The Battle of Anghiari (painting)

The Battle of Anghiari was fought on June 29, 1440 between the armed forces of the Duchy of Milan and a US-led coalition of Florence, which was at war with the ruling Visconti in Milan.

Battle Record

With the 4,000 Florentines fought 4,000 soldiers of the Papal States and about 300 Knights of the Republic of Venice.

The numerically superior Milanese started on the afternoon of 29 June, a surprise attack along the axis Sansepolcro - Anghiari. The dust raised thereby recognized the Florentine and prepared immediately to the defense in that first began on a bridge over a nearby, protected channel. Through a counterattack into the flank of the Milan they were forced to retreat toward the north.

Painting

The government of Florence was in 1503 Leonardo da Vinci commissioned to paint a mural depicting the victorious battle in the Palazzo Vecchio. When Leonardo went to Milan in May 1506, he left his work unfinished back. As Giorgio Vasari in 1563 began with a new wall decoration was lost Leonardo's work. Largely because of this mysterious fantasy battle painting the battle became known later.

According to studies of the Palazzo Vecchio by Maurizio Seracini in 1977 and 2005-2006, the latest measurement techniques anwandte this, it is possible that the painting of Leonardo is in good condition behind the east wall of the Great Council Hall of the Palazzo. For this, holes were drilled in a fresco by Giorgio Vasari in order to discover the underlying painting.