The siege of Padua was a major engagement early in the

War of the League of Cambrai The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and several other names, was fought from February 1508 to December 1516 as part of the Italian Wars of 1494–1559. The main participants of the war, who fough ...

. Imperial forces had captured the Venetian city of

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

in June 1509. On 17 July, Venetian forces commanded by

Andrea Gritti Andrea Gritti (17 April 1455 – 28 December 1538) was the Doge of the Venetian Republic from 1523 to 1538, following a distinguished diplomatic and military career. He started out as a successful merchant in Constantinople and transitioned into ...

marched quickly from

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

with a contingent of

stradioti The Stratioti or Stradioti were mercenary units from the Balkans recruited mainly by states of Southern Europe and Central Europe from the 15th century until the middle of the 18th century. They were largely of Albanian origin (about 80%), others ...

and retook the city, which had been garrisoned by some

landsknechts The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was f ...

hired by Emperor Maximilian I. In response, the emperor raised an army, composed mainly of mercenaries, and decided to invade the

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

in an attempt to reclaim it. In early August 1509, Maximilian set out from

Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...

with some 35,000 men and headed south into Venetian territory; there he was joined by French and

Papal The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

contingents. Due to a lack of horses, and generally poor organization, the army did not reach Padua until mid-September, which allowed the Venetian commander

Niccolò di Pitigliano Niccolò di Pitigliano (1442–1510) was an Italian condottiero best known as the Captain-General of the Venetians during the Most Serene Republic's war against the League of Cambrai. He was a member of the powerful feudal family of the Orsini, ...

to concentrate what remained of Venice's army after Agnadello, as well as several companies of volunteers from

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, in the city. The siege began on 15 September. For two weeks, Imperial and French artillery bombarded the city, successfully breaching the walls; but the attacking troops were driven back by determined Venetian resistance when they attempted to enter. An assault by 7,500

Landsknechts The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was f ...

in the Codalunga sector of the walls (the one that was most bombarded during the siege) was repulsed by mercenary commander Citolo da

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

, whose mines killed 300 attackers and injured 400 others. By 30 September, Maximilian, unable to pay his mercenaries, lifted the siege; leaving a small detachment in Italy under the Duke of

Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the 8th-largest state in Germany by area an ...

, he withdrew to

Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...

with the main part of his army. The defeat was a major

loss of face In sociology, face refers to a class of behaviors and customs, associated with the morality, honor, and authority of an individual (or group of individuals), and their image within social groups. Face is linked to the dignity and prestige that a ...

for Maximilian, and the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

would not attempt another invasion of Italy until 1516.

References

* Norwich, John Julius. ''A History of Venice''. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. . * Taylor, Frederick Lewis. ''The Art of War in Italy, 1494-1529''. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1973. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Padua 1509 1509 in the Republic of Venice Battles of the War of the League of Cambrai Sieges involving the Holy Roman Empire Sieges involving the Kingdom of France (987–1792) Sieges involving the Papal States Sieges involving the Republic of Venice Attacks on military installations in Italy Conflicts in 1509 Military history of Padua Sieges of the Italian Wars