The Battle on the Planta, fought on 13 November 1475 around
Conthey
Conthey is a municipality in the district of Conthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
History
Conthey is first mentioned about 800 as ''curtis Contextis''. In 1146 it was mentioned as ''ecclesiam de Plano Contesio''.
Geography
Cont ...
near
Sion
Sion may refer to
* an alternative transliteration of Zion
People
* Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name
Pl ...
,
Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, was part of the
Burgundian Wars
The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies. Open war broke out in 1474, and the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the battlefield in t ...
.
Background
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Upper Valais (the eastern portion of the valley, higher in the mountains) was colonized by Germans from
Hasli in the
Canton of Bern
The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...
. The Upper Valais was loosely allied with the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
, especially with Bern. The Lower Valais (the western, lowlands of the valley) were inhabited by French speakers under the power of the
Dukes of Savoy
The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at th ...
. During the early and mid 15th century conflicts between the Upper Valais and Lower Valais often led to fighting. In 1446 Bern and Savoy signed a peace treaty, though border conflicts over the following decades damaged the agreement. In 1473 Duchess
Yolande of Savoy embargoed Bern.
The battle
In 1475 Bern invaded
Vaud
Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...
, a Savoy province, and signed an alliance with the Upper Valais on 7 September 1475.
With Bernese support the Upper Valais prepared for war. Led by the
Bishop of Sion
The Diocese of Sion ( la, Dioecesis Sedunensis, french: Diocèse de Sion, german: Bistum Sitten) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the oldest bishopric in the country and one of the oldest north o ...
Walter
Supersaxo the Upper Valais forces began attacking Savoy holdings. A Savoy counterattack in early November threatened the city of Sion. On 13 November the Bishop's forces together with unexpected reinforcements from
Saanen
Saanen (french: Gessenay; Highest Alemannic: ''Saanä'') is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1228 as ''Gi ...
, the
Simmental
The Simmental ( en, Simme Valley) is an alpine valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It expands from Lenk to Boltigen, in a more or less south-north direction (Obersimmental), and from there to the valley exit at Wimmis near Spiez it ta ...
,
Fribourg
, neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne
, twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France)
, website = www.ville-fribourg.ch
, Location of , Location of ()
() ...
, and
Solothurn
Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissens ...
defeated the Savoy counterattack near Conthey to the west of Sion.
Aftermath
Following the Savoy defeat at the battle, the bishop's army marched west conquering the Lower Valais as far as
Saint-Maurice and capturing a total of 17 Savoyard castles.
[ The towns of Conthey and Saint-Maurice were garrisoned by Bern and Fribourg and Savoy was cut off from Italy.][ In 1477, the bishop annexed much of the Lower Valais, though it was not accepted by Savoy until 1528.][ The Confederate support strengthened the ties between Valais and the Swiss Confederation.
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle On The Planta
1475 in Europe
Planta 1475
Conflicts in 1475
1470s in the Holy Roman Empire