Battle of Francavilla
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Francavilla was fought on 20 June 1719 near the city of Francavilla di Sicilia
in Sicily
, Italy
between Spain and Austria as part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
.
in August 1718, the invading army of 30,000 men under the Marquis of Lede
were isolated on the island of Sicily. In 1718, the Austrians still had most of their troops in the Balkans until the conclusion of the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18 in the Treaty of Passarowitz
on 21 July 1718.
A first Austrian attempt to attack the Spanish from Naples
had failed, when they were defeated in the Battle of Milazzo
on 15 October 1718.
They did succeed to hold a small bridgehead around Milazzo.
By June 1719 the Austrians had moved an experienced army of 24,000 men under the Count de Mercy from the Balkans to the south of Italy, where they were sailed across the Messina Strait by the British fleet.
The Spanish had abandoned the siege of Milazzo and pulled back to a more favorable position around the village of Francavilla di Sicilia
, where they were covered by a river and a monastery on a hill.
The Spanish artillery under the Marquis of Villadarias played a crucial role during the battle, causing many casualties and confusion in the Austrian army.
The battle raged until evening, when a counterattack by the Spanish cavalry removed all hopes of an Austrian victory. The Austrians withdrew, leaving 3,100 dead and wounded. The Spanish losses were 2,000 dead and wounded.
The war continued until the peace was signed in the Treaty of The Hague (1720)
on 17 February 1720. The Spanish troops had to evacuate Sicily, and were transported back to Spain by the British Navy. The island of Sicily became an Austrian possession.
Francavilla di Sicilia
Francavilla di Sicilia is a town and comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily, Italy.It has a population of about 4,000 people and is situated in the southern part of the province, close to the northern slopes of Mount Etna. The distance to Messina is about 50 km, and the...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
between Spain and Austria as part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
.
Prelude
After the destruction of the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Cape PassaroBattle of Cape Passaro
The Battle of Cape Passaro was the defeat of a Spanish fleet under Admirals Antonio de Gaztañeta and Fernando Chacón by a British fleet under Admiral George Byng, near Cape Passero, Sicily, on 11 August 1718, four months before the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally...
in August 1718, the invading army of 30,000 men under the Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, 3rd Marquis of Lede was a Belgian military commander in Spanish service. He was also lord of the Fiefdom of Lede in Flanders.-Biography:...
were isolated on the island of Sicily. In 1718, the Austrians still had most of their troops in the Balkans until the conclusion of the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18 in the Treaty of Passarowitz
Treaty of Passarowitz
The Treaty of Passarowitz or Treaty of Požarevac was the peace treaty signed in Požarevac , a town in Ottoman Empire , on 21 July 1718 between the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Republic of Venice on the other.During the years 1714-1718, the Ottomans had...
on 21 July 1718.
A first Austrian attempt to attack the Spanish from Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
had failed, when they were defeated in the Battle of Milazzo
Battle of Milazzo (1718)
The Battle of Milazzo was fought on October 15, 1718 near the city of Milazzo in Sicily, Italy between Spain and Austria as part of the War of the Quadruple Alliance.-Context:...
on 15 October 1718.
They did succeed to hold a small bridgehead around Milazzo.
By June 1719 the Austrians had moved an experienced army of 24,000 men under the Count de Mercy from the Balkans to the south of Italy, where they were sailed across the Messina Strait by the British fleet.
The Spanish had abandoned the siege of Milazzo and pulled back to a more favorable position around the village of Francavilla di Sicilia
Francavilla di Sicilia
Francavilla di Sicilia is a town and comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily, Italy.It has a population of about 4,000 people and is situated in the southern part of the province, close to the northern slopes of Mount Etna. The distance to Messina is about 50 km, and the...
, where they were covered by a river and a monastery on a hill.
The battle
On the morning of 22 June, the Austrians attacked the fortified Spanish positions in three columns. The first column attacked the fortified village of Francavilla three times, but was pushed back every time. The second column succeeded in conquering the trenches on the foot of the monastery hill, but were stopped by the second Spanish line. The Count de Mercy was wounded in this phase of the battle. The third column attacked the Spanish left flank, drove them off the San Juan hill, but were themselves pushed back under heavy Spanish fire and had to take cover in a crevice, suffering many casualties including general Holstein, who led the attack.The Spanish artillery under the Marquis of Villadarias played a crucial role during the battle, causing many casualties and confusion in the Austrian army.
The battle raged until evening, when a counterattack by the Spanish cavalry removed all hopes of an Austrian victory. The Austrians withdrew, leaving 3,100 dead and wounded. The Spanish losses were 2,000 dead and wounded.
Aftermath
The Marquis de Lede didn't pursue the Austrians, giving them the opportunity to recover from this defeat. The Austrians later besieged Messina, which fell after 9 enemy attacks.The war continued until the peace was signed in the Treaty of The Hague (1720)
Treaty of The Hague (1720)
The Treaty of The Hague was signed on February 17, 1720. The treaty ended the War of the Quadruple Alliance, a conflict that arose between King Philip V of Spain and an alliance of Great Britain, France, Austria and the Dutch Republic.Philip was confirmed king of Spain by the Treaty of Utrecht in...
on 17 February 1720. The Spanish troops had to evacuate Sicily, and were transported back to Spain by the British Navy. The island of Sicily became an Austrian possession.