Battle of Zagonara
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| Battle of Zagonara | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Wars in Lombardy | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Duchy of Milan |
Republic of Florence | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Angelo della Pergola Filippo Maria Visconti |
Carlo I Malatesta Pandolfo III Malatesta Alberico Novello da Barbiano |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 4,000 cavalry, 4,000 infantry | 8,000/9,000 cavalry, 3,000 infantry | ||||||
The Battle of Zagonara was fought on July 28, 1424 at Zagonara (Lugo di Romagna) between the armies of the Republic of Florence and that of Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan, an episode of the Wars in Lombardy. A number of famous Italian condottieri of the 15th century took part in the battle.
The battle occurred when Carlo I Malatesta, lord of Rimini, intervened in support of Alberico Novello da Barbiano, whose troops were under siege in the Zagonara Castle by Milanese mercenaries under Angelo della Pergola. Pergola had about 4,000 cavalry and 4,000 infantry. Malatesta's troops (amounting to some 8,000 cavalry) abandoned the siege of Forlì and attacked the Visconti, led by Secco da Montagnana.
Soon the initial attack of the Florentine cavalry waned. After several hours of fighiting, they were routed by Pergola's counterattack. Malatesta himself was captured, together with about 3,000 men-at-arms and 2,000 infantrymen, and the castle was destroyed.
