The Battle of Garigliano was fought on 29 December 1503 between a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
army under
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1 September 1453 – 2 December 1515) was a Spanish general and statesman who led successful military campaigns during the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars. His military victories and widespread po ...
and a
French army commanded by
Ludovico II Ludovico II may refer to:
* Ludovico II Gonzaga, capitano del popolo of Mantua (1334-1382)
* Ludovico II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (1412–1478)
* Ludovico II of Saluzzo
Ludovico II del Vasto (23 March 1438 in Saluzzo – 27 January 1504) ...
,
Marquis of Saluzzo
The marquises (also marquesses or margraves) of Saluzzo were the medieval feudal rulers city of Saluzzo (today part of Piedmont, Italy) and its countryside from 1175 to 1549. Originally counts, the family received in ''feudum'' the city from the ...
.
Preliminary phase
In mid-November 1503, the French and Spanish armies were separated by the
Garigliano
The Garigliano () is a river in central Italy.
It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari (also known as the Rapido) and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano" (which in Italian means something like "Gari from the Liri") ...
river, some 60 km north of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. Both armies camped in a marshy and unhealthy area. The Spanish had tried several times to cross the river using a makeshift bridge, but always in vain. The French, based at the river's mouth near the ruins of
Minturnae
Minturno is a city and ''comune'' in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Garigliano (known in antiquity as the Liris), with a suburb on the opposite bank about from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia cross ...
(Traetto), enjoyed the advantage of an accessible supply-base in the nearby port of
Gaeta
Gaeta (; lat, Cāiēta; Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a city in the province of Latina, in Lazio, Southern Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples.
The town has played a consp ...
.
While the Spanish commander hesitated as to whether to attack or to retreat, he received reinforcements from Naples led by
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano (c. 1455 – October 1515) was an Italian condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.
Biography
Bartolomeo d'Alviano was born in 1455 ...
and Orsini. He then decided to move some units in order to convince Ludovico that he was retreating towards the
Volturno
The Volturno (ancient Latin name Volturnus, from ''volvere'', to roll) is a river in south-central Italy.
Geography
It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Castel San Vincenzo (province of Isernia, Molise) and flows southe ...
river. With Diego de Mendoza holding the rearguard with 300 men-at-arms and 5,000-6,000 infantry, Cordoba had devised a stratagem to cross the river using bridges made out of boats and barrels, which he had built in the castle of
Mondragone, 12 kilometers south of the Spanish camp.
The battle
During the night between 27 and 28 December, the Spanish brought the bridging materials to a place near the castle of
Suio
Suio is a ''frazione'' (rural borough) of Castelforte, a municipality in southern Latium, central Italy.
Overview
It is located on the northernmost slopes of the Monti Aurunci, near the Garigliano river, and is composed of two villages: Suio Paes ...
, in a position invisible to the French, some six kilometers north of the latter's camp. D'Alviano, commander of the Spanish vanguard, had the construction begin at dawn. By 10 AM some 3,500 Spaniards had crossed the Garigliano.
The 300
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
crossbowmen in Suio did not notice the move, so Gonzalo de Cordoba was also able to cross the river with 2,000 German pikes, including 200 horsemen led by
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna (1452–1523), sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Spain during the Italian Wars.
Biography
A member of the ancient ...
. He then ordered an attack on the French bridge. When d'Alviano's troops reached Suio, the crossbowmen fled towards
Castelforte
Castelforte is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located at the feet of the Monti Aurunci massif.
History
Castelforte was founded most likely before the year 1000 AD. According to some sch ...
, where they met 300 French troops. These also fled to
Traetto
Minturno is a city and ''comune'' in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Garigliano (known in antiquity as the Liris), with a suburb on the opposite bank about from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia crosse ...
, allowing d'Alviano to occupy Castelforte. Gonzalo de Cordoba spent the night in that town.
The French had numerous ill soldiers in their Traetto camp, so they were unable to send reinforcements. French captain Alegri then decided to destroy the bridge and to order a general retreat to Gaeta, abandoning all the sick soldiers and nine cannons in the camp.
Informed about the French retreat, Gonzalo decided to continue the advance. Colonna and his horsemen made contact with the French at
Scauri
Minturno is a city and ''comune'' in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Garigliano (known in antiquity as the Liris), with a suburb on the opposite bank about from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia crosse ...
, but a courageous defence of a bridge by
Chevalier Bayard
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard (c. 1476 – 30 April 1524) was a French knight and military leader at the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, generally known as the Chevalier de Bayard. Throughout the centuries since his ...
allowed the French a safe retreat. After a series of minor clashes, the French took position near a bridge in Mola where they were able to push back Colonna's attempt to surround them. However, the arrival of the rest of the Spanish forced the Marquis of Saluzzo to order another retreat.
Aftermath
The Spanish victory was decisive, as the offensive capacity of the French army was destroyed. After some days of siege in Gaeta, the French surrendered. What remained of the French army traveled either by sea or on foot back to Milan. Many died at the hands of civilians or from hunger, even the commander Ludovico, Marquis of Saluzzo, died upon reaching Genoa. With the
Treaty of Blois in 1504, France recognized Spain's authority over Naples.
References
Sources
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1503 in Italy
Garigliano 1503
Garigliano 1503
Garigliano 1503
Garigliano 1503