Cangrande I Della Scala - Third War With Padua

Third War With Padua

In August 1319 Cangrande invaded Paduan territory and established a permanent camp south of the city near the town of Bassanello. He then set about laying siege to Padua while his troops set about attacking towns still under Paduan control.

During the autumn of 1319 Padua negotiated with Henry of Gorizia, who was based still at Treviso, hoping for his assistance. Henry waited until the Paduan position was so desperate that they would submit to him as Frederick of Austria's representative. This the Greater Council of Padua finally did on 4 November 1319 whereupon Henry assembled a large army and on 5 January 1320 entered the city as Imperial Vicar, Jacopo da Carrara resigning his command in Henry's favour. This resignation denied Cangrande his chief pretext for war but he was soon on the offensive again, taking castles from Henry of Gorizia in Trevisan territory in March and in June, with the aid of Paduan exiles, mounting an unsuccessful stealth attack on Padua itself.

In late Summer Henry III of Gorizia arrived once more in Padua with fresh troops and attacked Cangrande's camp at Bassanello on the morning of 25 August 1320. Cangrande, despite sustaining a slight wound and being advised by his generals to act defensively, charged the enemy forces. He found himself outnumbered and his subsequent retreat soon degenerated into the route of his entire army. Cangrande was again wounded, struck by an arrow in the thigh and had to ride desperately across country to the safety of his stronghold at Monselice which he eventually reached in a state of exhaustion with the arrow still sticking in his leg. Comprehensively defeated, he now had no choice but to open peace negotiations.

The Paduans, distrustful of their saviour Henry III of Gorizia and anxious to be rid of his unsavoury mercenary army, agreed to terms not so unfavourable to Cangrande as he might have feared. He only had to relinquish his recent conquests while his more long standing possessions such as Este and Monselice were made subject to Frederick of Austria's arbitration.

For the next two years Cangrande stayed clear of armed conflict but continued to expand his territories, winning the towns of Feltre (in February 1321), Serravalle (October 1321) and Belluno (in October 1322) by political means.