Battle of Noain

The June 30th 1521, with the battles of Noain the Navarrese army free ordered by André de Foix, said Lesparre (or Asparroz), count de Montfort, is overcome by the army Castilian, ordered by the Frederic Hernandez de Tolède, Pile cluster.

Context

Ferdinand II of Aragon invades the Royaume of Navarre in 1512 and appendix the Highone, and part of Low-Navarre. Jean III of Navarre, Viscount of Béarn, vainly tries to take again its good (1512 and 1516). He dies in 1516.

His/her son Henri II of Navarre obtains the support of king de France. François I {{er}}, which is opposed to Charles Quint but prefers not to face it directly (see Sixth war of Italy), provides an army to Henri II under the command of Lesparre.

This army, strong of 12 000 men starts by taking the May 15th, after three days of seat, Saint-Jean-Foot-of-Port which orders the access to Spain by the Col of Roncevaux. The offensive free-Navarrese profits from a revolt in Castille, which obliges the Spaniards to dismantle their defenses. The May 19th, the town of Pampelune (capital of Navarre) goes, like its castle, a few days later.

Lesparre continues its countryside, seizes Rioja and puts the seat in front of Logroño. But the army Castilian beat the April 21st the revolted cities with Villalar. In front of its projection, it raises the seat, moves back towards Pampelune, and camps in the south of the sierra of Erreniega which bars the passage towards the Navarrese capital. The Spanish army circumvents the collar of Zubiça of night by a mule track. It establishes its camping in the north of the sierra, and cuts the retirement to the French Army.

Unfolding

Lesparre must face the Spaniards to join the capital of Navarre. It is in numerical inferiority, and makes the error not to await the reinforcement of the 6.000 men who remained in Pampelune and in the surroundings, as well as the 2.000 men who are towards Tafalla.

Two hours before laying down it sun, it melts on the Spanish camp, and hustles it somewhat. But the Spanish cavalry supports its infantry which started to move back. The Castilian infantrymen seize French artillery, before inserting the remainder of the army which is put in rout in less than one hour.

The army free-Navarrese counts more than 6000 dead, and of many prisoners, of which its chief.

Consequences

This defeat closes an important attempt at reconquest of Navarre, which does not remain any more but through the Lowone.

Comparing the kingdom of Navarre to an independent Basque State, the nationalist Basque see in this battle the end of freedoms for the Basque people, and the beginning of “the cultural regression” Basque. A monument was high to remember this battle it, and the partisans of the independence of the Basque Country meet there the every years in June.

There are then two other attempts at reconquest of Navarre, one by Henri II in 1527, the other by Antoine of Bourbon in 1559. They fail both.

See too

External bonds and documents

Sources
primitive History of the Euskariens-Basques, language, poetry, manners and character of these people… Page 454 of J. Augustin Chaho, Charles Louis Belsunce, 1847
Prosper Boissonnade. History of the meeting of Navarre in Castille - test on the relations of princes de Foix-Albret with France and Spain (1479-1521). Paris: Picardy 1893.
Gerard Folio. the citadel and the place of Saint-Jean-Foot-of-Port, the Rebirth at the time Contemporary , in Book of the Center of studies of history of defense n° 25 History of the fortification , 2005 ISBN 2-11-094732-2, On line, consulted on March 3rd, 2007, p 24-26.
Pedro Pablo Arrinda/Mikel Agirregabiria. El sitio of Logroño there the batalla of Noain. 1521

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