Siege of Florence (1529–1530)
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2013) |
Siege of Florence | |||||||
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Part of the War of the League of Cognac | |||||||
The Siege of Florence by Giorgio Vasari, 1558 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Republic of Florence |
Holy Roman Empire Spain Papal States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Malatesta Baglioni |
Ferrante I Gonzaga |
The siege of Florence took place from 24 October 1529 to 10 August 1530, at the end of the
The
The Republic resisted this incursion; but, left without allies and betrayed by many of the mercenaries in her employ, Florence was unable to keep fighting indefinitely. After the capture of Volterra by the Imperial forces and the death of Francesco Ferruccio at the Battle of Gavinana, further resistance became impractical, and the city surrendered in August 1530.
Prelude
At the conclusion of the Treaty of Bologna in the summer of 1529, Charles and Clement, the father of
The Prince of Orange proceeded towards Florence, gathering additional troops along the way. He was hampered by a lack of artillery, and was forced to requisition some from Siena. The Siennese, having little love for the Pope, provided it; but they delayed its arrival as long as they could.[5] By 24 September the Imperial forces were still in Montevarchi, twenty-five miles from Florence, waiting for the promised cannon.
In Florence, meanwhile, confusion reigned. The Council of Ten urged surrendering to Clement; the
In preparations for the defense of the city, a number of outlying convents and monasteries were destroyed, including the convent church of San Giovanni Evangelista, the Church of San Gallo[7] outside the Porta San Gallo, the convents of Monte Domini and Monticelli, the Camaldolese monastery of San Benedetto fuori della Porta Pinti, San Donato in Polverosa, and San Giusto degli Ingesuati, together with its frescoes by Pietro Perugino. Other works painted for San Giusto by Perugino, along with its altarpiece by Domenico Ghirlandaio, are preserved in the Uffizi.
Siege
The significant progress made on the fortifications, and the delays in the Imperial movement, strengthened the city's resolve to fight. On 5 October, The Prince of Orange resumed his march; by 24 October he had encamped his army on the hills around Florence. The city was garrisoned by some 8,000 soldiers of various kinds.[8] Viewing the Florentine earthworks too substantial to easily take by assault, the Imperial army settled into a pattern of artillery duels and skirmishing with the defenders instead.[9] Meanwhile, the lack of fighting in other portions of Italy drew thousands of unemployed soldiers to the Imperial army, substantially swelling its ranks; the new arrivals included Fabrizio Maramaldo, whose reputation for brutality was such that even Clement opposed allowing him to take part in the siege.[10]
The promises of aid the Florentines had received from Francis I of France were revealed to have been overstated. Although his sons had been released from Madrid, Francis did not wish to openly challenge Charles so soon. While he did provide some sums of money to the Florentine merchants—money that, apparently, he had owed to them to begin with—he did not send any troops to relieve Florence, as he had promised.[11]
The focus of the fighting then shifted to the town of Volterra, which commanded the lines of communication to Florence, and whose citadel was still in Florentine hands. The Imperial forces attacked Volterra; the Florentines responded by dispatching Francesco Ferruccio, the commander of the garrison at Empoli, to relieve it. Ferruccio easily overran the Imperial troops; but, defying the orders of the Council of Ten, which called for him to remain in Volterra, he marched back to Empoli with the majority of his troops. This allowed a second, more successful Imperial assault to take place after his departure.[12]
With the loss of Volterra, Florentine hopes of opening a supply line into the city dwindled, and Florence looked to the arrival of Ferruccio with a relief army, which he had gathered around Pisa. The Prince of Orange, having arranged that Baglioni would not attack the Imperial forces in his absence, marched out with the larger portion of his army to intercept him. On 3 August 1530 the two armies met at the Battle of Gavinana; both The Prince of Orange and Ferruccio were killed, and the Florentine forces were decisively defeated.[13]
Calcio
The city held a match of
Aftermath
Despite the attempts of some citizens to continue the resistance—as well as infighting within the city government—Florence could not hold out with Ferruccio's army destroyed. On 10 August the representatives of the Republic surrendered to the Imperial forces. Baglioni and the remainder of his troops abandoned the city, and the Medici returned to power. Over the next few months, many of the Republic's leaders were executed or banished.[15]
Notes
- ^ Carrari, Vincenzo (1503). Historia de' Rossi Parmigiani. Ravenna.. See also this link
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 413–414.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 414.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 414. Guicciardini records that the Duke of Urbino suggested that the defenses would be stronger with the outlying districts intact; but that the Florentines did not know how to adequately fortify them.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 417.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 418–419.
- ^ Middleton, John Henry (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 148–149.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 420–421.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 422.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 426.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 428–429.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 427–428.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 429.
- ^ Monaco, Franco (1967). What's on in Italian Folklore. Automobile club d'Italia L'editrice dell'automobile. p. 26.
- ^ Guicciardini, History of Italy, 430–432.
References
- Cochrane, Eric. Florence in the Forgotten Centuries, 1527–1800: A History of Florence and the Florentines in the Age of the Grand Dukes (1976)[ISBN missing]
- ISBN 0-691-00800-0.
- Hyett, Sir Francis Adams (1903). Florence: her history and art to the fall of the republic. Methuen. pp. 505–21.