Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, medieval

Battle of Cortenuova

Battle of Cortenuova was a battle fought on 27 November 1237 at Cortenuova, in what is now Italy. It was part of Gregorian Reform. The recorded result: Imperial victory; League field army virtually destroyed.

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Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor: Battle of Cortenuova (1237) from the Nuova Cronica of Giovanni Villani
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor: Battle of Cortenuova (1237) from the Nuova Cronica of Giovanni Villani. Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought27 November 1237
WhereCortenuova, Italy45.533N, 9.783E
OutcomeImperial victory; League field army virtually destroyed
Belligerents20px Holy Roman Empire; 20px Kingdom of Sicily; 20px Ghibelline cities; Cremona, Pavia, Modena, Parma and Reggioagainst20px Lombard League; Milan, Lodi, Crema, Como, Bergamo, Brescia, Novara, Piacenza, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso, Mantua, Alessandria and Vercelli
Part ofGregorian ReformGuelphs and Ghibellines

Where it sits in Gregorian Reform

Battle of Volta Mantovana, 1080Battle of Sorbara, 1084Battle of Bianello, 1092Battle of Santa Lucia delle Spianate, 1145Battle of the Vernavola, 1154Siege of Tortona, 1155Siege of Milan, 1158Siege of Crema, 1159Battle of Siziano, 1159Battle of Carcano, 1160Siege of Milan, 1161Battle of Monte Porzio, 1167Siege of Alessandria, 1174Battle of Legnano, 1176Battle of Calcinato, 1201Battle of Casei Gerola, 1213Battle of Cortenuova, 1237Siege of Brescia, 1238Siege of Faenza, 1240Battle of Giglio, 1241Siege of Viterbo, 1243Battle of Spello, 1246Battle of Florence, 1248Battle of Parma, 1248Battle of Fossalta, 1249Battle of Foggia, 1254Battle of Cassano, 1259Battle of Montaperti, 1260Battle of Colle Val d'Elsa, 1269Battle of Roccavione, 1275Battle of Desio, 1277Battle of Sperlinga, 1283Battle of Pieve al Toppo, 1288Battle of Campaldino, 1289Battle of Catanzaro, 1297Siege of Syracuse, 1298Siege of Pavia, 1302Battle of Gaggiano, 1313Siege of Pavia, 1315Battle of Ponte San Pietro, 1315Siege of Mirandola, 1321Battle of Bardi, 1321Battle of Gorgonzola, 1323Battle of Vaprio d'Adda, 1324Battle of Altopascio, 1325Battle of Zappolino, 1325Battle of Gamenario, 1345Battle of Casorate, 1356Battle of Solara, 1363Battle of Alessandria, 139110801391Battle of Cortenuova, 1237
50 placed engagements of Gregorian Reform in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date27 November 1237
PlaceCortenuova, Italy
45.533N, 9.783E
KindBattle, medieval
Strength~14,000–20,000 men; ~5,000–6,000 cavalry; 3,000 German heavy cavalry; 500 cavalry under Ezzelino da Romano; ~2,000 Lombard and Emilian allied cavalry; 5,000–7,000 Luceran Saracen archers; ~2,000 Cremonese and other allied infantry~15,000 men; ~5,000 cavalry; 3,000–3,500 Milanese cavalry; 1,000 cavalry from Piacenza; 500–1,000 cavalry from Alessandria, Vercelli, Novara, Como, Crema and Lodi; 10,000 infantry; 8,000–9,000 Milanese and allied infantry; infantry contingent from Alessandria; Milanese Carroccio with picked guard
Casualties and lossesSeveral hundred killed and wounded3,000–4,000 killed; 4,000–5,000 captured, along with the Milanese Carroccio
Commanders
  • Archbishops of Milan
Battle of CortenuovaBattle of CortenuovaBattle of ChiariBattle of Pons AureoliBattle of AgnadelloSiege of BergameSiege of CremaBattle of Pons AureoliSiege of BergameSiege of CremaTurinGenoaBolognaParmaFerraraTrentoLuganoBolzano100 km45.533N, 9.783E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1237

Battle of Cortenuova is one of 629 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 1,038 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1169274, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cortenuova, revision 1373272207, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.