In 1494, there were five sovereign regional powers in Italy: Milan, Venice, Florence, the Papal States and Naples. In 1536, only one remained: Venice. These decades of conflict precipitated great anxiety among Western thinkers, and Italians responded to the fragmentation, forevermore, of Latin Christendom, the end of self-governance for Italians, and the beginning of the early modern era in a myriad of ways. They were always heavily influenced by the lived experience of warfare between large Christian armies on the peninsula.The French Invasion of Italy in 1494: The History and Legacy of the Conflict that Started the Italian Wars chronicles the decisive campaign that forever changed the Italian peninsula at the end of the 15th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the First Italian War like never before.