The Venetian commander, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, unexpectedly left without French support, retreated into the region of Veneto, pursued closely by the Spanish army under Ramón de Cardona.[3] While the Spanish were unable to capture Padua, they penetrated deep into Venetian territory and in September were in sight of Venice itself.[3] The Spanish Viceroy of Naples, Ramón de Cardona, attempted a bombardment of the city that proved largely ineffective; then, having no ships with which to cross the lagoon, turned back for Lombardy.[3] D'Alviano, having been reinforced by hundreds of soldiers and volunteers from the Venetian nobility, and cannons and other supplies, took the initiative and pursued Cardona's army, with the intention of not allowing the Spaniards out of the region of Veneto.[1]
Previous movements
Cardona found D'Alviano blocking his path at the other side of the Brenta river, which the Venetians had fortified. However, the Spanish viceroy found a detour and crossed the river from another point while distracting the Venetians with a feint.[4] When D'Alviano realized the ruse, he fell back to Vicenza, where he reunited with the allied army of Gian Paolo Baglioni and build a series of fortifications in Olmo to block their path again in route to Verona. D'Alviano planned to force Cardona to either engage him directly or taking another detour through the mountains of Bassano, where he would be easy prey to Venetian guerrilla.[4]
Cardona camped near Vicenza, harassed by the Venetian infantry, which forced his men to sleep without tents and cover their train behind the forests. The arrival of a huge Venetian militia, formed by local shepherds and citizens, cornered the Imperial army from the back. Cardona and his captains then decided to retreat to Bassano, yet planned order to circle around them near Trento and return to Verona hopefully unscathed. Colonna, being the most experienced general, was allowed to command the Imperial rear guard, where the pursuing D'Alviano would try to hit them first. Capitalizing on a dense fog bank, the Imperials dismounted their camp and advanced quietly towards Schio.[4]
D'Alviano was reluctant to give chase, being unsure of the enemy movements and not wanting to commit a faux pas, but upon greater pressure from Venetian quartermaster-general Andrea Loredan, he eventually gave the order. He reached Cardona in the plains of Vicenza near Motta de Costabissara, where he found the Imperials advancing in square formation ready to clash from the back.[4]
Battle
Prospero Colonna was the commander of the Spanish infantry at the Battle of La Motta.Presumed portrait of Bartolomeo d'Alviano, who commanded the Venetian army.
D'Alviano launched a first cavalry charge against the enemy rear guard, but upon being beaten back by the Imperial cavalry, he ordered an all out attack, seeking to prevent them from capitalizing on the momentary advantage. He placed himself and Antonio Pio in the lead while he ordered Baglioni to outflank the Imperial army with his cavalry and envelope it. Meanwhile, the Imperial cavalry returned to the square, where Colonna ordered the army to stop and advance towards the enemy. His first line was captained by Hernando de Alarcón, Troilo Savelli and his relative Muzio Colonna.[4]
Battle raged evenly matched, with D'Alviano and Prospero Colonna leading very close from the opposite lines. However, when Colonna ordered a double attack with his coronelías under Fernando d'Ávalos and the landsknechts under Jakob von Landau, the Venetian line completely collapsed. The companies under Antonio Pio threw down their arms and routed, while the companies under D'Alviano himself were decimated and his own standardbearers killed. Baglioni failed to join the battle, as he had chosen a swampy road in his rush to flank the Imperials and could not approach them. Seeing the battle lost, D'Alviano finally called to retreat and fled.[4]
The Spaniards and Italians allowed the Venetians to retreat, but the Germans, who still remembered their defeat to D'Alviano in the Battle of Cadore, executed without quarter all the Venetians they could seize. The result of the day was the practical destruction of the Venetian army, with 4.500-5,000 being killed the rest becoming scattered.[1][2] The citizens of Vicenza closed the gates to their own countrymen, fearing Imperial retaliation if they let them inside, forcing D'Alviano to return directly to Padua.[5]
Consequences
Although the Venetians were decisively defeated by the Spaniards, the Holy League failed to follow up on these victories.[1] The forces of the two commanders continued to skirmish in the Italy's most North-Eastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia for the rest of 1513 and through 1514.[1]
The death of the King of France, Louis XII, on 1 January 1515, brought Francis I to the throne. Having assumed the title of Duke of Milan at his coronation, Francis immediately moved to reclaim his holdings in Italy. A combined Swiss and Papal force moved north from Milan to block the Alpine passes against him, but Francis avoided the main passes and marched instead through the valley of the Stura.[6] The French vanguard surprised the Milanese cavalry at Villafranca, capturing Prospero Colonna.[2] Meanwhile, Francis and the main body of the French confronted the Swiss at the Battle of Marignano on 13 September.[7]
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