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Five centuries have passed since the famed Battle of Pavia - one of the most significant engagements in military history. This clash marked the culmination of the so-called Italian Wars, which had ravaged the Italian peninsula for over 30 years as European powers vied for dominance of the peninsula. At Pavia, the supremacy of heavy cavalry on the battlefield finally yielded to the disciplined strength of professional infantry. The landsknecht pikemen crushed their Swiss rivals and annihilated the German mercenaries of the Black Band in French service. Yet, the true credit for victory belongs to the Spanish arquebusiers, expertly led by the Marchese di Pescara. The deadly volleys from their firearms decimated the elite French gendarmerie and led to the capture of the King of France, François I.
The Battle of Pavia 1525 is Massimo Predonzani's second work devoted to this historic encounter. More than a simple revision, it expands upon his earlier research with a detailed account of the city's siege, drawing upon the testimonies of chroniclers who witnessed the events firsthand. For the battle itself, Predonzani's analysis of the Capodimonte Tapestries proves essential, as these offer the most accurate visual representations of the conflict. He compares their imagery with accounts from contemporary Italian, Spanish, German, and French sources, as well as with reports from participants in both the siege and the battle. Through this meticulous comparison, Predonzani identifies the figures depicted in the tapestries and their heraldic insignia. The text is richly supported by well-researched colour plates, illustrations, photographs, and campaign maps.
Info autore
Massimo Predonzani was born in Piran (Slovenia) in 1959 and currently lives in Trieste (Italy). He is an illustrator and researcher. He is specialised in military heraldry during the Italian and European Renaissance. He wrote "Anghiari 29 giugno 1440" (2010), printed by "Il Cerchio" (Rimini), "Ceresole 14 aprile 1544" (2012) distributed in French and Italian by French publisher "Historic'one". In 2014 he wrote "Caravaggio 1448. L'assedio, le battaglie, l'araldica" published by "Acies Editions" (Milan). His articles "The taking of Pisa based on the painting on the front of a chest preserved in the National Gallery in Dublin," (2013) and "Les drapeaux de Venise pris par les Suisses à la Bataille d'Agnadel et conservés au Musée d' Appenzell" (2015) have been published by the Swiss Journal "Archivum Heraldicum". Since 2006 he has been providing the magazine "Soldatini" with texts and illustrations. He also has a website where he shares his research and his painted illustrations (www.stemmieimprese.it.).
