Battle of Agnadello

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Battle of Agnadello
Date	14 May 1509
Place	Near Agnadello, Lombardy
Outcome	French Victory
Combatants
Republic of Venice
Kingdom of France
Commanders
Bartolomeo d'Alviano Niccolò di Pitigliano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano Niccolò di Pitigliano
Louis XII
Louis XII
Strength
15,000-30,000 Men
15,000-30,000 Men
30,000-50,000 Men
30,000-50,000 Men
Casualties
4,000-6,000 dead, wounded or captured.
4,000-6,000 dead, wounded or captured.
Unknown
Unknown

The Battle of Agnadello was a military clash between French forces of King Louis XII, and the Venetian army, which took place in 1509 in the city and fields of Agnadello.

The battle dealt a devastating blow to the Venetian army, but despite this, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, one of the captains of the Venetian army in the battle, managed to rally his men for a final retaliation.

Death Defiant

Waking up in the aftermath of an encounter with three detachments, including the French cavalry, Bartolomeo struggled to tend to his severe injuries before he died of blood loss. Dressing his wounds with the tattered remnants of an enemy flag and other various pieces of cloth, he managed to stem the bleeding long enough to recover.

Hungry for retaliation, he rallied the surviving members of the army and found them equally eager for blood. Bartolomeo and his men looted the fallen fighters for weapons, with Bartolomeo having lost his own blade, Bianca, in the mud.

Turning the Tide

Having gathered enough weaponry, Bartolomeo led his men to charge against the French's northern patrol, one of those that had felled them earlier. The patrol was taken by surprise, and by the end of the fierce battle, was completely annihilated. Though they had also lost a few men, the Venetian detachment swiftly gathered more of their enemy's equipment, and moved on.

Bartolomeo "surrendering" to the French.

Their next target was the French cavalry western patrol, which they subdued using a ruse. A handful of the Venetian army, Bartolomeo among them, presented themselves in the open, pretending to surrender, while the rest of the soldiers hid in the vineyards to ambush the deceived enemies.

Using the stolen horses and looted weaponry, Bartolomeo and the army attacked the final of the patrols, routing them successfully and finally gaining the upper hand. Assured that the Agnadello garrison had not heard any of the battles due to the storm, Bartolomeo's men hurried to reach the village.

Vying for the Village

The besieged town of Agnadello.

Returning with his men, Bartolomeo found the town of Agnadello mostly destroyed, and its inhabitants in shock. Bartolomeo led his soldiers in putting out the fires of a still-burning section of the city, an action which earned the trust of many of the locals.

Soon, the citizens began to enlist themselves for battle, and offered their supplies and services for Bartolomeo's army. Blacksmiths provided new, sturdier weaponry, and villagers gathered food and other materials as supplies. At last, Bartolomeo and his men charged forward to fight the French army head-on.

However, they were ultimately unable to resist the might of the French army, and were sorely defeated. The village was completely overrun, and Bartolomeo himself was captured by the French.

Source

• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy - Chapter 1 - Bartolomeo d'Alviano