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The Italian Wars were a series of wars from 1494 to 1559 for control over the States of Italy, mainly involving
France and Spain, but also involving most other
European states, and the imprisonment for several months of Pope
Clement VII.
They started with the plotting of Ludovico Sforza of Milan also
known as "Ludovico il Moro" encouraging French involvement.
They finally ended with the Treaty of
Cateau-Cambrésis, leaving Spain as the dominant power in the region.
Charles VIII of France was encouraged by Ludovico to
reassert the Angevin claim to the throne of Naples, then under Aragonese control. Ferdinand I of Naples died in 1494. and the French were welcomed
into Florence by Savonarola and
into Rome. They soon proved unpopular in Italy, and the League of Venice was formed
against them, Charles being defeated at the Battle of Fornovo,
but escaping to France.
His cousin and successor Louis XII of France invaded Italy
in 1499 and managed to hold the north of the country, agreeing to partition Naples with
Ferdinand II of Aragon. The two powers had fallen out
by 1502, and the French were expelled from the south, retaining their occupation of
Milan.
Meanwhile, Pope Julius II was more concerned with curbing the
territorial expansion of Venice, and in 1508
formed the League of Cambrai, in which France, the Papacy, Spain
and the Empire agreed to restrain the Venetians. At the Battle of Agnadello in 1509,
the Venetians were defeated. But in the following year, Julius reached a modus vivendi with Venice, and, seeing France as a more
dangerous power, formed the Holy League to expel the
“barabarians”.
Louis was driven from Italy at the Battle of Novara in 1513, and it was left to his successor Francis I to reassert French interests. In 1515. he retook Milan
at the Battle of
Marignano.
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor was
determined to end the French possession of Milan, something finally accomplished at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. Francis was taken hostage, and imprisoned in
Madrid until he made concessions over Italy (which he later claimed were made under
duress). Pope Clement VII, alarmed at the power of the Empire,
allied the Papacy with France, giving rise to the Sack of Rome by imperial
troops in 1527. While this caused Charles some embarrassment, it enabled him to keep the
Pope from annulling the marriage of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon, though
in turn this lead to the Schism of the Church of
England with Rome.
In 1529, by the Treaty of Cambrai, Francis renounced his Italian claims, although matters were not finally
settled until the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559.
Battles
See also
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