Battle of Agnadello (1509)

Timeline

1. 1509Adda River · LombardyOn 9 May Louis XII led about 40,000 French troops across the Adda and pushed deep into Venetian territory. Venetian mercenaries were commanded separately by Bartolomeo d'Alviano of the Orsini family and Niccolò di Pitigliano, but the two disagreed sharply over strategy.
2. 1509Agnadello · LombardyD'Alviano drew up about 8,000 Venetian rearguard troops on hills near Agnadello and was attacked by a French vanguard under Charles II d'Amboise. D'Alviano requested reinforcements from Pitigliano but received orders to retreat; he disobeyed and continued fighting, and his troops were enveloped on three sides in the muddy irrigated terrain.
3. 1509Lombardy · LombardyAfter about three hours of fierce fighting, the Venetians suffered over 4,000 casualties and lost thirty guns, and d'Alviano was captured. Upon hearing of the defeat, Pitigliano's mercenaries largely dispersed, forcing a retreat to Treviso. The French then occupied Venice's remaining towns in Lombardy, and Venetian mainland rule neared collapse.