In the early hours of February 24, 1525, beneath the walls of Pavia, a formidable Imperial army clashed with a massive French force. Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V battled for the Duchy of Milan, a prize that ignited the Italian Wars. The Black Legion was decimated, and the elite French heavy cavalry shattered by disciplined Spanish arquebusiers. The French king and his nobles were captured.

Pavia stands as a pivotal battle in the Italian Wars, a series of conflicts that engulfed the peninsula for three decades, involving Europe’s most powerful states. This defeat signaled the decline of heavy cavalry and the rise of infantry wielding increasingly effective firearms.

This third volume delves into the events leading to the Battle of Pavia, from the Peace of Noyon in 1516 to the fateful day. It reconstructs the battle’s phases, comparing accounts and examining the battlefield. The armies, their troops, and leaders are analyzed in detail, with a section dedicated to heraldry. Coats of Arms, devices, and flags are reconstructed from original sources.

Eight original color plates depict the clothing, equipment, flags, and heraldic devices of the armies at Pavia.