War of Ferrara
| War of Ferrara | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Republic of Venice Papal States (1482)
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.svg){kind=small} Duchy of Ferrara.svg){kind=small} Marquisate of Mantua Kingdom of Naples Papal States (1483-1484)
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| Roberto Sanseverino | Federico da Montefeltro | ||||||||
The War of Ferrara (also known as the Salt War, Italian: Guerra del Sale) was fought in 1482–1484 between Ercole I d'Este, duke of Ferrara, and the Papal forces mustered by Ercole's personal nemesis, Pope Sixtus IV and his Venetian allies. Hostilities ended with the Treaty of Bagnolo, signed on 7 August 1484.
The failure of the Pazzi Conspiracy against Florence in 1480 and unexpected peace as a result of Lorenzo de' Medici's daring personal diplomacy with Ferdinand I of Naples, the Pope's erstwhile champion, was a source of discontent among the Venetians and Pope Sixtus IV alike. Venice had ended its long conflict with the Ottoman Turks in 1479, with the Treaty of Constantinople, and was freed to turn its complete attention to its role in its terra firma (main land) and generally to the peninsula of Italy.
In addition to the usual minor friction over strongholds along the borders, there was a contest over the commerce in salt, which was reserved to Venice by a commercial pact. Nevertheless, Ferrara, which was ruled by Ercole I d'Este, had begun to take control over the saltworks at Comacchio. This appeared to be a threat to mainland interests of the Serenissima.
Venice was supported by Girolamo Riario, lord of Imola and Forlì, – the nephew of Pope Sixtus – who had taken possession of the strategic stronghold of Forlì in September 1480, with quick papal confirmation, and who now looked towards Ferrara in extending Della Rovere territory.
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