Battle of Bitonto The Battle of Bitonto ( May 25 , 1734 ) was a Spanish victory over Austrian forces near Bitonto in the Kingdom of Naples ( in southern Italy ) in the War of Polish Succession . The battle ended organized Austrian resistance outside of a small number of fortresses in the kingdom . Prelude . King Philip V of Spain had always aimed to reconquer Naples and Sicily , which Spain lost to the Habsburgs as a consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession . In 1714 he married Elisabeth Farnese , who had dynastic interests in Italy . Under her influence he had attempted without success to recover the Italian holdings in the War of the Quadruple Alliance . When the War of the Polish Succession broke out in 1733 , he saw an opportunity to act against the Habsburgs , who had no military support among western European powers ( Great Britain and the Dutch Republic opting to remain neutral ) , with active opposition by France and Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia . In the fall of 1733 Spain and France signed the Treaty of the Escorial , the first of several Bourbon Family Compacts . The treaty pledged mutual protection and aid , and provided for the allies to work together for the conquest of Habsburg territories on the Italian peninsula . The Spanish fleet under Luis de Córdova y Córdova landed a Spanish army in Genoa , which joined forces with the troops of Charles of Parma , ruler of Parma in northern Italy and the eldest son of Philip and Elisabeth . From there , 21 , 000 men marched unopposed through the Papal States towards Naples , where Charles entered the city virtually uncontested , and proclaimed himself king of the Two Sicilies on May 7 , 1734 . Austrian garrisons in the fortresses at Gaeta and Capua were blockaded by 6 , 000 men , and Montemar led 12 , 000 Spanish troops after the retreating Austrian viceroy . The Habsburg Viceroy , Guido Visconti , first fled to Bari in Apulia before the advancing Spanish , and then fled by ship on May 21 with one of his generals , leaving Giuseppe Antonio , Prince of Belmonte in command of the Austrian forces . The retreating Austrians were reinforced by troops that arrived from the island of Sicily , and a shipload of recruits that arrived at Taranto . Belmonte , aware that the Spanish were likely to get reinforcements from their fleet , moved to Bitonto on May 24 to force an action with Montemar before that army grew even larger . Placing inexperienced troops in the town itself , he adapted low walls and two monasteries as a defensive line and awaited the Spanish . Montemar was , according to reports Belmonte received later , reinforced by 3 , 000 men , raising his troop count to about 14 , 000 experienced and well - equipped troops . Battle . When the Spanish arrived on the scene at daybreak on May 25 , Montemar lined his troops up to face the Austrians , infantry facing infantry , cavalry facing cavalry ; as the Spanish cavalry significantly outnumbered the Austrian , some of them were held in reserve on the right flank . After a few feint s in which the Spanish attempted to draw the Austrians out of their defenses , the attack commenced . Around 10 am the Austrian cavalry finally gave way , with most of it beginning a disorganized retreat toward Bari , followed shortly after by Belmonte . The rest of the Austrian collapsed , with some companies following the cavalry and others trying to escape to the north and into Bitonto . Defenders in the two monasteries held their ground , and those defenses were taken by storm . The garrison in the city surrendered the next day , owing to a shortage of ammunition and provisions . Aftermath . Belmonte attempted to reorganize the remaining forces at Bari , but opposition from the local population , which was mobilizing in favor of the Spanish , made this virtually impossible . He ended up surrendering 3 , 800 men to the local authorities . Several hundred troops that escaped the battle to the north managed to reach Pescara , which had not yet been taken by the Spanish . Other cities in the kingdom recognized Spanish rule , with only two Austrian - held fortresses continuing resistance until autumn . Gaeta , blockaded early in the conflict , was placed under siege and held out until August . Traun defended Capua until November 30 ; when he finally surrendered , his garrison marched out with full honours of war . The return of the Two Sicilies to Spain was confirmed by the Treaty of Vienna in 1738 , which ended the war . Charles named Montemar " Duke of Bitonto " and commissioned Giovanni Antonio Medrano to erect an obelisk on the battlefield to commemorate the battle .