The War of L'Aquila (Italian: ''Guerra dell'Aquila'') was a conflict in 15th-century Italy. It started in 1423 as a personal conflict against the

condottiero Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...

Braccio da Montone and the city of

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of the Province of L'Aquila and the Abruzzo region in Italy. , it has a population of 69,902. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valley of the A ...

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

, but later turned into a national conflict when the forces of the

Duchy of Milan The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...

, the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flor ...

, the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

, and the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples (; ; ), officially the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was established by the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282–1302). Until ...

were also involved. Braccio da Montone was killed in the final battle near L'Aquila.

Background

In 1423 Braccio da Montone was named by Queen

Joanna II of Naples Joanna II (; 25 June 1371 – 2 February 1435) was Queen of Naples from 1414 to her death in 1435, when the Capetian House of Anjou became extinct. As a mere formality, she used the title of Queen of Jerusalem, Sicily, and Hungary. Early ...

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

of the

Abruzzi Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...

for ten years. The condottiero, however, was fighting in

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

, and named Ruggero d'Antignola as governor with the task to put these lands under his personal rule against the royal power of the

. After an initial period of good relationships, in late 1422 the citizens of L'Aquila, fearing to lose their secular autonomy, rebelled under the leadership of Antonuccio Camponeschi and expelled Ruggero d'Antignola. The Camponeschi family was related with Giacomo Marzano, grand admiral of Naples, and the condottiero

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. In his later years, he served Queen Joanna II of Naples and was a ...

, lord of

Benevento Benevento ( ; , ; ) is a city and (municipality) of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the Sabato (r ...

and

Manfredonia Manfredonia () is a town and Comune, commune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and gives its name to the Gulf of Manf ...

, as well as with Pope

Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the West ...

, who supported

Louis III of Anjou Louis III (25 September 1403 – 12 November 1434) was a claimant to the Kingdom of Naples from 1417 to 1426, as well as count of Provence, Forcalquier, Piedmont, and Maine and duke of Anjou from 1417 to 1434. As the heir designate to the thron ...

's claims against Joanna. When the city declared itself under Louis' suzerainty, Braccio da Montone mobilized its forces to regain it.

History

In late 1423, Braccio da Montone's strong army started destroying the 99 historical castles (in Italian, ''Castelli Fondatori'', meaning "founding castles") which surrounded the city. In May 1424, the population took refuge in Aquila itself and prepared for the siege. After a failed storming attempt, Braccio da Montone took a position on the Collemaggio hill, waiting for the city to surrender by famine. In the meantime, a coalition between Florence, Milan, and the Pope mustered an army under the condottieri

Jacopo Caldora {{Infobox noble, type , name = Jacopo Caldora , title = Duke of Bari , image = Il Condottiere.jpg , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , succession = Duke of Bari , reign = {{nowrap, 11 October 1432 – 15 November 1439 , tenure=, predecesso ...

and

Francesco Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'Aqui ...

. The final clash between the two armies occurred in early June 1424. Muzio Attendolo had died in the march towards L'Aquila while wading the

Pescara River The Aterno-Pescara (ancient ''Aternus'' from the Greek ''Aternos'', ''Άτερνος'') is a river system in Abruzzo, eastern central Italy. The river is known as the Aterno near its source in the mountains, but takes the name Pescara, actually a ...

. After having been initially pushed back by Caldora, Braccio started losing ground. His vice-commander,

Niccolò Piccinino Niccolò Piccinino (1386 – 15 October 1444) was an Italian condottiero. He began his career in the mercenary company of Braccio da Montone, reaching the rank of commander of the company after Braccios death in 1424. He spent most of his career ...

, left the position on the city walls. This left his army's right flank, which was immediately attacked by Francesco Sforza. In the meantime, the Aquilans under Antonuccio Camponeschi sortied from the gates and contributed to Braccio's complete defeat. Mortally wounded in the neck, Braccio was made prisoner and transported to L'Aquila, where he died three days later, on 5 June 1424.

References

Sources

*{{cite book, first=Vittorio , last=Gleijeses, title= La Storia di Napoli, location=Naples, publisher=Società Editrice Napoletana, year=1978 Wars involving the Papal States Wars involving the Republic of Florence Wars involving the Kingdom of Naples 1420s conflicts 15th century in the Papal States 15th century in the Kingdom of Naples L'Aquila 1423 in Europe 1424 in Europe