Editing Ferdinand II of Naples (section)

=== The Battle of Seminara and the Reconquest of the Kingdom ===
Ferrandino, who in the meantime had brought himself from Ischia to Messina, joined his cousin, Ferdinand II of Aragon, king of Sicily and Spain, who offered him assistance in the reconquest of the Kingdom. The Spanish general Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba arrived from Spain with a small army consisting of 600 lancers of the Spanish cavalry and 1,500 infantry: he had been chosen by Queen Isabella to lead the Spanish contingent both because he was a court favorite and also as a soldier of considerable fame despite his young age.<ref>Prescott, 272.</ref><ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" />

[[File:Seminara.jpg|link=https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Seminara.jpg|thumb|The noble John of Capua (the knight on the right with shield and sword raised) rescues Ferrandino (on the dying white horse on his left) unseated during the battle of Seminara.]]

De Córdoba arrived at the port of Messina on 24 May 1495, where he found Alfonso and Ferrandino very anxious; but when Ferrandino saw the Grand Captain he rejoiced, hoping to recover the kingdom. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba having comforted Alfonso and Ferrandino, left for Calabria, to discover that the latter had passed in Calabria with the army before him, bringing with him the fleet of Admiral Requesens, and had reoccupied Reggio. De Córdoba arrived in Calabria two days later. Ferrandino, rejoicing in this, ordered that the Companies pass in front, thus assaulting the French who had occupied the lands of Calabria.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" />

Ferrandino led the Allied army out of the town of Seminara on 28 June and took a position along a stream. Initially the fighting turned in favor of the allies with the Spanish ''jinetes'' who prevented the Fording of the French-Swiss ''gendarmes'' by throwing their javelles and retreating, the same method used in Spain against the Moors. Ferrandino fought with great value, so that "it seemed that great Hector of Troy had resurrected",<ref>{{cite book |title=Historia|author=G. Passaro}}</ref> but the Calabrian militia, panicked, went back; although Ferrandino tried to block their escape, the retreating Calabrians were attacked by ''the gendarmes'' who had managed to cross the waterway triumphing.<ref>Prescott, 277.</ref>

[[File:Ferdinand II croat 191701.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Coin of Ferdinand II.]]

The situation soon became desperate for the allied forces: the Scottish Estuardo, nicknamed Monsignor of Aubigny, Governor of Calabria, outraged by the so daring of the Aragonese Captain, recruited from Calabria, Basilicata and other lands of the Kingdom a large number of French soldiers, and with these formed a good army, and challenged the king. Although the Grand Captain tried not to come into battle, finally to satisfy the king he accepted, and arrived on the appointed day, at the River of Seminara, fought with great courage; but King Ferrandino was easily recognized by the luxurious clothing of Aubigny, who killed his horse, causing him to fall to the ground, and would have been in danger of life, if John of Capua, brother of Andrew, Count of Altavilla<ref>Roscoe, ''Leo X'', p. 135. Roscoe dichiara che il di Capua fosse paggio di Ferdinando e fratello del duca di Termoli.</ref> had not put him back on horseback, and left protecting him as best as possible, but the Aragonese, not being able to resist the fury of the French, on the advice of the Grand Captain he returned to Reggio, and the king having realized that he had made a great mistake in having exposed in danger his person and that of all his allies, recommending all the weight of that war to the Grand Captain, he returned to his father in Messina, who found him anxious for the course of this war.<ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" />

Despite the victory that the French and Swiss forces gathered on the battlefield, Ferrandino, thanks to the loyalty of the populace, was soon able to retake Naples. De Córdoba, using guerrilla tactics and carefully avoiding any confrontation with the fearsome Swiss battalions, slowly reconquered the rest of Calabria. Many of the mercenaries in the service of the French mutinied due to the non-payment of money and returned to their homeland, the remaining French forces were trapped in Atella by the combined forces of Ferdinand and de Cordova and forced to surrender. Already on 7 July, after defeating the last French garrisons, Ferrandino was able to return to Naples, welcomed by the festive population who ran to meet him among great cries, while the women covered him with flowers and odoriferous waters, and many of the noblest ran into the street to embrace him and wipe the sweat from his face.<ref>{{cite book |title=Cronica di Napoli|author=Notar Giacomo}}</ref><ref name="Le vite de Re di Napoli" />