A clash of steel echoes across the centuries. Picture this very spot. The Battle of Trezzo sull’Adda unfolded here on October 2 1523. This seemingly quiet riverside village was once a scene of intense conflict during the Italian War of 1521-1526.
The Battle of Trezzo sull’Adda wasn’t a large-scale war. It was a smaller military engagement. It involved a convoy of wagons carrying flour. These wagons were escorted by Milanese troops. French cavalry ambushed the convoy near Vaprio d’Adda. They were pursuing the wagons when they fell into an ambush. The ambush was skillfully set by the legendary Giovanni delle Bande Nere.
Let’s delve into the background. In early September 1523 a new French army arrived in Italy. They aimed to reclaim the Duchy of Milan lost the previous year. The French general Bonnivet crossed the Ticino River. He caught the imperial army off guard. Prospero Colonna the imperial general retreated to Milan. He left Pavia under the command of de Leyva. This led to the surrender of Alessandria Tortona and Novara. Bonnivet then besieged Milan.
French cavalry disrupted the supply lines. They diverted the Naviglio Grande and Martesana canals. They destroyed mills around Milan. They aimed to starve the city into submission. But Milan had sufficient supplies to withstand the siege. The city had ample reserves of food wine grain and other provisions. These reserves could feed its 100-150000 inhabitants. They could also support the 14000 troops and thousands of horses.
Francesco II Sforza and Colonna ordered the surrounding villages to mill as much wheat as possible. They needed to prepare to supply Milan. They dispatched Giovanni delle Bande Nere’s cavalry. They aimed to counter the French raids. The French learned the Milanese planned to bring in flour milled in Trezzo sull’Adda.
They tried to attack Trezzo on October 1. They failed due to Trezzo’s strong fortifications. Eighty French lancers remained near Cassano d’Adda. They planned to ambush the flour convoy. Giovanni delle Bande Nere left Milan with 200 heavy cavalry 300 light cavalry 500 arquebusiers and 500 infantry. He positioned his arquebusiers in ambush near Vaprio d’Adda.
The next morning the convoy left Trezzo. The convoy carried one hundred moggi of flour. As planned the French attacked. The convoy retreated into the ambush. Many French soldiers were killed. Over two hundred were captured. Bernabò Visconti was wounded.
On October 2 Giovanni delle Bande Nere triumphantly entered Milan. He brought the flour and prisoners. The Duke and a cheering crowd greeted him. The French retaliated. They killed all the prisoners they held.
The Battle of Trezzo sull’Adda may have been small in scale but its impact was significant. It demonstrated the military skill of Giovanni delle Bande Nere. It also showed the resilience of Milan in the face of a French siege. It’s a small battle with a large story. A story etched into the very soil beneath our feet.