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Battle of Bicocca

Type Event Region Europe Time 1522

On April 27, 1522, Holy Roman Empire troops defeated French and Swiss mercenary forces near the village of Bicocca northeast of Milan, devastating a …

Timeline

  1. 1522Milan · LombardyFrench forces under commanders including Ottaviano Fregoso besieged Milan, seeking to restore French influence in Lombardy. The imperial garrison held firm behind city defenses and reinforcements.
  2. 1522Bicocca · LombardyImperial reinforcements under Prospero Colonna dug trenches and breastworks at Bicocca, covering the flanks with Spanish arquebusiers and artillery, awaiting the Franco-Swiss assault.
  3. 1522Bicocca · LombardySwiss mercenary pike squares charged without artillery support, were met by dense imperial gunfire, and retreated after heavy casualties. The French were forced to raise the siege of Milan and withdraw from Lombardy.

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