Battle of Tornavento
The Battle of Tornavento was a battle fought in Italy on June 22, 1636 during the Thirty Years' War.
Battle of Tornavento | |||||||
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Part of Franco-Spanish War (1635) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
16,700[1] |
14,500 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
3000 killed and wounded[4] |
2,500[5]
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In 1636, Cardinal Richelieu had persuaded the Duke of Savoy (Vittorio Amedeo I) to launch an offensive on the Spanish Duchy of Milan.
A French Army crossed the Ticino river between Oleggio and Lonate Pozzolo, but was checked by a larger Spanish army, and dug in to await their Savoyard allies.
On June 22 the Spanish attacked, but were held back after the arrival of the army of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy. Fighting in the summer heat was savage and bloody, in a heathland described by Spanish officers as "sin àrbol, y con falta de agua" ("treeless, and lacking water").[6]
The Spanish abandoned the battlefield and retired to Boffalora. The Franco-Savoyard army remained some days near Tornavento, sacking nearby towns and damaging a canal, but decided to conduct a withdrawal from Milanese territory. Little had been achieved with this battle and the invasion of Lombardy turned out to be a complete failure.
Reenactment
Every year in the hamlet of Tornavento a colourful and spectacular reenactment of the battle is held by volunteers, clothed and armed with uniforms and weapons in use at that time, from pike to musket and cannon.
References
Citations
- Hanlon 2016, p. 83.
- Hanlon 2016, p. 95.
- Hanlon 2016, p. 85.
- Hanlon 2016, p. 139.
- Hanlon 2016, p. 137.
- "Tornavento, 22 giugno 1636: strage in riva al Ticino" (in Italian). Varesenews. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
Bibliography
- Hanlon, Gregory (2016). Italy 1636: Cemetery of Armies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-873824-4.
- Hanlon, Gregory. "Italia 1636: Sepolcro degli eserciti", LEG Edizioni (2018)
- Thion, Stéphane. French Armies of the Thirty years War Lrt Publishing (2008) ISBN 2-917747-01-3