Battle of Capua (1348)

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On September 19, 1345, in town of Aversa Andrew, Duke of Calabria, husband of Queen Joan I of Naples (1343-1382) was assassinated. Older brother of Andrew, King Louis I of Hungary (1342-1382) suspected that Joan was accessory in the assassination and he wanted to get the throne of Naples. Therefore he attacked the Kingdom of Naples after required diplomatic and military preparation. King Louis started from Hungary in autumn of 1347.

The Neapolitan troops, led by Louis of Taranto 2nd husband of Queen Joan were in the fortificated town of Capua. King Louis did not join battle with Louis of Taranto because he had unreliable Italian and German mercenaries and responsible, orderly Hungarian knights but they were unsuitable for siege of fortresses. Therefore King Louis decided to avoid Capua toward Benevento with his troops. To cover this manoeuvre he ordered for Niccolo Gaetano, count of Fondi to attack the bridgehead of river Volturno with the Hungarian and German cavalries and Lombardian infantry.

Count Gaetano did not make a frontal attack against the bridgehead: he spent a part of his troops along river Volturno toward Orticella where these troops got across the river and attack surprisely the right wing and back of the Neapolitan army. The attacker troops consisted of mainly cavalry and some infantry were lesser than the Neapolitans, so there were just slight skirmishes until afternoon.

Around at PM 3 the Hungarian light cavalry got “tire” these skirmishes and hailed a devastating flight of arrows on the Neapolitan cavalry so they lost their horses and must have fight on foot. Around at PM 5 Gaetano’s troops gained ascendancy over the Neapolitans. Louis of Taranto had to make a countermarch but it became shortly an inordinate run.

A smaller part of the Neapolitan army fled toward Teano followed by Gaetano’s cavalry. They were killed or captured. The other (bigger) part of the Neapolitan army run away towards to Naples with Louis of Taranto. They arrived at Naples so raggedly that nobody could think of their sortie again.

After the collapse the Neapolitan mercenaries started to escape from Capua so the commandant of Capua had to capitulate. Some days later Queen Joan sailed to Provance, followed by his husband and the Kingdom of Naples would have King Louis.