Battle of Fornovo
Die Schlacht am Taro
The Battle of Fornovo, showing Swiss mercenaries and Balkan light cavalry (Stradioti)
Battle_of_Fornoue_6_July_1495
Fornovo's Battle (1495) - fresco from "Galleria delle Carte Geografiche", Musei Vaticani.
Bataille de Fornoue en 1495 opposant troupes françaises et italiennes. Le roi de France Charles VIII est représenté à gauche, le chevalier Bayard à droite.
Fornovo di Taro, lapide a ricordo della battaglia del 1495.
Francesco II Gonzaga alla battaglia del Taro - Olio su tela, cm. 269.5 × 422
The battle of Fornovo
Madone VictoireMantegna detail
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
The Battle of Fornovo
Francesco II. Gonzaga gegen Karl VIII. von Frankreich 1495 in der Schlacht am Taro kämpfend
Historical Overview
The Battle of Fornovo took place 30 km southwest of the city of Parma on 6 July 1495. It was fought as King Charles VIII of France left Naples upon hearing the news of the grand coalition assembled against him. Despite the numerical advantage of their opponents, the French won the engagement and Charles was able to march his army out of Italy. It was nonetheless devoid of any strategic result as all of their conquests in the Italian Peninsula were abandoned. Fornovo was the first major pitched battle of the Italian Wars.
Quick Facts
Kingdom of France
- Commander: Karl VIII.
- Strength: ca. 10.000
- Casualties: ca. 1.000
League of Venice
- Commander: Francesco II. Gonzaga
- Strength: ca. 20.000
- Casualties: ca. 2.000
Strategic Context
Retreat of the French army after the first invasion of Naples.
Conflict / War
Italian Wars
Related Literature
Der Bauernkrieg: Deutschlands großer Volksaufstand
Lexikon der Renaissance
Historical Locations
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