Battle of Gamenario

Battle of Gamenario
Date April 22, 1345 Location Gamenario, Montferrat, present-day Italy Result Decisive Lombard Victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Naples (Angevin)	Montferrat (Lombard)
Commanders
Reforza d'Agoult Jean de Cimiers Bestet	John II of Montferrat

The Battle of Gamenario, fought on 22 April 1345, was a decisive battle of the wars between the Guelfs (Angevins) and Ghibellines (Lombards). It took place in north-west Italy in what is now part of the commune of Santena about 15 km southeast of Turin.

Reforza d'Agoult was sent in the spring of 1345 by Joan of Anjou, viceroy to northern Italy in hopes of putting an end to the war with the Margravate of Montferrat.

Reforza conquered Alba and besieged Gamenario, a castle in the neighbourhood of Santena. Lombard Ghibellines formed an anti-Angevin alliance, headed by John II of Montferrat. On 22 April, he confronted Reforza d'Agoult and battle was joined. The meeting was brief and bloody. Initially uncertain, the outcome was a victory for the Ghibellines, who recovered the besieged fortress and dealt a severe blow to Angevin influence in Piedmont. To celebrate his victory, John built a new church in Asti in honour of Saint George, near whose feast day the battle was won.

In the aftermath, Piedmont was partitioned between the victors. John received Alba, Acqui Terme, Ivrea, and Valenza. Luchino Visconti received Alessandria and the House of Savoy (related to the Palaiologos of Montferrat) received Chieri. The Angevins lost almost complete control of the region and many formerly French cities declared themselves independent.

The defeat of the Angevins was also a defeat for Angevin-supported Manfred V of Saluzzo and the civil war in that margraviate was ended at Gamenario.

Sources

• Storia del Monferrato.
• Giuseppe Cerrato: "In Atti della Società ligure di storia patria" — S. 2, vol. 17 (1885), p. 382–542
• Studi Piemontesi: VII (1978), 2, pp. 341-51