The Battle of Arcole ( 15-17 November 1796 ) (spelled Arcola in some English language texts) was the result of a bold attempt by Napoleon to outflank the Austrian army under General Alvinczy and cut its line of retreat before it could lift the siege of Mantua. It was a complex engagement that concerned much more than the crossing of a bridge, though the bridge tends to figure largely in paintings of the battle, probably for dramatic reasons.About a mile along this lay a bridge over the Alpone, on the other side of which was the village of Arcole, and the road that went north and intersected the Austrian lines of communication, which Napoleon hoped to be able to cut.
However, it proved to be difficult even to reach the bridge at Arcole, never mind capture it, as the Austrians were able to line the east bank of the Alpone and enfilade the French troops as they marched along the causeway towards the bridge.
Before long, most of the French soldiers were lying in the lee of the causeway to shelter from the fire.
One eye-witness claimed that he saw Napoleon holding a colour and leading his grenadiers in an assault. It was an important moment in Napoleonic legend.
It seems likely, therefore, that the paintings that show Bonaparte actually crossing the bridge owe more to artistic interpretation than fact.
Not that being on the bridge itself would have been any more heroic: several of the men standing around Napoleon at the time were killed and wounded, and he was extremely lucky to escape unharmed, though according to one source he was toppled from his horse and ended in the mud at the edge of the marsh.
Although the French did manage to cross the bridge on the first day of the battle, they had to retire again.
Another two days of heavy fighting ensued before Napoleon and his commanders managed to solve the conundrum of how to dislodge the Austrian defenders and cross the Alpone to Arcole, which they finally achieved in gathering darkness on 17 November.
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