Battle of Pavia
Pavia, Duchy of Milan (in present-day Italy)
What happened
King Francis I of France fought the army of Emperor Charles V, led by Charles de Lannoy, the Marquis of Pescara and the Duke of Bourbon, while Antonio de Leyva defended the city of Pavia. During the Italian Wars, Francis I besieged the city of Pavia, and an imperial army marched to rescue it. Early on 24 February 1525, imperial soldiers with arquebuses, an early kind of gun, broke into the walled park outside the city, and the fighting spread through the fog. Francis led a cavalry charge that rode in front of his own cannons so they could not fire, his army was split apart and defeated, and Francis himself was captured.
Why it matters
Result: Habsburg victory. Leaders: Francis I / Robert de La Marck against Charles de Lannoy / Fernando d'Ávalos. Why it matters: Capturing the king of France was a huge victory for Charles V.
What came next
Francis was held prisoner and signed the Treaty of Madrid in 1526, giving up his claims in Milan and ceding Burgundy.
Did you know?
Nobody agrees on who captured Francis I; Charles V rewarded the Italian soldier Cesare Hercolani as a 'hero of Pavia'.
Timeline
- 13-14 September 1515 CEFrancis I wins Milan at Marignano.
- 24 February 1525 CEThe imperial army defeats Francis and captures him at Pavia.
- 1526 CEFrancis signs the Treaty of Madrid.
- 31 March 1547 CEFrancis I dies at Rambouillet.