Battle of Fossalta
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Fossalta is an en episode of the War of the Guelphs and Ghibellines in northern Italy
. It took place in Fossalta, a small location on the Panaro
river, and is especially remembered for the capture of Enzio of Sardinia
, son of Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
.
In the spring of 1249, a Guelph
Romagnol
army of the Lombard League
advanced to the Panaro. The army was composed of 3,000 Knights and 2,000 foot soldiers from the Margrave
Azzo VII d'Este
and 1,000 Knights and 800 foot soldiers of Bolognese
militias from Porta Stieri, Porta San Procolo and Porta Ravegnana. The army was led by the Brescia
n Filippo Ugoni, who had victoriously defended Milan
while besieged by Emperor Frederick II, and accompanied by Ottaviano degli Ubaldini, the Cardinal
of Bologna
.
The Guelph
army threatened the Ghibelline city of Modena
and therefore the Modenese
had requested help from Enzio of Sardinia, who was then imperial vicar in northern Italy, and resided at Cremona
.
Enzio organised a massive army of 15,000 men, composed of Imperial
Germans
and Lombard
Ghibellines from Cremona and Modena. He led the army across the Po
by using his self-constructed bridge at Bugno. They arrived at the Fossalta stream, some 5 km north of Modena
.
Both armies faced each other for days, yet none dared to attack the other. On the 26 May 1249, Enzio ordered his troops to assume a formation, he split his army into 3 corps
and positioned them into 2 lines. Ugoni divided his forces into 4 corps
on a broad line. Once, the 2,000 additional troops from Bologna
had arrived, Ugoni charged for battle.
At dawn, the Guelph army furiously attacked Enzio, after a long struggle, the Guelphs were brought to a halt. But Bolognese attacks continued all morning and all day long. The Imperial
army resisted each attack, but the skirmish was fierce and bloody. By evening the Imperial
line was bent and Enzio's horse was killed underneath him. The Bolognese advanced and the Imperial force started to flee. The fleeing Imperial force, who fought with the network of canals and streams in their back, were now an easy target for the Bolognese and many were killed or taken prisoner.
had taken a lot of German and Cremonese prisoners at Fossalta; among these was Enzio. The victorious Bolognese were greeted by a fanatical crowd, upon their return to Bologna. Enzio, in his full armour and decorated helmet, was put in golden chains and paraded around Bologna on a horse. He would spend his whole life in the Bolognese palace thenceforth named after him, the Palazzo Re Enzo
.
The battle had no great meaning and did not change or shape the contemporary politics or map of Italy (unlike the Siege of Brescia
or the Battle of Parma
). But the defeat and the imprisonment of his son Enzio was a heavy blow for Emperor
Frederick II. Frederick demanded the release of Enzio, but the Bolognese stood firm with their policy.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It took place in Fossalta, a small location on the Panaro
Panaro
The Panaro is an Italian river and the final right-hand tributary to the Po, discounting the Cavo Napoleonico canal. It runs right across Emilia-Romagna in a north-easterly direction: from its source close to the Apennine watershed, where Emilia-Romagna meets Tuscany, to its outlet where the Po...
river, and is especially remembered for the capture of Enzio of Sardinia
Enzio of Sardinia
Enzio was an illegitimate son of Emperor Frederick II and King of Sardinia.-Life:...
, son of Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
.
In the spring of 1249, a Guelph
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
Romagnol
Romagna
Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
army of the Lombard League
Lombard League
The Lombard League was an alliance formed around 1167, which at its apex included most of the cities of northern Italy , including, among others, Crema, Cremona, Mantua, Piacenza, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Genoa, Bologna, Padua, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Treviso, Venice, Vercelli, Vicenza, Verona,...
advanced to the Panaro. The army was composed of 3,000 Knights and 2,000 foot soldiers from the Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
Azzo VII d'Este
Azzo VII d'Este
Azzo VII d'Este was marquess of Ferrara from 1215 to 1222, and again from 1240 until his death....
and 1,000 Knights and 800 foot soldiers of Bolognese
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
militias from Porta Stieri, Porta San Procolo and Porta Ravegnana. The army was led by the Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
n Filippo Ugoni, who had victoriously defended 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 ,...
while besieged by Emperor Frederick II, and accompanied by Ottaviano degli Ubaldini, the Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
.
The Guelph
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
army threatened the Ghibelline city of Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
and therefore the Modenese
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
had requested help from Enzio of Sardinia, who was then imperial vicar in northern Italy, and resided at Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
.
Enzio organised a massive army of 15,000 men, composed of Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Lombard
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
Ghibellines from Cremona and Modena. He led the army across the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
by using his self-constructed bridge at Bugno. They arrived at the Fossalta stream, some 5 km north of Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
.
Both armies faced each other for days, yet none dared to attack the other. On the 26 May 1249, Enzio ordered his troops to assume a formation, he split his army into 3 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...
and positioned them into 2 lines. Ugoni divided his forces into 4 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...
on a broad line. Once, the 2,000 additional troops from Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
had arrived, Ugoni charged for battle.
At dawn, the Guelph army furiously attacked Enzio, after a long struggle, the Guelphs were brought to a halt. But Bolognese attacks continued all morning and all day long. The Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
army resisted each attack, but the skirmish was fierce and bloody. By evening the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
line was bent and Enzio's horse was killed underneath him. The Bolognese advanced and the Imperial force started to flee. The fleeing Imperial force, who fought with the network of canals and streams in their back, were now an easy target for the Bolognese and many were killed or taken prisoner.
Aftermath
The BologneseBologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
had taken a lot of German and Cremonese prisoners at Fossalta; among these was Enzio. The victorious Bolognese were greeted by a fanatical crowd, upon their return to Bologna. Enzio, in his full armour and decorated helmet, was put in golden chains and paraded around Bologna on a horse. He would spend his whole life in the Bolognese palace thenceforth named after him, the Palazzo Re Enzo
Palazzo Re Enzo
Palazzo Re Enzo is a palace in Bologna, northern Italy. It takes its name from Enzio of Sardinia, Frederick II's son, who was prisoner here from 1249 until his death in 1272....
.
The battle had no great meaning and did not change or shape the contemporary politics or map of Italy (unlike the Siege of Brescia
Siege of Brescia
The Siege of Brescia occurred in 1238. The Guelphs were attempting to take the town of Brescia. Emperor Frederick arrived and lifted the siege. His foes attempted to capture him during the battle, but were unable....
or the Battle of Parma
Battle of Parma
The Battle of Parma was fought on February 18, 1248 between the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and the Guelphs. The Guelphs attacked the Imperial camp when Frederick II was away. The Imperial forces were defeated and much of Frederick's treasure was lost.-Background:The free commune of...
). But the defeat and the imprisonment of his son Enzio was a heavy blow for Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Frederick II. Frederick demanded the release of Enzio, but the Bolognese stood firm with their policy.