Battle of Bicocca

• Republic of Venice
• Confederation

• Spain,
• Holy Roman Empire
• Church State
• Duchy of Milan

The Battle of Bicocca was a battle between the troops of the French king Francis I and Charles V in the north of Milan Bicocca on 27 April 1522.

The French and Venetian troops under the command of Odet de Foix were defeated by the Spanish- Imperial and Papal army under the command of Prospero Colonna. Odet de Foix had to withdraw from Lombardy, the Duchy of Milan came under the rule of the Emperor.

An important role played by federal troops under Albrecht Stein of Bern, Arnold Winkelried of Unterwalden and Ulrich von Sax of St. Gallen, subject to the imperial troops under Prospero Colonna on the side of the French army. This defeat was largely due to the superiority of the Spanish arquebusiers and artillery over the Swiss pikemen.

Field clerk of the federal troops was the later Bernese playwright, painter, graphic artist, reformer and statesman Niklaus Manuel.