Battle of Castagnaro

Battle of Castagnaro Date March 11, 1387Location Castagnaro,Verona, Veneto, ItalyResult Paduans victorious

Belligerents Army of Verona Padua Commanders Giovanni Ordelaffi

Ostasio da Polenta

John Hawkwood

Francesco Novello Carraresi

The Battle of Castagnaro was fought on March 11, 1387 at Castagnaro (today's Veneto, northern Italy) between Verona and Padua. It one of the most famous battles of the Italian condottieri age.

The army of Verona was led by Giovanni Ordelaffi and Ostasio da Polenta, while the victorious Paduans were commanded by John Hawkwood (Giovanni Acuto) and Francesco Novello Carraresi.

Castagnaro is hailed as Sir John Hawkwood's greatest victory (per Geoffrey Trease, 'The Condottieri', 1971). Following a Fabian-like strategy, Hawkwood goaded the Veronese into attacking him on a field of his own choosing, by laying waste to the Veronese lands nearby.

Drawing his forces up on the far side of a canal, and anchoring his right flank on a patch of woods, Hawkwood waited until the Veronese had committed to attacking across a ford of fascines piled up in the canal. Once so occupied, Hawkwood sprang his trap.

Hawkwood had left a copy of his standard behind his forces, then had led his cavalry into the woods to his right. At a given signal - supposedly, a flaming arrow - the copy of his standard dropped, and Hawkwood's cavalry burst from the woods on the Veronese left, with his real standard in front. At the point of impact, Hawkwood is said to have cast his commander's baton into the Veronese ranks and ordered his men to retrieve it for him.

Per Trease, it is said that Hawkwoods battle cry that day was a grim play on the Paduan war-cry of 'Carro!' - in Hawkwood's rendition, it became 'Carne!' ('Flesh!').

Categories: 1387 in Italy | 14th century conflicts | Battles involving Italy