Battle of Crevola
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Crevola was fought in the spring of 1487, between a marauding Swiss
army and the Duchy of Milan
for the supremacy of the Eschental
(Valle Ossola).
In the year 1487, for unknown but petty reasons, Bishop Jost von Silenen went into dispute with the Count of Arona
whose seignory was the Duke
of Milan
.
The Knight
Albin von Silenen, brother of Bishop Jost von Silenen, was appointed the leader of this military expedition. As soon as the Simplon pass
was passible, the Swiss
crossed into the Eschental
, here the Swiss
were joined by another 1,000 Swiss
, who were returning from Savoy
.
The Swiss
besieged Domo
, occupied the castle of Mattarella and terribly marauded the impoverished valleys. The Duke of Milan, however, ordered the Eschentalers
to keep the Swiss
inactive with false peace negotiations, until the duchy
could dispatch a sufficient army. Once the troops were assembled, they were split into three separate corps
under the command of Renato Trivulzio, Count Borromeo and Gio. Pietro Bergamino.
The Swiss were once again marauding in the villages of the Valle Vigezzo
, when they were assaulted by the ducal Milanese troops from three sides. The Swiss
formed a square
and a murderous combat ensued, in which the Swiss lost 800-1000 men and all their baggage. The rest of the Swiss troops had to flee into the unpassable mountain range. The corpses of the dead Swiss were desecrated by local peasants, the heads and fingers were cut off, the heads were put on pikes and the fingers were used as hat decorations.
Further bloodshed was however prevented, when a legation of the Old Swiss Confederacy
negotiated a peace treaty with the Duchy of Milan
on the 23rd of July 1487. At ponte di Crevola
, the Eschentalers
dedicated an Oratory
to Martyr Saint Vitalis
in honour and remembrance of this victorious battle.
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
army and the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
for the supremacy of the Eschental
Ossola
The Ossola is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola....
(Valle Ossola).
In the year 1487, for unknown but petty reasons, Bishop Jost von Silenen went into dispute with the Count of Arona
Arona
-Places:Italy*Arona, Piedmont, a town in the Province of NovaraSpain*Arona, Tenerife, a municipality in the Canary IslandsUnited States*Arona, Pennsylvania-Persons:*Danilo Arona, Italian writer* Ricardo Arona, Brazilian mixed martial artist...
whose seignory was the Duke
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
The Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Albin von Silenen, brother of Bishop Jost von Silenen, was appointed the leader of this military expedition. As soon as the Simplon pass
Simplon Pass
Simplon Pass is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canton of Valais with Domodossola in Piedmont . The pass itself and the villages on each side of it, such as Gondo, are in Switzerland...
was passible, the Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
crossed into the Eschental
Ossola
The Ossola is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola....
, here the Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
were joined by another 1,000 Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, who were returning from Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
.
The Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
besieged Domo
Domodossola
Domodossola is a city and comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy...
, occupied the castle of Mattarella and terribly marauded the impoverished valleys. The Duke of Milan, however, ordered the Eschentalers
Ossola
The Ossola is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola....
to keep the Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
inactive with false peace negotiations, until the duchy
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
could dispatch a sufficient army. Once the troops were assembled, they were split into three separate corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
under the command of Renato Trivulzio, Count Borromeo and Gio. Pietro Bergamino.
The Swiss were once again marauding in the villages of the Valle Vigezzo
Valle Vigezzo
Valle Vigezzo is a valley in the Lepontine Alps in northwestern Italy on the border with Canton Ticino of Switzerland. It forms the eastern branch of the Ossola valley. It is also called the Valle dei Pittori due to the large number of painters over the centuries...
, when they were assaulted by the ducal Milanese troops from three sides. The Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
formed a square
Pike square
The pike square was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its infantry.- History :The pike square was used to devastating effect at the Battle of Nancy against Charles the Bold of Burgundy in 1477, when the Swiss defeated a smaller but more...
and a murderous combat ensued, in which the Swiss lost 800-1000 men and all their baggage. The rest of the Swiss troops had to flee into the unpassable mountain range. The corpses of the dead Swiss were desecrated by local peasants, the heads and fingers were cut off, the heads were put on pikes and the fingers were used as hat decorations.
Further bloodshed was however prevented, when a legation of the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
negotiated a peace treaty with the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
on the 23rd of July 1487. At ponte di Crevola
Crevoladossola
Crevoladossola is a comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 130 km northeast of Turin and about 30 km northwest of Verbania....
, the Eschentalers
Ossola
The Ossola is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola....
dedicated an Oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
to Martyr Saint Vitalis
Saint Vitalis
Saint Vitalis may refer to:The following Italian saints:* Saint Vitalis of Milan, early Christian martyr* Saint Vitalis, martyred in 250 under the persecution of Decius, whose feast date is January 9...
in honour and remembrance of this victorious battle.