Cerisolas

Strategic situation: After the disastrous expedition of Algier in 1541, the king of France renewed the war with the Empire and sent an army in the Piedmont to attack again the Duchy of Lombardy (Milano). In 1544, the French commander François of Bourbon decided to siege the fortress of Carignano. With the help of 7 000 landsknechts, the Imperialist commander react and move towards the French, the battle would take place near Cerisoles d'Alba in april 1544.
The imperialist were deployed in 4 infantry columns and 3 cavalry squadrons: On left wing we had a squadron of 400 Italians horses from Florence (Rodolfo Baglioni) and a column of Italian infantry of 6 000 men (Prince of Salerno). In the center, under the command of the marquis of Del Vasto, we had a column of 7 000 Landsknechts (Baron von Madrutz) and a squadron of heavy spanish cavalry (200 - 300 horses). On the right wing, under the command of Ramón of Cardona, we had, the two columns of Spanish (probably from the Tercios of Lombardia and Napoles) and German veterans (some 4 800 men in total) and a squadron of neapolitain cavalry under Lord of Lannoy (some 300 - 400 horses).

From right to left the French were deployed in 3 corps: a Vanguard under the lord of de Bouttières with, a squadron 640 horsemen (chevaux-légers commanded by the Lord of des Thermes), a column of French infantry of 4 800 men (Lord of Thez), the company of Gendarmes (80 men at arms) of de Bouttières, and the 4 000 Swiss foots (7 companies of Frülich of Soleure eand 6 companies under Saint Julien); a Bataille under François de Bourbon Duc of Enghien, with 250 gendarmes (companies of Crusol, d'Accier and de Montravel), 150 chevaux-légers (Lord of Ossun) and a company of 100 volunteers of noblemen; at last a Rearguard under Dampierre, with a column of infantry from the Duchy of Savoy (3 000 men under the Lord of Descroz), a column of Italian Infantry with 3 000 men and a squadron of Cavalry (300 - 400 Archers à Cheval).

(A): De Vasto made the first movement, sending 900 harquebusiers to skirmish the French line, François de Bourbon replied sending 800 French and Italians harquebusiers under Blaise de Montluc. After 4 hours of skirmish the two commanders started to use their artilleries without great results.

(B): After hours of fighting with the artillery and the harquebusiers, Del Vasto orders a general advance on the French position. The first serious clash happens on the left imperial flanks where the Florentine cavalry is routed by the French squadron opposed to them.

(C): The French cavalry of des Thermes, pursuit the fleeing imperial cavalry and charge the Italian infantry of the Prince of Salerno. The French horsemen are repulsed and des Thermes captured, but the Italians are disorganized and would lose precious time to reform their column.

(D): At the same time, the French infantry move to meet the imperials infantry. The French infantry seeing that the Italians are immobile decided to attack the expose flank of the coming Landsknechts. To respond to the two attacking columns (the French and the Swiss), the Landsknecht's commander divided his troops in two. A fierce combat (push of the pikes) started when the four columns met.

E): Meantime, on the right imperialist flank, the Spanish and German veterans repulsed gradually the two French columns opposed to them, who started to retire in panic. In front of this advance, Bourbon launches the main French cavalry squadron against the Spanish.

F): On the extreme left French wing, the chevau-légers of Dampierre charged the Neapolitan cavalry and routed them.

G): On the centre, the decision of the fighting came from the attack of the gendarmes company of de Bouttières in the flank of the imperialist, the landsknechts were slaughtered by the Swiss and the French. It seems that the imperialist cavalry squadron did little to support their infantry.

H): Finally, reorganised, the Italian column of the Prince of Salerno arrive too late to help the landsknechts and decided to retire in good order, followed by the rest of the imperialist cavalry.

(I): On the left French wing, the Spanish and the Germans of Cardona, stopped all the French assaults inflicting heavy losses to the attacker. When the news of the defeat in the centre came to the two imperialist commanders, they decide to retreat slowly.

(J): The French and Swiss infantry continue their advance and cut the retreat of the imperialist’s right wing. After some hard fighting, 700 Spanish and 2 300 Germans surrender to the French. Less than 600 Spanish could escape from the trap.