The Battle of Anghiari, June 29, 1440: The Battle for the control of Tuscany in 15th Century Italy

The victorious outcome of the Battle of Anghiari on 29 June 1440, fought between the Milanese troops of Filippo Maria Visconti and the Florentine army supported by papal and Sforza contingents, proved immensely important for the city of Florence. With this victory, Florence finally freed itself from the Milanese threat that, since the time of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, had oppressed the city of the lily and all of Tuscany through wars and devastation.

This military success was commemorated by Florence in both literature and art. Most famous is the fresco of the battle painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Florence in 1504, now unfortunately lost. Yet even more significant is the painted front panel of a Florentine cassone, created shortly after the mid-fifteenth century to commemorate the battle and now preserved in the National Gallery in Dublin.

Although this is not the only work of art on the subject produced at the time, it is undoubtedly the most precise and detailed. The locations depicted and the phases of the battle correspond closely to those described in contemporary sources. Additionally, the military heraldry represented allows for the precise identification of the infantry and cavalry of the opposing armies. The principal banners of Duke Visconti, Florence, and the Papacy are all present, together with the emblems of the leading captains: the leopard of the Bracceschi, the waves of the Attendolo-Sforza, and the bear of the Orsini. The devices of numerous lesser captains also appear, all confirmed through research into chronicles, registers, and letters from the period.

Finally, the entire battle has been reconstructed through colour plates supported by images, photographs, and maps.