57863 m136

pay offered to men who accepted long-term service with one such State.

It was popularly assumed, in Italy and else-where, that foreign mercenaries dominated Italian battlefields in the 14th century. In fact, this is a gross oversimplification. On the other hand, the importance of foreigners did decline at the end of that century. Few Italian States could afford to hire the major companies, and inter-communal war invariably began with each city relying on its own militia, plus a few mercenaries. Neverthe-less, the availability ofcondottieri normally meant that the richer side won the war.

Italian commanders were also among the most successful. Ambroglio Visconti, a bastard son of that amazing Milanese family, was a comrade and rival of the foreigner Hawkwood. He established the Company of San Giorgio in 1365, a name that was to feature prominently in the Italian military

Infantrymen fighting with sword and buckler on frescoes in the castle of Sabbionara at Avio, in the Trento. Painted around 1340, these illustrate the almost perpetual State of conflict between the Ghibeline, or pro-Holy Roman Empire, family of Castelbarco who held Sabbionara and the Guelph, or pro-Papacy, forces of the neighbouring Bishop of Trento. They provide some of the best pictures of 14U1 century north Italian infantry.

revival towards the end of the century. Then, however, it was a third Company of San Giorgio, predominantly Italian like its predecessors, which followed a man who madę a point of emphasising traditional Italian tactics. He was Alberico da Barbiano and although his first great victory was over foreigners—Bretons—Alberico’s Company of San Giorgio just as often fought alongside Englishmen, Germans and Hungarians. Another successful Italian captain was Facino Cane.

Yet it was Barbiano who became the folk-hero of Italy’s military renaissance. His conscious Italianism even extended to tactics and the conseąuent equipment of his troops. Condottieri warfare had always been characterised by dramatic strategy, large-scale manoeuvre, an avoidance of unnecessary battles, and an abundance of in-conclusive sieges. Barbiano believed that Hawk-wood’s preference for dismounting his men-at-arms undermined the status of the knightly class. This prejudice was, however, based on sound military considerations, for a smali corps of highly trained cavalry impressed a potential employer far morę than did a comparable investment in infantry. Militias could still provide sufficient of these. Italian cavalry armour also now increased in weight, following fashions in France and England, while infantry armour almost dis-appeared. Barbiano and others favoured the visored bascinet — which tended to replace both the old great hełm and even the newer sallet among heavy cavalry—as well as the use of morę extensive horse-armour. Such eąuipment for horse and rider was primarily a defence against infantry weapons like bows and pikes.

Florence, that bastion ofrepublicanism, retained a preference for foreign condottieri, with the Gascon Bernardon de Serres succeeding Hawkwood. Milan, under the skilful rule of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, meanwhile recruited as many star condottieri as possible. Bernabo Visconti had started this trend by marrying five ofhis illegitimate daughters to leading mercenaries. Gian Galeazzo continued by keeping Jacopo dal Verme in his service for 30 ycars, and enlisting Alberigo da Barbiano, Facino Cane, Ugolotto Biancardo, Ottobuono Terzo and both Pandolfo and Carlo Malatesta, thus mopping up almost all the leading talent.

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