{{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Battle of Portomaggiore , partof = , image = , caption = , date = 16 April 1395 , place =

Portomaggiore Portomaggiore ( Ferrarese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History In the Battle of Portomaggiore of 1395, mercenary troops of the Ferrara Regency Council, assisted by allies from Florence, Bologna, V ...

, Ferrara, Italy , coordinates = {{coord, 44, 42, N, 11, 48, E, region:IT_type:event , display=inline,title , result = Ferrara Regency Council victory , combatant1 = Ferrara Regency Council and allies , combatant2 =

Azzo X d'Este Azzo X d'Este (1344–1415) was an Italian condottiero, a member of the House of Este. Born into a cadet branch of the family, he contested the seigniory of Ferrara to the young Niccolò III, an illegitimate son of marquess Alberto d'Este who was ...

, commander1 =

Astorre I Manfredi Astorre Manfredi (c. 1345 – November 28, 1405) was an Italian condottiero. He was the son of Giovanni Manfredi, who had been lord of Faenza (today's Emilia-Romagna) and other castles in the area before the Papal reconquest. Astorre lived for ...

, commander2 =

Giovanni da Barbiano Giovanni da Barbiano (died 27 September 1399) was an Italian condottiero, the leader of a force of mercenary soldiers. He was a brother or nephew of the condottiero Alberico da Barbiano. Born in Barbiano di Cotignola, a commune of what is now ea ...

, strength1 = 3,000 (estimated) , strength2 = 8,000 (estimated) , casualties1 = 100 (estimated) , casualties2 = 1,000 plus 2,000 prisoners (estimated) The Battle of Portomaggiore took place near Portomaggiore in the province of Ferrara, Italy on 16 April 1395. It was fought between the Este troops of the Ferrara Regency Council fighting in the name of the young

Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara Niccolò III d'Este (9 November 1383 – 26 December 1441) was Marquess of Ferrara from 1393 until his death. He was also a condottiero. Biography Born in Ferrara, the son of Alberto d'Este and Isotta Albaresani, he inherited the rule of t ...

and the rebel forces of his uncle,

, pretender to the Lordship of Ferrara.

Background

After the death of

Alberto d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara Alberto (V) d'Este (27 February 1347 – 30 July 1393) was lord of Ferrara and Modena from 1388 until his death. He was associated in the lordship of the House of Este by his brother Niccolò in 1361, becoming the sole ruler of Ferrara and Mo ...

, he was succeeded by his legitimated son

Niccolò Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The fe ...

, who was still a minor. His uncle Azzo claimed the title on the grounds of Niccolò's young age and his legitimacy, but was rebuffed by the Regency Council (a council formed to rule Ferrara during Niccolò's minority). Azzo therefore organised a military force by the hiring of mercenaries.

The battle

The two armies met at Portomaggiore, some 10 miles (15 kilometers) south-west of the city of Ferrara. The Regency Council forces were under the command of Astorre Manfredi, a

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...

(mercenary leader) who had once formed the Compagnia della Stella, a private mercenary army. He had the support of troops from Florence, Bologna, Venice, and Carrara. Azzo's force of mercenaries was led by the condottiero

. The Regency Council troops quickly attacked Azzo's 8,000 strong army, eventually forcing them to retreat and seek refuge in the castle, where they were ultimately forced to surrender. Azzo's forces lost some 1,000 men and Azzo himself was captured. Regency Council losses were limited.

References

*P. Orsi - ''Signorie e principati (1300-1530)'' - Milano, Ed. Vallardi, 1881. * Based on a translation of the equivalent article on Italian Wikipedia