Battle on 29 June 1440, between the forces of Milan and those of the Italian League led by the Republic of Florence
A 1440 Florentine victory in the Wars in Lombardy that secured Florence's dominance over central Italy, later immortalized by Leonardo da Vinci's unfinished mural.
Key Facts
- Date
- 29 June 1440
- Duration
- All day, ~4 hours of skirmishing
- Troops involved
- Several thousand
- Total deaths reported
- 1 soldiers
- Notable depiction
- Leonardo da Vinci's lost painting
- Source on casualties
- Niccolò Machiavelli
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The battle arose from the ongoing Wars in Lombardy, a series of conflicts among Italian states in which Milan sought to extend its power. Florence led a coalition of Italian states—the League—to resist Milanese expansion and protect its own political and territorial interests in the region.
On 29 June 1440, Milanese forces clashed with the Florentine-led League near Anghiari in Tuscany. Despite involving several thousand troops and lasting the entire day, the engagement was notably bloodless: according to Machiavelli, only a single soldier died, reportedly by falling from his horse after four hours of skirmishing.
The Florentines won the battle decisively, consolidating their dominance over central Italy. The encounter later gained cultural prominence when Leonardo da Vinci attempted to paint it in the Palazzo della Signoria; the mural was never completed and is now known only through preparatory sketches.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent