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The First and Second Italian Wars 1494–1504: Fearless Knights, Ruthless Princes and the Coming of Gunpowder Armies
An engaging narrative of the complex and dramatic events of the First and Second Italian Wars, ten years of warfare.
The First and Second Italian Wars describes the course of military operations and political machinations in Italy from 1494 to 1504. The narrative begins with the French conquest of much of Italy. But the French hold collapsed. The second French invasion gained Northern Italy. This time, the French allied with the Pope’s son, Cesare Borgia. Cesare managed to double deal too many people; his efforts ended in disaster. The French agreement with the Spanish allowed them to retake Naples only to be defeated at the Garigliano by the famous general, Gonzalo de Cordoba.
These wars were not just another series of medieval fights. These battles were different from what had gone the French utilized a new method of artillery transport; the Spanish commander formulated a new system of military unit organization, and Cesare Borgia sought different systems of raising troops and forming states. And all the powers managed to spend vast amounts of money the likes of which no one had imagined before. This was the emergence of the so-called Military Revolution.
The First and Second Italian Wars describes the course of military operations and political machinations in Italy from 1494 to 1504. The narrative begins with the French conquest of much of Italy. But the French hold collapsed. The second French invasion gained Northern Italy. This time, the French allied with the Pope’s son, Cesare Borgia. Cesare managed to double deal too many people; his efforts ended in disaster. The French agreement with the Spanish allowed them to retake Naples only to be defeated at the Garigliano by the famous general, Gonzalo de Cordoba.
These wars were not just another series of medieval fights. These battles were different from what had gone the French utilized a new method of artillery transport; the Spanish commander formulated a new system of military unit organization, and Cesare Borgia sought different systems of raising troops and forming states. And all the powers managed to spend vast amounts of money the likes of which no one had imagined before. This was the emergence of the so-called Military Revolution.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2020
About the author
Julian Romane
5 books4 followersJulian Patrick Romane has a BA from Beloit College Wisconsin and an MA from the University of Colorado. He has been fascinated with Byzantine history, particularly their military history, for half a century. He has published articles in several journals and is the editor and/or translator of several books on historical and political subjects. He lives in Illinois, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 12, 2022
This book was such an enjoyable read. The Italian wars are a fascinating conflict with long lasting repercussions and Julian Romane is great at telling their story.
The book starts with the situation in France followed by the situation in Italy at the end of the XVth century. Then it follows the First Italian War, Cesare Borgia's wars in Romagna and then finally the Second Italian war. There are also interludes where the author follows the almost legendary exploits of the Chevalier de Bayard, a famous French knight that fought in the wars. The battles of Fornovo, Cerignola and Garigliano are recounted in great detail.
There is also quite a large appendix which deals with the main historical figures, the main states, the politics and also discussions about the impact of money and finance on war. The author explains that at about 1400 Europe, Asia and Africa were roughly at the same level of gunpowder development. By 1500 Europe was starting to have a lead and by 1700 they were way ahead of the rest of the world. The reason for this development was the fact that European leaders could rely on loans and finance from their banks which allowed them to spend a lot more money compared to the other states like China, Persia, Egypt etc.
The book starts with the situation in France followed by the situation in Italy at the end of the XVth century. Then it follows the First Italian War, Cesare Borgia's wars in Romagna and then finally the Second Italian war. There are also interludes where the author follows the almost legendary exploits of the Chevalier de Bayard, a famous French knight that fought in the wars. The battles of Fornovo, Cerignola and Garigliano are recounted in great detail.
There is also quite a large appendix which deals with the main historical figures, the main states, the politics and also discussions about the impact of money and finance on war. The author explains that at about 1400 Europe, Asia and Africa were roughly at the same level of gunpowder development. By 1500 Europe was starting to have a lead and by 1700 they were way ahead of the rest of the world. The reason for this development was the fact that European leaders could rely on loans and finance from their banks which allowed them to spend a lot more money compared to the other states like China, Persia, Egypt etc.
May 28, 2022
In this narrative history of the Italian Wars, Julian Romane promises a ‘chronicle of violence and passion, of ambition, achievement and death, of defeat and victory’. War, he argues, is a ‘drama of the human heart’. Yet, Romane acknowledges that this decade transformed Western warfare as military innovation integrated with the political-economies of Europe, providing the energy for future European expansion. Those are big boots to fill in under 240 pages.
Romane’s narrative proceeds through small, subheaded sections that bring France and Italy into the mix and the ascension of the Borgia Pope Alexander VI – the Borgias run through this story like an irredeemably polluted river. Charles VIII’s invasion of Italy in 1494 kicks off the action. We follow him down through Italy while the Holy League organised some opposition. When they did, the two sides met at Fornovo in 1495, a major French victory. Charles VIII died in 1498, probably poisoned, according to Romane. The French throne fell to Louis XII. The wars continued.
Then we meet Cesare Borgia, the ‘Prince of Foxes’. He became the spearhead of Louis XII and the Pope in a campaign known as the Impresa. Romane describes Cesare’s mastery of artillery, manoeuvre, and training a disciplined army in the siege of Ravaldino in January 1500. A second Impresa brought the fall of Faenza, and a third, Urbino. Meanwhile, Louis XII campaigned too. His aim was Naples, and Cesare joined him. The campaign included the infamous sack of Capua, and Naples quickly surrendered rather than face the same fate. Cesare next took on a condottieri revolt and won in the cruel manner that made his reputation. He would fall, however, through an act of poisoning that killed Pope Alexander VI and left Cesare weakened. The new Pope, Julius II, despised the Borgias, making life more difficult for Cesare.
Enter Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the great Spanish captain. His Spanish army struck in 1503, defeating the French at Seminara and Cerignola, then he conquered Naples and defeated the French at Garigliano. That forced the French to seek terms, bringing the wars to a temporary halt. In the middle of this Romane follows the adventures of the chivalrous page turned minor noble Pierre Bayard, that Romane suggests was the last of his kind, an anachronism on the eve of a new form of war.
Romane leaves much of the background knowledge that would be useful for understanding his narrative for a series of appendices on sources, Italy in 1490, the growth of finance, the development of gunpowder, Pope Alexander VI’s place in Church history, and the curious use of poison in the Renaissance. This seems to this reviewer as indicative of disconnects that run through Romane’s book. Some of the text is well-written, particularly his illuminating character sketches and scenes, but they are not helped by an often passively written narrative that hinders its flow – his reliance on subheadings does not help with that. Romane does untangle a complicated story and he makes the events easy to follow, but it feels like an opportunity missed: Romane’s style turns something potentially great into something good. Readers new to the early Italian Wars, however, will find this a good place to begin and perhaps that was all Romane set out to do.
Romane’s narrative proceeds through small, subheaded sections that bring France and Italy into the mix and the ascension of the Borgia Pope Alexander VI – the Borgias run through this story like an irredeemably polluted river. Charles VIII’s invasion of Italy in 1494 kicks off the action. We follow him down through Italy while the Holy League organised some opposition. When they did, the two sides met at Fornovo in 1495, a major French victory. Charles VIII died in 1498, probably poisoned, according to Romane. The French throne fell to Louis XII. The wars continued.
Then we meet Cesare Borgia, the ‘Prince of Foxes’. He became the spearhead of Louis XII and the Pope in a campaign known as the Impresa. Romane describes Cesare’s mastery of artillery, manoeuvre, and training a disciplined army in the siege of Ravaldino in January 1500. A second Impresa brought the fall of Faenza, and a third, Urbino. Meanwhile, Louis XII campaigned too. His aim was Naples, and Cesare joined him. The campaign included the infamous sack of Capua, and Naples quickly surrendered rather than face the same fate. Cesare next took on a condottieri revolt and won in the cruel manner that made his reputation. He would fall, however, through an act of poisoning that killed Pope Alexander VI and left Cesare weakened. The new Pope, Julius II, despised the Borgias, making life more difficult for Cesare.
Enter Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the great Spanish captain. His Spanish army struck in 1503, defeating the French at Seminara and Cerignola, then he conquered Naples and defeated the French at Garigliano. That forced the French to seek terms, bringing the wars to a temporary halt. In the middle of this Romane follows the adventures of the chivalrous page turned minor noble Pierre Bayard, that Romane suggests was the last of his kind, an anachronism on the eve of a new form of war.
Romane leaves much of the background knowledge that would be useful for understanding his narrative for a series of appendices on sources, Italy in 1490, the growth of finance, the development of gunpowder, Pope Alexander VI’s place in Church history, and the curious use of poison in the Renaissance. This seems to this reviewer as indicative of disconnects that run through Romane’s book. Some of the text is well-written, particularly his illuminating character sketches and scenes, but they are not helped by an often passively written narrative that hinders its flow – his reliance on subheadings does not help with that. Romane does untangle a complicated story and he makes the events easy to follow, but it feels like an opportunity missed: Romane’s style turns something potentially great into something good. Readers new to the early Italian Wars, however, will find this a good place to begin and perhaps that was all Romane set out to do.
February 13, 2026
The Italian Wars of the 16th Century have fallen out of time, lost amidst the fascination with the decline of the Roman Empire and the intellectual pursuits of the Renaissance. It's easy to see why: the states at play - Venice, Milan, the Papal States, Naples - have long since been folded into the nation-state of Italy, and it is hard to imagine the chaotic diplomatic scene of an Italy divided between princes and republics vying for regional supremacy.
Julian Romane expertly excavates the first phase of the Italian Wars, beginning in 1494, as France launches an invasion through Northern Italy in the hopes of conquering Naples and subjugating the peninsula to its indirect and direct rule. There is a kaleidoscope of alliances and figures, from the Sforza of Milan to the ruling regimes of Florence and the Doge of Venice. The wars themselves carry echoes of more modern conflicts between larger and smaller states, as 16th Century France learned the lesson that it is one thing to win battles, and a completely different thing to permanently subdue a foreign people.
A worthy read for anyone interested in this period and with a bit of background to the key players in France and Italy.
Julian Romane expertly excavates the first phase of the Italian Wars, beginning in 1494, as France launches an invasion through Northern Italy in the hopes of conquering Naples and subjugating the peninsula to its indirect and direct rule. There is a kaleidoscope of alliances and figures, from the Sforza of Milan to the ruling regimes of Florence and the Doge of Venice. The wars themselves carry echoes of more modern conflicts between larger and smaller states, as 16th Century France learned the lesson that it is one thing to win battles, and a completely different thing to permanently subdue a foreign people.
A worthy read for anyone interested in this period and with a bit of background to the key players in France and Italy.
September 21, 2023
Covering a decade of politics, battles, intrigue, manipulation and ambition, this book pulls you along with an engrossing narrative and steady pacing. Though a few subjects probably warranted further depth, and a few others may have been given a bit too much emphasis (the Bayard sections felt out of place), I enjoyed the writing style and was engaged from first page to last. This book provides a thorough introduction to the strife between French, Italian and Spanish forces at the turn of the 16th Century. My only real complaint may be that the story should not have been so rigidly bound by it's dates, since the abrupt cutoff in 1504 is not the true end of the tale and a better denouement would have been less jarring.
I urge readers not to skip the appendices, since they are a nice addition full of relevant information. And my compliments to the author and editor for the choice of the final appendix about poison, especially highlighting the use of "poisoned books" that had me questioning the physical integrity of the volume I was holding.
I urge readers not to skip the appendices, since they are a nice addition full of relevant information. And my compliments to the author and editor for the choice of the final appendix about poison, especially highlighting the use of "poisoned books" that had me questioning the physical integrity of the volume I was holding.
October 23, 2023
The content is okay, if not amazing, but I found the writing to be about on par with a first year undergraduate essay. Badly needed a more thorough edit and revision for style and narrative flow.
March 10, 2024
Interesting history, poorly written.
September 9, 2025
From the days of the Carolingians, kings from northern Europe invaded the Italian states on multiple occasions to augment their power, wealth and legitimacy. Some were opposed to the popes in Rome, while others colluded with the Church. This book centers on two French kings who invaded in 1494 (Charles VIII) and 1499 (Louis XII). The backdrop for these invasions was the turbulent papacy of Alexander VI Borgia and his notorious son Cesare Borgia.
The Borgias are of course popular subjects of films and books. The Spanish pope and his five (illegitimate) children cut high profiles in Renaissance Italy, contributing fine art to the Vatican and sometimes helping to stabilize a peninsula torn by division. In that timeframe, this book does a good job explaining how ever-shifting alliances between Spain, France, Naples, Venice, Florence, Milan, and the Papacy used tactics of violence and deceit to survive in the struggles between them.
At the end of the 15th Century, the French and their mercenaries had recently developed cannons to a level that allowed them to overcome even the strongest city walls. Charles VIII used a combination of rapid sieges and punishment of the conquered cities to terrorize his enemies and keep his army rolling southward.
The book introduces a series of grand and dramatic characters. At one dark extreme (p. 17), King Ferrante of Naples reportedly had a room in his castle where he kept the ceremonially dressed preserved bodies of his dead enemies seated around his dining table. At the other extreme, the author recites the heroic deeds of Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, whose 34-year fighting career exemplified many traditions of noble knighthood. There's also Gonzalo de Cordoba, the "Great Captain" of Spain who was finally able to push back the armies of France. And of course, there's Cesare Borgia, who resigned as a Cardinal so he could pursue his preferred career building a new Duchy of Romagna in northern Italy.
There are plenty of battles, betrayals, papal abuses, and poisonings to keep readers entertained, and the book is nicely illustrated with maps and portraits of key individuals. The book's appendices on select topics are also worth reading. Julian Romane does a good job bringing a broader audience to the often forgotten Italian Wars.
The Borgias are of course popular subjects of films and books. The Spanish pope and his five (illegitimate) children cut high profiles in Renaissance Italy, contributing fine art to the Vatican and sometimes helping to stabilize a peninsula torn by division. In that timeframe, this book does a good job explaining how ever-shifting alliances between Spain, France, Naples, Venice, Florence, Milan, and the Papacy used tactics of violence and deceit to survive in the struggles between them.
At the end of the 15th Century, the French and their mercenaries had recently developed cannons to a level that allowed them to overcome even the strongest city walls. Charles VIII used a combination of rapid sieges and punishment of the conquered cities to terrorize his enemies and keep his army rolling southward.
The book introduces a series of grand and dramatic characters. At one dark extreme (p. 17), King Ferrante of Naples reportedly had a room in his castle where he kept the ceremonially dressed preserved bodies of his dead enemies seated around his dining table. At the other extreme, the author recites the heroic deeds of Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, whose 34-year fighting career exemplified many traditions of noble knighthood. There's also Gonzalo de Cordoba, the "Great Captain" of Spain who was finally able to push back the armies of France. And of course, there's Cesare Borgia, who resigned as a Cardinal so he could pursue his preferred career building a new Duchy of Romagna in northern Italy.
There are plenty of battles, betrayals, papal abuses, and poisonings to keep readers entertained, and the book is nicely illustrated with maps and portraits of key individuals. The book's appendices on select topics are also worth reading. Julian Romane does a good job bringing a broader audience to the often forgotten Italian Wars.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews