligerents
Papal States	Duchy of Mirandola
Commanders and leaders
Pope Julius II
Casualties and losses
	Unknown

The siege of Mirandola happened in January 1511. It was part of a bigger plan by Pope Julius II. He wanted to stop France from becoming too powerful in northern Italy. This was during a time called the War of the League of Cambrai. Mirandola was a small but important city in Italy then. Pope Julius II led the attack after he left an alliance called the League of Cambrai. He then made a peace deal with Venice.

Why the Siege Happened

In the early 1500s, big European countries like the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and France were all interested in the lands that are now Italy. Among the local Italian powers, the Republic of Venice and the Papal States were very strong.

Pope Julius II was the leader of the Catholic Church. He also ruled the Papal States. He saw foreign powers in Italy as a big problem. He wanted the Pope to be the main decision-maker in the Italian Wars.

Another issue for the Pope was Venice. Venice was very strong and controlled some areas like Rimini and Faenza. Pope Julius II felt that a strong Venice would stop the Papal States from growing. He wanted his lands to be a buffer between foreign powers.

So, on March 25, 1509, Pope Julius II joined a group called the League of Cambrai. This group's goal was to divide up the lands of Venice.

The War of the League of Cambrai Begins

The War of the League of Cambrai started in May 1509. Venice quickly lost a major battle to the French. This battle was called the Battle of Vailà. The Venetian army and their hired soldiers were in chaos.

The countries in the League of Cambrai took many cities and towns. They captured places in northern and central Italy. Venice then tried to make peace with Pope Julius II. They wanted to break up the League of Cambrai. After talks, Venice agreed to the Pope's peace terms on February 11, 1510.

Pope Julius II Fights the French

After making peace with Venice, Pope Julius II left the League of Cambrai. Now, his main goal was to stop France from controlling northern Italy. First, he tried to make a new alliance against France. He wanted to team up with the Holy Roman Empire and Spain, but it didn't work out.

So, Pope Julius II helped the Venetian army get strong again. He also hired Swiss soldiers to fight for five years. To start his fight against France, the Pope looked at the Duchy of Ferrara. This area was supposed to be loyal to the Pope, but it was still allied with France.

In August 1510, Pope Julius II tried to attack Ferrara, but he failed. This worried the French King, Louis XII. But the French did not attack back right away. The Pope then quickly attacked and took the city of Modena. In response, a French general named Chaumont marched his army towards Bologna. Bologna was the main city for the Papal States in the north.

Pope Julius II's army was too small to defend Bologna. So, he started talking with Chaumont. He wanted to buy time until more soldiers could arrive. Finally, soldiers from Venice and Spain showed up. The French army then left.

The Attack on Mirandola

The Pope's army was still too small to attack Ferrara again. But Julius was determined to keep fighting France. He decided to attack two smaller places that belonged to Ferrara: Concordia and Mirandola. The Pope believed that holding these castles would stop the French from helping Ferrara.

Concordia was easy to capture. But Mirandola fought back against the Pope's army. As the new year began, a siege of Mirandola started. Pope Julius II was not happy with his generals. So, he traveled to Mirandola on January 2, 1511.

When he arrived, he scolded his generals. He immediately took charge of the army himself. Still, Mirandola held out. They even refused to give up when the Pope threatened to let his soldiers loot the castle.

Finally, on January 19, 1511, Mirandola surrendered. Once inside the castle, Pope Julius II did his best to stop his soldiers from looting. He also worked to protect the people of Mirandola.

What Happened Next

After taking Mirandola, Pope Julius II tried to get Ferrara. He also tried to get the Duke of Ferrara to leave his alliance with France. But these attempts failed.

Things did not go well for the Pope in early 1511. The French attacked and captured Bologna on May 23, 1511. They also took back Mirandola a few days later. However, before 1511 ended, Pope Julius II succeeded in creating a new alliance. This was called the Holy League. It was aimed against France. This alliance eventually led to the French leaving Milan and Italy in May 1512.

More to Explore

• Battle of Marignano
• Siege of Mirandola (1551)
• Italian Wars
• List of battles of the Italian Wars