The Italian Wars were a series of conflicts in which France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, the Papal States, Venice and other powers fought for control of the Italian peninsula. They began when Charles VIII of France invaded Italy to claim the Kingdom of Naples, and soon drew in most of the great powers of western Europe. They were fought by large armies using the new gunpowder weapons, and they saw battles such as Pavia and the sack of Rome in 1527. The wars ended with the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis, which confirmed Spanish dominance in Italy, and they helped to spread Renaissance ideas and new methods of warfare across Europe.
Before and after
- from 1493 to 1593Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War
- 1493Askia Muhammad I takes power and builds the Songhai Empire
- from 24 September 1493 to 13 July 1898Spanish colonization of the Americas
- 1494Birth of François Rabelais
- from 1494 to 1559Italian Wars
- 14 April 1494Construction of Frauenkirche
- 7 June 1494Treaty of Tordesillas
- 12 September 1494Birth of Francis I of France
- 6 November 1494Birth of Suleiman the Magnificent
More in Wars, politics & history
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- from 1213 to 1221Fifth Crusade
- from 1248 to 1254Seventh Crusade
- 8 May 1429Joan of Arc relieves Orleans
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.