Siege of Treviso

The Siege of Treviso was a war event of the War of the League of Cambrai, fought in 1511 between the Venetians and the Franco–Imperial troops.

After the heavy defeat suffered at Agnadello at the hands of the forces of the League of Cambrai (1508), the Republic of Venice feared its imminent end, releasing the Venetian cities from the pact of loyalty and allowing them to open their doors to the Collegati, in order to avoid sacking. The only one that refused to submit to Maximilian of Habsburg was Treviso, which reconfirmed its loyalty to Venice on 10 June 1509 and not without reason many historians place the recovery of the Serenissima starting from this episode. From Treviso, in fact, departed the expedition led by Andrea Gritti for the reconquest of Padua (17 July 1509), a city that the Collegati failed to reconquer after having placed it under siege.^[1]

The capital of the Marca represented the last Venetian bastion that separated France and the Empire from the Venetian Lagoon : for this reason, already in 1509, the Council of Ten had entrusted the fortification works of the city to the very famous Veronese architect Giovanni Giocondo. In addition to the construction of imposing bastion walls and the diversion of part of the Botteniga river, the new defensive constructions in Treviso also involved the demolition of part of the ancient sanctuary of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.^[2]

The garrison placed in defense of Treviso was placed under the command of the general commissioner Giovanni Paolo Gradenigo, while the besieging army was gathered under the orders of the French aristocrat Jacques de La Palice.^[3]

The Treviso March was placed under siege in the summer of 1511, with a series of conquests of cities in the territory, such as Asolo, Belluno, Castelfranco, Feltre and Montebelluna. However, the Franco-Imperials were unable to easily reach Treviso, continually postponing the attack due to discord between the French and the Germans, shortages of food and ammunition and the deaths of soldiers due to fevers that were ravaging the territory.^[1]

To unblock the situation, on 14 September Jacques de La Palice decided to move the camp from Montebelluna to Nervesa, lodging in the ancient Abbey of Sant'Eustachio with the approval of the Counts of Collalto, who secretly supplied the Franco-Imperials with provisions, also inviting La Palice and his commanders to lunch in their Castle of San Salvatore , during which he complained about his German allies.^[4] Between 26 and 27 September, La Palice, after having sent an ultimatum to the German troops in Friuli, moved the camp again from Nervesa to Torre di Maserada, not without having given a show of strength in Treviso, appearing on parade with three squadrons within crossbow shot under its walls, specifically at Porta San Tomaso and Porta Santi Quaranta. The besieged responded immediately by sending against La Palice all the stradioti and crossbowmen of Vitello Vitelli's company.^[5] A particularly bloody clash between the third squadron of French gendarmes and the stradioti persuaded the marshal to transfer the camp to Breda di Piave for the umpteenth time.^[6]

On 5 October the Holy League was proclaimed in Rome, in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, a new alliance between Pope Julius II and the Republic of Venice, Ferdinand II of Aragon and the Swiss cantons ( Henry VIII of England joined the following month). The pontiff, who had already reconciled with the Serenissima on 24 February 1510, had finally realised how much he had favoured the growth of the political influence of France in the Italian peninsula, which now threatened his possessions in Romagna, in particular following the occupation of Bologna by the French in May 1511, a fact which had temporarily favoured the return of the deposed Annibale II Bentivoglio, as well as the confirmed alliance between Louis XII and Alfonso I d'Este.^[7][8]

On October 8, the siege proper began: the city was defended by a total of 4,554 provisioners, supported by artillery positioned on the bastions, at the gates, and in the communication trenches, and a six-man sacristy was even placed on the bell tower of the Church of San Nicolò. Vitello Vitelli's light cavalry and the stradioti conducted night raids to capture enemy supplies. The Franco-Imperials, cornered, then committed the imprudence of sacking the Treviso lazaret, located outside the walls, consequently infecting a large part of the camp. On 10 October another downpour broke out which prevented the besiegers from moving their artillery and on 12 October the Venetians began to target both day and night the Germans and French camped along the Sile, the latter soon running out of gunpowder and cannonballs.^[1] A few days earlier, in fact, the Piave raftsmen, forced against their will to transport troops and armaments to the French-Imperials who were preparing the siege of Treviso, had sunk themselves in a bend of the river on the Montello side together with the enemy, boycotting it. This act of heroism was rewarded by the Serenissima with the gift of a gold medal "with the imprint of San Marco" to the relatives and orphans of the deceased and the recognition of some lands.^[9]

The turning point came on 13 October: the Franco-Imperials intercepted a Venetian courier, heading to Treviso to bring the news of the newly formed League. His letters were immediately taken away, which left La Palice and his commanders" very astonished and frightened", except Mercurio Bua, who actually confided to one of his prisoners:" now we see and truly know that we will all be friends, and I believe that Maximian will also join the league", and in fact, although Maximilian had kept himself apart for the time being, he would join the Holy League in 1512.^[10] Gian Paolo Gradenigo, to further frighten the besiegers, gave the order to ring the bells in celebration and to prepare a procession, decorating the Palazzo dei Trecento with tapestries and banners. Palice, demoralized by the continuing and huge losses of men and artillery, gave the order to cease fire and decreed that the city was too well fortified and therefore impregnable.

On 14 October the Franco-Imperials lifted the siege, under the watchful eye of Constantine Palaeologus' crossbowmen, so that they would not disperse throughout the territory. On 15 October Treviso officially emerged victorious from the clash.^[1][11]

• Battle of Agnadello
• Siege of Padua