How did Mercurio Bua with his 300 Albanian cavalry change Switzerland's history?

Mercurio Bua (Mërkur Bua Shpata)

 After 1500 years, the Swiss leadership is defeated with 40 thousand soldiers. In the picture you see, is the Albanian knight Mercurio Bua (Murrik (Mërkur) Bua), a member of the princely family Bua. There is no proper study of this renowned leader in all the battles of Europe in the ‘1500s. In this article, mostly illustrative, we started from the photo included in the encyclopedia "Albanians in world art" prepared by Ferid Hudhri. From that glory only this famous painting has remained, realized by the Italian painter Lorenzo Lotto. The title of the painting is "Portrait of a noble man" (Ritratto di gentiluomo) dated 1535, located in the gallery "Borghese" in Rome.

Lotto gives Mercurio Bua on his feet, with a black beret and his right hand placed on a table, under which stands a small skull, surrounded by rose and jasmine petals, with noble looks as well as in clothing. Some have noticed the ring on the little finger (eg the writer Luan Rama, to whom we refer; the description data attached and the photo, in one of his articles linking him to his dead wife), as well as the ring on the finger of the second marriage made to a Venetian nobleman. While the encyclopedia scholar, Ferid Hudhri, notes that the melancholy image of the noble widow, whose wife, according to historians, died during childbirth, is one of the elements on which biographers rely on the belonging of the portrait.

It is not possible to say exactly when history began to deal with this figure, but we can say that quite a bit has been said in the print media about Mercurio.

There is an article in the newspaper "Bota sot" (11.12.2012, diaspora publication, entitled: "Mercurio Bua, how he influenced the neutrality of Switzerland 500 years ago", which talks about the merit he had as a leader in establishing a neutrality zone of Switzerland).

The well-known scholar Luan Rama ("GSH", 14.3.2010) also deals with the historical tree of the Mercury Bua fighting, and information about the Bua princely family, their symbols and heraldry can be found on Wikipedia.

Bua (Shpata) Family symbol

We have referred to these three sources to take a look at the unknown portrait of Mercury Bua, recently referring to the publication of the painting in the first encyclopedia of Albanian visual arts.

In the newspaper "Bota sot", the reference is the researcher Astrit Leka (activist in the diaspora) in the case of placing the bust of Skanderbeg in Geneva, leading to a research work on the history of Switzerland. In this research published in its issue of the diaspora newspaper based in Switzerland, he encounters the name of Mercury Bua, great-grandson of Gjin Bua Shpata, revealing the role he had played in the history of Switzerland.

The first question to be marked by this knowledge is the quality of this personality, which is the count of Aquino and Roccasecca, which includes the Roman and Germanic empires.

The descendant of the princely family is said to be from the coast of present-day Greece, located in the Peloponnese. His ancestors had been despots of Angelokastra and Arta, as well as barons of the Despotate of Morea.

The flag of Count Mercurio Bua has been recognized by the holy Roman emperor Maximalian (1510). Petro Bua emigrated to the Apennine Peninsula. There he stood out as a warrior and a brave leader of the Albanian and Balkan mercenaries", - we quote from "Bota sot". In this period of European history scholars point out that Mercury Bua was known as one of the bravest military commanders of Europe, belonging to the end of the XV century. Mercury Bua fought in the army of the German emperor, Maximilian I, since 1490, as commander-in-chief of the light cavalry. Mercury Buas was given the title of count in 1510. In the family tree of the family the time of his death is given between 1527 -1560. Holding the title of count is accompanied by the recognition of heraldic symbols, where the title is given and becomes distinct in the form of the corresponding crown of the head (count crown), which is also presented on the coat of arms, as well as the recognition and presentation of noble family origin, which is reflected in his shield. To date we have no artistic representation of the coat of arms of the time of Mercury Buas which comes different at different times. He became known as an ally of Louis XII of France by defeating the Spaniards.

After the Venetian victory of 1513, Mercury Bua agreed to serve the Venetians and proposed to withdraw with him the Albanians who had remained loyal to the emperor, says the scholar Luan Rama, in the article "Dominus" entitled "Mercury Bua, The story of a worthy descendant of Gjin Bua Shpata” (quoted by“ GSH ”. 14.3.2010). In the few articles about this figure it is said that many chronicler have written about his war, in every country of Europe.

Mercury Bua, transformed into "a synonym of battles", managed to create "his legendary figure".

By the ‘1500s he had already become quite famous according to scholars in the Italian wars.

In the article "Bota sot", referring to the research done, it is said that in 1515 near Milan took place the great battle of Marinjani, entering history as the "Battle of the Giants", after the participation of the most important armies of Europe.

"From France came Francis I, the armies of the Pope, the army of Venice, the Swiss army, their adversary and the army of Maximilian, the German emperor.

In the battle of Marinjani on September 13, sometimes it seemed that one side won, sometimes the other side. Even King Francis himself was wounded. The next day, around noon, the Swiss attacked and were defeating the French. The king of France then demanded the intervention of 40,000 Venetian soldiers.

The heavy infantry of Venice at the time when the French were being defeated, was stationed at Lodi, four hours on foot from the battlefield. So when she came to the rescue, the Swiss won the battle "(Ota Sot" Mërkur Bua Shpata, how he affected the neutrality of Switzerland 500 years ago", 11.12.2012)

According to this article, Mërkur Bua Shpata, the leader of the Albanian cavalry in the service of Venice, managed to shake the military leadership of 40 thousand Swiss soldiers, being on the side of France. This is the famous battle, for which the Swiss, according to the article of "Bota sot", had remembered that they were dealing with a thousand cavalry, making the decision to withdraw and accept defeat. "In fact, only 300 Albanian cavalry had entered there. Mercury Bua, although wounded, managed to capture 6 flags and four cannons of the Swiss army. "The battle was won by him." Historians say that the Swiss army was defeated after 1500 years, since the time of Julius Caesar had not known failures. Only a slight delay by Mercury Bua would give victory to the Swiss. It is written that on the evening of that day of victory, King Francis I of France, while celebrating the victory, presented the wounded Mercury Bua as the savior of his life. Historians have attributed this victory to Francis I, King of France. But a 21-year-old king doing the baptism of war for the first time that day could not be the strategist of winning the battle of the giants. This is also proved by the fact that ten years later, in the battle of Pavia, King Francis I opposed that time his ally Mercury Bua. He was defeated, taken prisoner of war, and if it had not been for the authority of Mercury Bua, he would have been killed by the Catalan mercenaries. Mercury Bua took King Francis from the Catalans and paid tribute to him as king, as a former subordinate ally, to choose the suite and have royal treatment.

Citing the same source of information, it is said that two months later, the Swiss gathered and decided never to go outside their borders, as invaders. It is the moment when they declared neutrality.

Mercury Bua spent the last years of his life in Treviso, retiring until his death, whose body was buried in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore..