The First Italian War (1494–95), sometimes referred to as the Italian War of 1494 or Charles VIII's Italian War, was the opening phase of the Italian Wars. The war pitted Charles VIII of France, who had initial Milanese aid, against the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and an alliance of Italian powers led by Pope Alexander VI. The Italian Wars, sometimes known as the Great Italian Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, all the major states of western Europe (France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, England, Scotland, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, and most of the... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1135x1625, 471 KB) Political map of Italy in early 1494, before the invasion of Italy by Charles VIII of France, created by MapMaster. ... 1494 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1495 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of the Papal States. ... Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000 CE. The republic is in dark red, borders in light red. ... The Bay of Naples Naples (Italian: , Neapolitan: Nàpule, from Greek Νεάπολη < Νέα Πόλις Néa Pólis New City) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. ... The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1395 to 1797. ... The double-headed eagle A portrait of Charlemagne wearing the crown of the Holy Roman Empire (15th century painting by Albrecht Dürer) The Holy Roman Empire was a mainly Germanic conglomeration of lands in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ... Charles VIII the Affable (French: Charles VIII lAffable) (June 30, 1470 – April 7, 1498) was King of France from 1483 to his death. ... Francesco II of Gonzaga (1466 - 1519), Marquis of Mantua, ruled Mantua from 1484 to 1519. ... Combatants France Spain, Kingdom of Naples Commanders Bernard dAubigny Ferdinand II of Naples The Battle of Seminara was fought in Calabria on June 28, 1495 as part of the First Italian War, between a French garrison in recently-conquered southern Italy and the allied forces of Spain and Naples... The Battle of Fornovo took place in July 1495 during the Italian Wars. ... The Italian Wars, sometimes known as the Great Italian Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, all the major states of western Europe (France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, England, Scotland, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, and most of the... The Second Italian War (1499 – 1503) occured when Louis XII of France invaded Italy, capturing Milan and Naples. ... The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names,[1] was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. ... The War of Urbino (1517) was a secondary episode of the Italian Wars. ... Combatants France, Republic of Venice Spain, Holy Roman Empire, England, Papal States Commanders Francis I of France, Vicomte de Lautrec, Seigneur de Bonnivet â€ , Seigneur de Bayard â€ , Anne de Montmorency Charles V, Charles de Lannoy, Marchese di Pescara, Charles de Bourbon, Prosper Colonna The Italian War of 1521 (1521–26), sometimes... Combatants Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Genoa France, Papal States, Republic of Venice, Florence, England, Duchy of Milan Commanders Charles de Bourbon â€ , Georg Frundsberg, Philibert of Châlon â€  Vicomte de Lautrec *, Francesco Ferruccio â€ , Giovanni de Medici â€ , Comte de St. ... The Italian War of 1535 between Charles V and Francis I of France began with the death of Francesco Maria Sforza, the duke of Milan. ... Combatants France, Ottoman Empire England, Holy Roman Empire, Spain Commanders Strength Casualties The Italian War of 1542 (1542–45) occurred when Francis I of France, allying himself with Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire, launched a final invasion of Italy. ... The Italian War of 1551 (1551–59), sometimes known as the Habsburg-Valois War, began when Henry II of France, who had succeeded Francis to the throne, declared war against Charles V with the intent of recapturing Italy and ensuring French, rather than Habsburg, domination of European affairs. ... 1494 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1495 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Italian Wars, sometimes known as the Great Italian Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, all the major states of western Europe (France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, England, Scotland, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, and most of the... Charles VIII the Affable (French: Charles VIII lAffable) (June 30, 1470 – April 7, 1498) was King of France from 1483 to his death. ... Milano redirects here. ... The double-headed eagle A portrait of Charlemagne wearing the crown of the Holy Roman Empire (15th century painting by Albrecht Dürer) The Holy Roman Empire was a mainly Germanic conglomeration of lands in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ... Pope Alexander VI (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born Roderic Borja (Italian: Borgia), (reigned from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular popes of the Renaissance and one whose surname became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. ...

Prelude

Pope Innocent VIII, in conflict with Ferdinand I of Naples over Ferdinand's refusal to pay papal dues, had excommunicated and deposed Ferdinand by a bull of 11 September 1489 and offered the kingdom of Naples to Charles VIII; though in 1492 Innocent restored Ferdinand to favor before dying, 25 July 1494, the offer remained an apple of discord thrown into Italian politics. Pope Innocent VIII (1432 – July 25, 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo, was Pope from 1484 until his death. ... Ferdinand I (1423 - January 25, 1494), also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. ...

Ludovico Sforza, having finally inherited the Duchy of Milan that he had long controlled, in October 1494, found himself opposed by Alfonso II of Naples, since that January the King of Naples, who also had a claim on the Duchy. Ludovico decided to remove this threat by spurring the efforts of Charles VIII, who had a remote claim to Naples through the Angevin line and was being encouraged by his favourite, Étienne de Vesc. Charles, encouraged by Ludovico, gathered a large army, including the first siege train to include artillery, and invaded the peninsula. Easily subduing Florence, the French reached Naples in February 1495 and captured it without a siege or pitched battle. Ludovico Sforza in a portrait by Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis. ... The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1395 to 1797. ... Alphonso II of Naples (November 4, 1448 - December 18, 1495) was King of Naples from January 25, 1494 to 1495. ... The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ... Angevin (IPA: ) is the name applied to the residents of Anjou, a former province of the Kingdom of France, as well as to the residents of Angers. ... Étienne de Vesc (ca 1445 — 6 October 1501),[1] was a courtier of Louis XI of France and a formative influence on Charles VIII, whom he strongly encouraged in the French adventure into Italy in the First Italian War, 1494-95. ... Replica battering ram at Château des Baux, France. ... Florences skyline Florences skyline at night from Piazza Michaelangelo Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... The Bay of Naples Naples (Italian: , Neapolitan: Nàpule, from Greek Νεάπολη < Νέα Πόλις Néa Pólis New City) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. ...

League of Venice

The speed of the French advance, together with the brutality of their attacks on cities, left the remaining states of Italy in shock. Ludovico, realizing that Charles had a claim to Milan as well, and would likely not be sated with the annexation of Naples alone, turned to the Papacy. Embroiled in a power game with France and various Italian states over his attempts to secure secular fiefdoms for his children, Alexander VI succeeded on 31 March 1495 in arranging an alliance, known as the Holy League of 1495 or the League of Venice, of several opponents of French hegemony in Italy— the Papacy, Ferdinand of Aragon who was also King of Sicily, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, Sforza in Milan and the Republic of Venice— whose ostensible purpose in joining the League was to oppose the Ottoman Empire, while its actual objective was to expel the French from Italy. This alliance, pledging itself to the expulsion of the French from Italy, gathered an army under the condottiero Francesco II of Gonzaga. Charles, unwilling to be trapped in Naples, marched north to Lombardy, where he met the League's army at the Battle of Fornovo, 6 July 1495. Although his defeat there after a very brief encounter was not decisive, he was nonetheless forced to abandon much of the booty from his campaign and return to France, where he soon died before he could regroup his forces and return to Italy. March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1495 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ferdinand II of Aragon. ... Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria Maximilian I of Bavaria This is a disambiguation page &#8212; a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Milano redirects here. ... Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000 CE. The republic is in dark red, borders in light red. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Condottieri (singular condottiero) were mercenary leaders employed by Italian city-states from the late Middle Ages until the mid-sixteenth century. ... Francesco II of Gonzaga (1466 - 1519), Marquis of Mantua, ruled Mantua from 1484 to 1519. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia) is a region in northern Italy between the Alps and the Po river valley. ... The Battle of Fornovo took place in July 1495 during the Italian Wars. ...

References

• Phillips, Charles and Alan Axelrod. Encyclopedia of Wars. New York: Facts on File, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-2851-6.