The Thunderbolt of Italy
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Gaston de Foix, Due de Nemours (1489-1512), nephew of Louis XII, was so called because of his brilliant campaign in Italy (1512).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Thunderbolt of Italy” mean?
Gaston de Foix, Due de Nemours (1489-1512), nephew of Louis XII, was so called because of his brilliant campaign in Italy (1512).
Is “The Thunderbolt of Italy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.