On 20 May 1800, about 400 Austrian soldiers cut out by the Napoleon's Army thrust via the Aosta Valley run away through the Colle Valdobbia pass. Few days later, 27 May 1800 a French unit of 2,561 soldiers and cavalrymen followed the same path, stopped briefly at La Peccia than stormed south down the valley to clash with a small Austrian rearguard (the so-called Battle of Varallo) and then rejoined their main force coming down Simplon Pass, via Orta and Sesto Calende.