The Orsini proceeded to prompt action. Assured of their return to
himself, and counting upon their support in Urbino, Cesare had contented
himself with sending thither a small force of 100 lances and 200
light horse. Upon these fell the Orsini, and put them to utter rout at
Calmazzo, near Fossombrone, capturing Ugo di Moncada, who commanded
one of the companies, but missing Michele da Corella, who contrived to
escape to Fossombrone.
The conquerors entered Urbino that evening, and, as if to put it on
record that they burnt their boats with Valentinois, Paolo Orsini wrote
that same night to the Venetian Senate advices of the victory won.
Three days later--on October 18--Guidobaldo, accompanied by his nephews
Ottaviano Fregioso and Gianmaria Varano, re-entered his capital amid the
cheers and enthusiasm of his loyal and loving people.
Vitelli made haste to place his artillery at Guidobaldo’s disposal for
the reduction of Cagli, Pergola, and Fossombrone, which were still held
for Valentinois, whilst Oliverotto da Fermo went with Gianmaria Varano
to attempt the reconquest of Camerino, and Gianpaolo Baglioni to Fano,
which, however, he did not attempt to enter as an enemy--an idle course,
seeing how loyally the town held for Cesare--but as a ducal condottiero.
Fired by Orsini’s example, Bentivogli also took the offensive, and began
by ordering the canonists of Bologna University to go to the churches
and encourage the people to disregard the excommunications launched
against the city. He wrote to the King of France to complain that Cesare
had broken the Treaty of Villafontana by which he had undertaken never
again to molest Bologna--naïvely ignoring the circumstance that he
himself had been the first to violate the terms of that same treaty, and
that it was precisely upon such grounds that Cesare was threatening him.
Thus matters stood, the confederates turning anxious eyes towards
Venice, and, haply, beginning to wonder whether the Republic was indeed
going to move to their support as they had so confidently expected, and
realizing perhaps by now their rashness, and the ruin that awaited them
should Venice fail them. And fail them Venice did. The Venetians had
received a reply from Louis XII to that letter in which they had heaped
odium upon the Borgia and shown the king what dishonour to himself dwelt
in his alliance with Valentinois. Their criticisms and accusations were
ignored in that reply, which resolved itself into nothing more than a
threat that “if they opposed themselves to the enterprise of the Church
they would be treated by him as enemies,” and of this letter he sent
Cesare a copy, as Cesare himself told Macchiavelli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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