in 1494; and had expanded under the reigns of Louis XII.

and Francis I.
into an open struggle between France and Spain for the supremacy of Italy.

It now was finally terminated by the exclusion of the French and the acknowledged overlordship of the Spaniard.

But though peace seemed to be secured to a nation tortured by so many desolating wars of foreign armies, the Italians regarded the cession of Saluzzo with despondency.
The partisans of national independence and political freedom had become, however illogically, accustomed to consider France as their ally.[6] They now beheld the gates of Italy closed against the French; they saw the extinction of their ancient Guelf policy of calling French arms into Italy.

They felt that rest from strife was dearly bought at the price of prostrate servitude beneath Spanish and Austrian Hapsburgs, Spanish Bourbons, and mongrel princelings bred by crossing these stocks with decaying scions of Italian nobility.