Let's Get Ready to Rummmbbbbbblllllle!!!

I owe this one to my former professor (although he'll always be the reigning professor of my spacial-poetry-and-gay-literature-loving heart), and undoubtedly my favorite diva, Andrea.

Legnano is actually known for a famous battle, called, ahem, The Battle of Legnano.



In the right corner we have, made up of 3,000 farmers, some pretty measly foot soldiers and a coupla knights, led by commander Alberto da Giussano: the Lega Lombarda, aka The Lombard League!!! And in the left corner, we have 3,5000 properly trained and probably insane soldiers led by the heavyweight champion of the world, Federick Barbarossa I and defended by the Father, The Son, and the Holy Friggin' Spirit: The Holy. Roman. Empiiiiirrre!!!!!

The scene:

1176: A battle between foot soldiers and infantries, knights on horses, Germans and Italians, calvaries and armies...Frederick advanced to the Carroccio (which means a sacred war wagon cart pulled by oxen, see picture below...or above...whatever floats your boat..), and assaulted the Lega's infantry, largely made up of farmers and the Company of Death and in total the largest contingent of the League.

"Nine hundred desperate patriots forming the Company of Death defended the sacred car. Seeing the Germans were gaining ground, fearful for the safety of their treasure, they suddenly knelt down and renewed their vow to God that they would perish for their country." M.B. Synge wrote this about the Company of Death.

Federick and his army surprised the Lega lookouts and took them on for a skirmish at the Carroccio. It got pretty bloody and at the helm of the fight, the Lega infantry positioned itself in a phalanx-like line and fought like hell. Eventually, the Lombard infantry brought the Imperial army to a stalemate. But, oh, what's that?? Oh my! It looks as if some of the Lega reconnaissance troops called for a tagteam-- the Lega Lombarda slaps five with a surprise calvary from Brescia and the match turns the corner in favor of the Lega!! Who knew this would be tagteam match?! Lucky for them because the Imperial army would kicked the Lombard's asses if not! Federick's personal bodyguards get viciously murdered and Freddy's knocked off his horse, and believed to be dead (but someone shoulda poked a spear in him, that guy is like night of the living dead!) Anyway, it's a decisive victory for the Lega Lombarda! Woohoo!


But alas, according to the almighty Wikipedia: The battle is traditionally tied to the name of Legnano, since the League's forces came from that town. Actually, as local historians have ascertained, the battle was fought a couple miles west of Legnano, where today Villa Cortese and Borsano, frazione of Busto Arsizio, stand.


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God, that was sooo anti-climactic. :/