Battle of Crevola

The Battle of Crevola was fought in the spring of 1487, between a marauding Swiss army (from the Valais and Lucerne) [2][12] and troops from the Duchy of Milan,[2] for the supremacy of the Val d'Ossola (Eschental) .

Battle of Crevola
Part of the Transalpine campaigns
Battle of Crevola 1487
Date April 28, 1487[1] Location Crevoladossola, Piedmont Result Ducal Milanese victory[2][3][4]
Belligerents
Duchy of Milan[2]	Old Swiss Confederacy: Valais[4] Lucerne[4]
Commanders and leaders
Renato Trivulzio Giberto Borromeo Gio. Pietro Bergamino [5][6]	Albin von Silenen Jost von Silenen [3][7][8]
Strength
1,200 Cavalry [9][10] 2,000 Infantry [9][10] total of 3,500 troops [11]	6,000 Infantry [9][11] 1,000 Swiss joined from the Saluzzo Campaign
Casualties and losses
Unknown	800-1000 killed [4][9][10][12]

Prelude

In the year 1487, for unknown but petty reasons, Bishop Jost von Silenen entered into dispute with the Count of Arona[4], whose seignory was the Duke of Milan.[13] The Knight Albin von Silenen, brother of Bishop Jost von Silenen, was appointed the leader of this military expedition.[8] As soon as the Simplon pass was passable, the Swiss crossed into the Val d'Ossola; here they were joined by another 1,000 Swiss, who were returning from Savoy.[9]

Battle

The Swiss besieged Domo, occupied the castle of Mattarella, and terribly ravaged the impoverished valleys.[2] The Duke of Milan, however, ordered the Ossolani to keep the Swiss inactive with false peace negotiations, until the duchy could dispatch a sufficient army.[13] Once the troops were assembled, they were split into three separate corps under the command of Renato Trivulzio, Count Borromeo, and Gio. Pietro Bergamino.[5] 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.[13] The Swiss formed a square and a murderous combat ensued, in which the Swiss lost 800-1000 men and all their baggage.[9][5] The rest of the Swiss troops were allowed to flee into the impassable mountain range.[12] The corpses of the dead Swiss were desecrated by the local peasants: the heads and fingers were cut off, the heads put on pikes and the fingers used as hat decorations.[9]

Aftermath

Further bloodshed was however prevented, when a legation of the Old Swiss Confederacy negotiated a peace treaty with the Duchy of Milan on July 23, 1487.[2][12] At ponte di Crevola, the Ossolani dedicated an Oratory to Martyr Saint Vitalis in honour and remembrance of this victorious battle.[5]

See also

• Battles of the Old Swiss Confederacy

References

1. Historischer Verein der fünf Orte Luzern,Uri,Schwyz,Unterwalden & Zug (1838). Der Geschichtsfreund: 16.Band/Vol.14-15. Einsiedeln.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
2. Iselin, Jacob Cristof (1742). Neu-vermehrtes historisch- und geographisches allgemeines Lexicon, Volume 3. Basel.
3. Historischer Verein des Kantons Bern (1926). Archiv des Historischen Vereins des Kantons Bern. Bern.
4. Vögelin, Johann Konrad (1855). Geschichte der Schwizerischen Eidsgenossenschaft: Vol I-II. Zürich.
5. Bianchini, Francesco (1828). Le cose rimarchevoli della città di Novara: precedute da compendio storico. Novara.
6. Ehrenzeller, Wilhelm (1913). Die Feldzüge der Walliser und Eidgenossen ins Eschental und der Wallishandel, 1484-1494. Zürich.
7. Fink, Urban (2006). Hirtenstab und Hellebarde. Zürich.
8. Büchi, Albert (1923). Kardinal Matthäus Schiner als Staatsmann und Kirchenfürst: Vol.1. Zürich.
9. Furrer, Sigismund (1850). Geschichte von Wallis. Sitten.
10. Rudolf, J. M. (1847). Die Kriegsgeschichte der Schweizer. Baden.
11. Società storica lombarda (1889). Archivio storico lombardo: Giornale della Società storica lombarda, Volume 16. Milan.
12. Fäsi, Johann Conrad (1768). Staats- Und Erd-Beschreibung, Vierter Band. Zürich.
13. Pfyffer, Kasimir (1850). Geschichte der stadt und des kantons Luzern, Part 1. Zürich.