Battles & Campaigns · 1544
Battle of Ceresole
Ceresole d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy
What happened
The two armies lined up on parallel ridges and could hardly see each other. After hours of skirmishing, the Imperial army advanced. In fierce fighting in the centre the Imperial troops were defeated, and their remaining infantry surrendered when French and Swiss troops arrived.
Why it matters
It was one of the few big pitched battles of the later Italian Wars. It showed heavy cavalry still had a role beside pike-and-musket infantry.
What came next
The French could not follow up by taking Milan, and northern Italy returned to how it had been.
Did you know?
A French First World War minesweeper was named Cerisoles after the battle.
Timeline
- 24 Feb 1525Battle of Pavia.
- 14 Apr 1544Battle of Ceresole.
- 1546The Italian War of 1542–46 ends.