Henry VIII,the Reign
The Battle of Pavia 24 February 1525
The Prelude - All Around the Alps and Back
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.
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An Imperial–Spanish army commanded by Charles de Lannoy with the Pavia garrison commander Antonio de Leyva attacked the French army under the command of Francis I of France in the hunting park of Mirabello just beyond the city walls.
The battle lasted four-hour and the French army was split and defeated. The French suffered enormous casualties, including many nobles. King Francis was captured by the Habsburg army and imprisoned by Charles V. He was later, to secure his release, forced to sign the Treaty of Madrid, surrendering significant territory to his captor. |
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The Battle of Pavia 24 February 1525
In October 1524, Francis, assured by Wolsey that there would be no English attack in the north, crossed the Alps and advanced on Milan at the head of an army 40,000.
Bourbon, d'Avalos and their troops were in a weak position after fleeing southern France and found themselves besieged by Francis’s army at Pavia
On 21 November, Francis tried an assault on the city but was repulsed with heavy casualties; and hampered by the weather decided on a strategy to defeat the Imperialists by starvation over the winter.
Francis also signed a secret agreement with Pope Clement VII, who pledged not to aid Charles in exchange for Francis's assistance with the conquest of Naples. Against the advice of his senior commanders, Francis detached a section of his forces under the Duke of Albany and sent them south to support the Pope.
In January 1525, Lannoy was reinforced by the arrival of Georg Frundsberg with 15,000 landsknechts from Germany and renewed the offensive. the French outpost at Sant'Angelo Lomellina, was captured severing communications between Pavia and Milan Another column of landsknechts advanced on Belgiojoso and occupied the town. By 2 February, Lannoy was a few miles from Pavia.
On 21 February, the Imperial commanders, running low on supplies and little more to lose decided to launch an attack on Mirabello Castle and attempt to break the siege.
On the evening of 23 February, Lannoy's Imperial troops, camped outside the east wall of the park, began to march north along the walls. At the same time, the Imperial artillery began a bombardment of the French siege to create a diversion and conceal the advance.
Imperial engineers set about the walls breached the masonry defence, at the Porta Pescarina near the village of San Genesio and Imperial army charged through.
By 5:00 am, some three thousand arquebusiers under the command of Alfonso d'Avalos had invaded the park and advancing on Mirabello Castle followed by Imperial light cavalry.
A detachment of French cavalry under Charles Tiercelin then encountered the Imperial cavalry and began skirmishes. Swiss pike men under Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de la Flourance overran a battery of Spanish artillery and by 7:00 am, the full-scale attack underway, the French had been taken by surprise and were overwhelmed.
It was all over by 9.00am, the French gendarmes were surrounded and killed. Richard de la Pole and Lorraine, advanced to aid Francis, were met by Frundsberg's arriving landsknechts; the French infantry was broken and routed, and de la Pole and Lorraine were both killed, as were many nobles including Bonnivet, La Tremoille and La Palice . Montmorency and Flourance were captured. The French king continued to fight on horseback but his horse was killed from under him, ‘all is lost to me save honour and life, ‘he was taken prisoner’.
Bourbon, d'Avalos and their troops were in a weak position after fleeing southern France and found themselves besieged by Francis’s army at Pavia
On 21 November, Francis tried an assault on the city but was repulsed with heavy casualties; and hampered by the weather decided on a strategy to defeat the Imperialists by starvation over the winter.
Francis also signed a secret agreement with Pope Clement VII, who pledged not to aid Charles in exchange for Francis's assistance with the conquest of Naples. Against the advice of his senior commanders, Francis detached a section of his forces under the Duke of Albany and sent them south to support the Pope.
In January 1525, Lannoy was reinforced by the arrival of Georg Frundsberg with 15,000 landsknechts from Germany and renewed the offensive. the French outpost at Sant'Angelo Lomellina, was captured severing communications between Pavia and Milan Another column of landsknechts advanced on Belgiojoso and occupied the town. By 2 February, Lannoy was a few miles from Pavia.
On 21 February, the Imperial commanders, running low on supplies and little more to lose decided to launch an attack on Mirabello Castle and attempt to break the siege.
On the evening of 23 February, Lannoy's Imperial troops, camped outside the east wall of the park, began to march north along the walls. At the same time, the Imperial artillery began a bombardment of the French siege to create a diversion and conceal the advance.
Imperial engineers set about the walls breached the masonry defence, at the Porta Pescarina near the village of San Genesio and Imperial army charged through.
By 5:00 am, some three thousand arquebusiers under the command of Alfonso d'Avalos had invaded the park and advancing on Mirabello Castle followed by Imperial light cavalry.
A detachment of French cavalry under Charles Tiercelin then encountered the Imperial cavalry and began skirmishes. Swiss pike men under Robert de la Marck, Seigneur de la Flourance overran a battery of Spanish artillery and by 7:00 am, the full-scale attack underway, the French had been taken by surprise and were overwhelmed.
It was all over by 9.00am, the French gendarmes were surrounded and killed. Richard de la Pole and Lorraine, advanced to aid Francis, were met by Frundsberg's arriving landsknechts; the French infantry was broken and routed, and de la Pole and Lorraine were both killed, as were many nobles including Bonnivet, La Tremoille and La Palice . Montmorency and Flourance were captured. The French king continued to fight on horseback but his horse was killed from under him, ‘all is lost to me save honour and life, ‘he was taken prisoner’.
