| Second Italian War | |||||||||
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| Part of the Italian Wars | |||||||||
Flag of the Kingdom of Naples under Trastámara dynasty. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| France Republic of Venice Spain (until 1501) |
Duchy of Milan Kingdom of Naples Spain (after 1501) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Louis XII of France Duke of Nemours Ludovico II Bérault Stuart d'Aubigny |
Ferdinand the Catholic Gonzalo de Córdoba Fernando de Andrade Diego Hurtado de Mendoza |
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The Second Italian War (1499–1504), sometimes known as Louis XII's Italian War or the War over Naples, was the second of the Italian Wars; it was fought primarily by Louis XII of France and Ferdinand II of Aragon, with the participation of several Italian powers. In the aftermath of the First Italian War, Louis was determined to press his claim on the thrones of Milan and Naples. In 1499 Louis XII invaded Lombardy and seized Milan, to which he had a claim in right of his paternal grandmother Valentina Visconti.[2]
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In 1499, Louis concluded an alliance with the Republic of Venice and the Swiss and invaded the Duchy of Milan. Ludovico Sforza, having hired an army of Swiss mercenaries, returned to the city to find it occupied by Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, who had joined the French; Ludovico's army was soon scattered, and he himself imprisoned in France. The Treaty of Trente was signed on October 13, 1501 between Louis and Maximilian of Austria. Based on the terms of the agreement, Austria recognized all French conquests in the northern territories of Italy.
Impressed by the speed of his victory, Louis offered an alliance against Naples to Ferdinand, proposing that they should split the kingdom. Ferdinand readily agreed, and the Treaty of Granada was signed on November 11, 1500. Based on the terms of the agreement, Ferdinand would support French claims over the Kingdom of Naples in return for acquiring territories from the division of the kingdom.
In 1501, French and Aragonese armies seized Naples. The two kings now quarreled over the division of the spoils; Ferdinand's insistence that he be recognized as king of both Naples and Sicily soon led to war between France and Spain. Defeated at Cerignola and Garigliano by the Spanish under Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Louis was forced to abandon Naples and withdraw to Lombardy.
The Treaty of Lyon was signed on January 31, 1504 between Louis XII of France and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Based on the terms of the treaty, France ceded Naples to Spain. Moreover, France and Spain defined their respective control of Italian territories. France controlled northern Italy from Milan and Spain controlled Sicily and southern Italy.
The Treaty of Blois of September 22, 1504 concerned the proposed marriage between Charles of the House of Hapsburg, the future Charles V, and Claude of France, daughter of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany.
If the King Louis XII were to die without producing a male heir, Charles of the House of Hapsburg would receive as dowry the Duchy of Milan, Genoa and its dependencies, the Duchy of Brittany, the counties of Asti and Blois, the Duchy of Burgundy, the Viceroyalty of Auxonne, Auxerrois, Mâconnais and Bar-sur-Seine.