A Milanese victory over Swiss forces secured Bellinzona and prompted the Swiss to increase pikemen in their armies.
Key Facts
- Date
- 30 June 1422
- Distance from Bellinzona
- 3 km north of Bellinzona
- Milanese commander
- Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola
- Swiss primary weapon
- Halberds
- Outcome
- Milanese victory; Swiss lost all territorial gains
- Swiss cantons involved
- Uri, Unterwalden, Lucerne, Zug
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 1419, the Swiss cantons of Uri and Unterwalden purchased Bellinzona from the House of Sax but struggled to defend it. When they refused a Milanese offer to buy the town in 1422, Milan sent a force under condottiero Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola, which seized Bellinzona. The Swiss then mounted a multi-canton effort to recapture the town, leading to the confrontation at Arbedo.
The Swiss force, armed mainly with halberds, initially repelled two Milanese cavalry charges near the village of Arbedo. Carmagnola countered by deploying crossbowmen on the Swiss flanks and ordering his men-at-arms to dismount and fight with lances, which outreached the halberds. The Swiss were driven back to a hill; the mistaken appearance of foragers as reinforcements caused the Milanese to pause, allowing the Swiss to withdraw with heavy casualties on both sides.
Milan secured Bellinzona and the Leventina, and also regained the Val d'Ossola, erasing all Swiss territorial gains in the region. Swiss expansion toward Lake Maggiore was suppressed for a prolonged period. Crucially, the defeat prompted the Swiss Confederation to significantly increase the proportion of pikemen in their armies, reshaping Swiss military doctrine.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola.
Side B
1 belligerent