The Battle of Casalecchio took place on 26 June

1402 Year 1402 ( MCDII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 29 – King Jogaila of the Poland–Lithuania Union answers the rumblings a ...

near the town of

Casalecchio di Reno Casalecchio di Reno ( Bolognese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. History Casalecchio's name is derived from ''Casaliculum'' ("collection of little houses"), and from the presence of ...

, near

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

, in northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. A Bolognese army under Giovanni Bentivoglio opposed Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The city of Bologna was aided by the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flo ...

that supplied 5,000 cavalry (''Rose Brigade'') commanded by Bernardo della Serra. The Lord of Padua sent cavalry and supplies along with two of his sons. Visconti was aided by the

Malatesta Malatesta may refer to: People Given name * Malatesta (I) da Verucchio (1212–1312), founder of the powerful Italian Malatesta family and a famous condottiero * Malatesta IV Baglioni (1491–1531), Italian condottiero and lord of Perugia, Bettona, ...

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

and the Gonzaga of

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the Eur ...

. With Facino Cane, the condottiero Ludovico Gabriotto Cantelli (Ludovico da Parma) commanded the Milanese vanguard of 8,000 cavalry. The Bolognese-Florentine army was led by

Muzio Attendolo Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian '' condottiero''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio. He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan ...

, while the Milanese army was commanded by

Alberico da Barbiano Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344–1409) was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's ''compagnia'' fought under the banner of Saint ...

Battle

Barbiano had encamped the Milanese forces and initiated skirmishes with the Bolognese-Florentine troops. The Bolognese-Florentines appeared to have gained the advantage from this skirmish, so Bentivolgio ordered Bernardo's forces into the fray. Bernardo's refused and Bentivolgio marched his forces out and encamped, well fortified, at Casalecchio. A few days later, after much discussion, the Milanese force marched in tight, orderly formation towards the Bolognese-Florentine camp. Caught completely by surprise, the Bolognese-Florentine army retreated leaving their camp in the hands of the Milanese. The Rose Brigade, which had withdrew to higher ground to evaluate the situation, fled along with 200 lancers. Giovanni Bentivoglio was captured and killed two days later. Gian Galeazzo Visconti took Bologna and planned to assault the

and city of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

next. However, he fell ill on 10 August 1402 and died on 3 September.

References

Sources

* * * 1402 in Europe 1400s in the Holy Roman Empire Conflicts in 1402 Casalecchio 1402 Casalecchio 1402 History of Bologna Casalecchio 1402 15th century in the Republic of Florence {{Italy-battle-stub