Portal:Italian Wars/Selected biography/2

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Gaston de Foix, Duc de Nemours (1489–1512) was a French military commander noted mostly for his brilliant six-month campaign from 1511 to 1512 during the War of the League of Cambrai. He was a nephew of Louis XII of France. In 1511, Gaston arrived in Italy as a new commander. Having marched his army to Bologna and scattered the armies of the Holy League, he then went north and defeated the Venetians at Brescia. He then force marched his troops south, intending to besiege Ravenna and force the Spanish into battle. The Battle of Ravenna was fought on April 11, 1512; the Spanish withdrew after suffering tremendous casualties. During the pursuit, Gaston led a cavalry charge against a recalcitrant Spanish infantry unit, and was killed.