Gaston de Foix

Timeline

1. 1507–1511Mazeri · FoixGaston was the son of Viscount Jean de Foix of Narbonne and Marie of Orléans, and nephew of Louis XII. After his father's death he inherited the titles Count of Étampes and others, was created Duke of Nemours in 1507, and had served as governor of Dauphiné. That same year he followed his uncle in suppressing the Genoese revolt, beginning his appearances in the Italian Wars.
2. 1511–1512Brescia · LombardyLouis XII appointed the barely twenty-something Gaston commander of the French forces in Italy with responsibility for Milan. In January 1512 he unexpectedly lifted the Holy League's siege of Bologna, then marched north to rout the Venetian army and stormed Brescia in February. His successive forced marches earned him the name "Thunderbolt of Italy."
3. 1512Ravenna · Emilia-RomagnaTo force the Holy League into a decisive battle, Gaston marched south to besiege Ravenna. On April 11 he routed the Spanish–papal coalition with flanking artillery fire and a cavalry counterattack, winning a great tactical victory, but was killed while pursuing still-resisting Spanish infantry. With the commander dead, the French could not consolidate in Romagna and Lombardy, and the gains quickly slipped away.