Battles & Campaigns · 1478
Battle of Giornico
Giornico, Ticino, Switzerland
What happened
The Swiss waited above a narrow, icy valley where the Milanese army was hemmed in. They attacked from the heights, rolling boulders down the slope. The Milanese could not respond and fled.
Why it matters
It was part of the Swiss push to control both ends of the Alpine passes. The people of the Leventina welcomed the Swiss.
What came next
Milan withdrew from the Leventina, which passed to Uri under the Treaty of Lucerne in 1480.
Did you know?
It is also called the 'battle of the large rocks', and the Swiss may have worn crampons on the ice.
Timeline
- 30 Jun 1422Battle of Arbedo.
- 28 Dec 1478Battle of Giornico.
- 3 Mar 1480Treaty of Lucerne.
- 1487Battle of Crevola.