Cangrande I Della Scala - Return To Military Action

Return To Military Action

In the autumn of 1322 Cangrande renewed his alliance with Passerino Bonacolsi in an attempt to restore Ghibelline exiles in Reggio Emilia. He pledged his allegiance to Louis IV of Bavaria after the latter's victory over Frederick I of Austria at the Battle of Mühldorf in September 1322 and in June 1323 formed an alliance with him, Passerino and the Estensi of Ferrara in aid of the Visconti of Milan. Aware that Padua sought to regain some of its former possessions by force he spent the spring of 1324 strengthening his defences, starting with the walls of Verona itself. However, the ill disciplined mercenary army of Henry VI of Carinthia, Padua's current champion, did not pose a serious threat and Cangrande was soon able to pay him off. With Henry gone Cangrande attacked Padua again early in 1325 but Louis IV of Bavaria, the Emperor elect, ordered him to call a truce and restore some territories to Padua.

In June and July 1325 Cangrande fought at Modena in the Ghibelline cause but had to hurry to Vicenza as a great fire had destroyed a significant part of the city. He was taken ill on the way and retired to Verona where a rumour surfaced that he was dying. At this his cousin Federico della Scala tried to seize power. but Cangrande's mercenaries held firm against him. On Cangrande's recovery, Federico, the saviour of Verona in a Paduan attack of June 1314, was banished from his territories.