Battle of Cortenuova

A medieval miniature depicting the Battle of Cortenuova.

Date	27 November 1237
Location	Cortenuova, Lombardy
Result	Decisive Imperial victory

Belligerents

Holy Roman Empire
Kingdom of Sicily
Ghibellines

Second Lombard League

Commanders and leaders

Frederick II

Pietro Tiepolo
Guglielmo I da Rizolio

Strength

2,000–3,000 Germans
(Holy Roman Empire)

7,000–10,000 Saracens
(Kingdom of Sicily)

801 Ghibellines
(Verona and Lombardy)

15,500–20,000
(Comunes of Lombardy)

Casualties and losses

Unknown

Thousands Killed
4,093 Captured

The Battle of Cortenuova (sometimes spelled Cortenova) was fought on 27 November 1237 in the course of the Guelphs and Ghibellines Wars: in it, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II defeated the Second Lombard League.

In 1236 Emperor Frederick was in Germany to quench the rebellion of his son Henry. In the autumn of that year he decided to return to Italy to suppress the Lombard communes which, backed by Pope Gregory IX, were contesting his authority. He arrived at Valeggio, near Verona, and, with the help of Ezzelino III da Romano and other Ghibelline leaders, sacked the city of Vicenza. Satisfied with this first outcome, he came back to Germany to deal with another German princes rebellion, leaving Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, in Italy to monitor the situation.

In the August 1237 the emperor returned again to Italy, this time aiming to definitely crush the Second Lombard League. He crossed the Alps to Verona and here his 2,000 knights were joined by Ezzelino III da Romano's troops, including soldiers from Treviso, Padua, Vicenza and Verona itself, as well as by Tuscan men led by Gaboard of Arnstein. Later 6,000 infantry and horsemen from the Kingdom of Sicily came, including Apulian Muslim archers. The rest of the army was formed by Ghibellines from Cremona, Pavia, Modena, Parma and Reggio, for a total of 12,000 – 15,000 men

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