![Bartolomeo Colleoni by Andrea del Verrocchio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Bartolomeo_Colleoni_by_Andrea_del_Verrocchio.jpg)
''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
s in command of
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
companies during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
and of multinational armies during the
early modern period. They notably served popes and other European monarchs during the
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...
of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and the
European Wars of Religion
The European wars of religion were a series of wars waged in Europe during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. Fought after the Protestant Reformation began in 1517, the wars disrupted the religious and political order in the Catholic Chu ...
. Notable ''condottieri'' include
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna (1452–1523), sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Spain during the Italian Wars.
Biography
A member of the ancient ...
,
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Lodovico de' Medici, also known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere (6 April 1498 – 30 November 1526) was an Italian '' condottiero''. He is known for leading the Black Bands and serving valiantly in military combat under his relatives, Pope Leo X an ...
,
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex- cardinal and '' condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major ...
, the
Marquis of Pescara,
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; lij, Drîa Döia ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was a Genoese statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime.
As the ruler of Genoa, Doria reformed the Repu ...
, and the
Duke of Parma
The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859.
The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, except ...
.
The term ''condottiero'' in
medieval Italian originally meant "contractor" since the ''condotta'' was the contract by which the condottieri put themselves in the service of a city or of a lord. The term, however, became a
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
of "military leader" during the Renaissance and Reformation era. Some authors have described the legendary
Alberto da Giussano
Alberto da Giussano (in Lombard ''Albert de Giussan'', in Latin ''Albertus de Gluxano'') is a legendary character of the 12th century who would have participated, as a protagonist, in the battle of Legnano on 29 May 1176. In reality, according ...
as the "first condottiero" and
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
(in virtue of his Italian origins) as the "last condottiero". According to this view, the condottieri tradition would span a huge diverse period from the
battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was a battle between the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and the troops of the Lombard League on May 29, 1176, near the town of Legnano in present-day Lombardy, in Italy. Although the presence of the enemy nearby wa ...
in 1176 to the
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
in 1815. Most historians would narrow it down to the years from to , with a particular focus on the rise of the commanders of
free companies (''capitani di ventura'') and their transformation into captain generals fighting for the major powers during the struggle for political and religious supremacy in Europe.
Mercenary captains
Background
In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Italian
city-state
A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
s of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, and
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
were very rich from their trade with the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
, yet possessed woefully small armies. In the event that foreign powers and envious neighbours attacked, the ruling nobles hired foreign mercenaries to fight for them. The military-service terms and conditions were stipulated in a ''condotta'' (contract) between the city-state and the soldiers (officer and enlisted man), thus, the ''contracted'' leader, the mercenary captain commanding, was titled the ''Condottiere''.
From the eleventh to the thirteenth century, European soldiers led by professional officers fought against the
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
in
the Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
(1095–1291). These crusading officers provided large-scale warfare combat experience in the Holy Land. On the Crusades' conclusion, the first (bands of roving soldiers) appeared in Italy. Given the profession, some were less mercenaries than bandits and desperate men. These were not Italian, but (mostly) German, from the
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Neth ...
(hence, ), and from
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
. The latter were Spanish soldiers who had followed King
Peter III of Aragon
Peter III of Aragon ( November 1285) was King of Aragon, King of Valencia (as ), and Count of Barcelona (as ) from 1276 to his death. At the invitation of some rebels, he conquered the Kingdom of Sicily and became King of Sicily in 1282, pres ...
in the
War of the Sicilian Vespers
The War of the Sicilian Vespers or just War of the Vespers was a conflict that started with the insurrection of the Sicilian Vespers against Charles of Anjou in 1282 and ended in 1302 with the Peace of Caltabellotta. It was fought in Sicily, C ...
in Italy in October 1282, and, post-war, remained there, seeking military employment. By 1333 other mercenaries had arrived in Italy to fight with
John of Bohemia
John the Blind or John of Luxembourg ( lb, Jang de Blannen; german: link=no, Johann der Blinde; cz, Jan Lucemburský; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of ...
as the (Company of the Dove) in
Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
's war against
Arezzo
Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
. The first well organised mercenaries in Italy were the Ventura Companies of
Duke Werner von Urslingen and
Count Konrad von Landau. Werner's company differed from other mercenary companies because its code of military justice imposed discipline ''and'' an equal division of the contract's income. The Ventura Company increased in number until becoming the fearsome "
Great Company" of some 3,000 (each comprised a knight and a sergeant).
Rise
The first mercenary company with an Italian as its chief was the "Company of St. George" formed in 1339 and led by
Lodrisio Visconti
Lodrisio Visconti (c. 1280 – 1364) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was the son of Pietro, of the powerful Visconti of Milan, and Antiochia Crivelli.
After military training under his father, he helped his cousin Matteo Visconti and ...
. This company was defeated and destroyed by
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...
of Milan (another condottiero and uncle of Lodrisio) in April 1339. Later, in 1377, a second "Company of St. George" was formed under the leadership of
Alberico da Barbiano
Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344–1409) was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's ''compagnia'' fought under the banner of Saint ...
, also an Italian and the Count of Conio, who later taught
military science
Military science is the study of military processes, institutions, and behavior, along with the study of warfare, and the theory and application of organized coercive force. It is mainly focused on theory, method, and practice of producing mil ...
to condottieri such as
Braccio da Montone
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Braccio da Montone
, title = Prince of Capua
, image = Braccio da Montone.jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, more = no
, succession = Prince of Capua
, reign = {{nowrap, July 1421 – 5 June 1424
, predecessor = R ...
and
Giacomuzzo Attendolo Sforza, who also served in the company.
Once aware of their military power monopoly in Italy, the condottieri bands became notorious for their capriciousness, and soon dictated terms to their ostensible employers. In turn, many condottieri, such as Braccio da Montone and Muzio Sforza, became powerful politicians. As most were educated men acquainted with Roman military science manuals (e.g.
Vegetius
Publius (or Flavius) Vegetius Renatus, known as Vegetius (), was a writer of the Later Roman Empire (late 4th century). Nothing is known of his life or station beyond what is contained in his two surviving works: ''Epitoma rei militaris'' (also r ...
's ''
Epitoma rei militarii''), they began viewing warfare from the perspective of military science, rather than as a matter of valour or physical courage—a great, consequential departure from
chivalry
Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours we ...
, the traditional medieval model of soldiering. Consequently, the condottieri fought by outmanoeuvring the opponent and fighting his ability to wage war, rather than risking uncertain fortune—defeat, capture, death—in battlefield combat.
![Malpaga10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Malpaga10.JPG)
The earlier, medieval condottieri developed the "art of war" (
military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek word '' strategos'', the term strategy, when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow s ...
and
tactics
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tact ...
) into military science more than any of their historical military predecessors—fighting indirectly, not directly—thus, only reluctantly endangering themselves and their enlisted men, avoiding battle when possible, also avoiding hard work and winter campaigns, as these all reduced the total number of trained soldiers available, and were detrimental to their political and economic interest.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ( , , ; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527), occasionally rendered in English as Nicholas Machiavel ( , ; see below), was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived during the Renaissance. ...
even said that condottieri fought each other in grandiose, but often pointless and near-bloodless battles. However, later in the Renaissance the condottieri line of battle still deployed the grand armoured knight and medieval weapons and tactics after most European powers had begun employing professional standing armies of
pikemen
A pike is a very long thrusting spear formerly used in European warfare from the Late Middle Ages and most of the Early Modern Period, and were wielded by foot soldiers deployed in pike square formation, until it was largely replaced by bayon ...
and
musketeer
A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pre ...
s; this helped to contribute to their eventual decline and destruction.
In 1347,
Cola di Rienzo
Nicola Gabrini (1313 8 October 1354), commonly known as Cola di Rienzo () or Rienzi, was an Italian politician and leader, who styled himself as the "tribune of the Roman people".
Having advocated for the abolition of temporal papal power a ...
(Tribune and effective dictator of the city) had Werner von Urslingen executed in Rome, and Konrad von Landau assumed command of the Great Company. On the conclusion (1360) of the
Peace of Bretigny between England and France, Sir
John Hawkwood
Sir John Hawkwood ( 1323 – 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or '' condottiero'' in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it in ...
led an army of English mercenaries, called the
White Company
The White Company ( it, Compagnia Bianca del Falco) was a 14th-century English mercenary Company of Adventure ( it, Compagnia di ventura), led from its arrival in Italy in 1361 to 1363 by the German Albert Sterz and later by the Englishman John H ...
, into Italy, which took a prominent part in the confused wars of the next thirty years. Towards the end of the century, the Italians began to organize armies of the same description. This ended the reign of the purely mercenary company and began that of the semi-national mercenary army which endured in Europe till replaced by the national standing army system. In 1363, Count von Landau was betrayed by his Hungarian soldiers, and defeated in combat, by the White Company's more advanced tactics under commanders
Albert Sterz and John Hawkwood. Strategically, the was replaced with the three-soldier, mounted (a , a groom, and a boy); five composed a , five composed a (flag). By that time, the campaigning condottieri companies were as much Italian as foreign: the
Astorre I Manfredi
Astorre Manfredi (c. 1345 – November 28, 1405) was an Italian condottiero. He was the son of Giovanni Manfredi, who had been lord of Faenza (today's Emilia-Romagna) and other castles in the area before the Papal reconquest. Astorre lived ...
's (Company of the Star); a new (Company of St. George) under
Ambrogio Visconti;
Niccolò da Montefeltro's (Little Hat Company); and the (Company of the Rose), commanded by
Giovanni da Buscareto and
Bartolomeo Gonzaga.
![Ermanno Stroiffi - Portrait of a Condottiero](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Ermanno_Stroiffi_-_Portrait_of_a_Condottiero.jpg)
From the fifteenth century hence, most ''condottieri'' were landless Italian nobles who had chosen the profession of arms as a livelihood; the most famous of such mercenary captains was the son of
Caterina Sforza
Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a li ...
,
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Lodovico de' Medici, also known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere (6 April 1498 – 30 November 1526) was an Italian '' condottiero''. He is known for leading the Black Bands and serving valiantly in military combat under his relatives, Pope Leo X an ...
, from
Forlì
Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna.
The city is situated along the Via E ...
, known as ''The Last Condottiere''; his son was
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death.
Life
Rise to power
Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
; besides noblemen, ''princes'' also fought as condottieri, given the sizable income to their estates, notably
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (19 June 1417 – 7 October 1468) was an Italian condottiero and nobleman, a member of the House of Malatesta and lord of Rimini and Fano from 1432. He was widely considered by his contemporaries as one of the mo ...
, Lord of
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
, and
Federico da Montefeltro
Federico da Montefeltro, also known as Federico III da Montefeltro KG (7 June 1422 – 10 September 1482), was one of the most successful mercenary captains (''condottieri'') of the Italian Renaissance, and lord of Urbino from 1444 (as Duke fro ...
, Duke of
Urbino
Urbino ( ; ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of ...
; despite war-time
inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...
, soldier's pay was high:
* 1,900 monthly
florins
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
in 1432:
Micheletto Attendolo
Micheletto Attendolo, also called Micheletto da Cotignola, (c. 1370 – February 1463) was an Italian condottiero. He was seigneur of Acquapendente, Potenza, Alianello, Castelfranco Veneto and Pozzolo Formigaro.
Born in Cotignola, he was ...
(Florence)
* 6,600 monthly florins in 1448:
William VIII of Montferrat
William VIII Palaiologos (Italian: ''Guglielmo VIII Paleologo''; 19 July 1420 – 27 February 1483) was the Marquis of Montferrat from 1464 until his death.
He was the second son of Marquis John Jacob, and inherited the Marquisate after the deat ...
, from
Francesco Sforza
Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'A ...
(Milan); the enlisted soldier's pay was 3,300 florins, half that of an officer's
* 33,000 yearly
scudi
The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''scu ...
for 250 men in 1505:
Francesco II Gonzaga
Francesco II (or IV) Gonzaga (10 August 1466 – ) was the ruler of the Italian city of Mantua from 1484 until his death.
Biography
Francesco was born in Mantua, the son of Marquess Federico I Gonzaga.
Francesco had a career as a condottiero act ...
(Florence)
* 100,000 yearly scudi for 200 men in 1505:
Francesco Maria I della Rovere
Francesco Maria I della Rovere (25 March 1490 – 20 October 1538) was an Italian condottiero, who was Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1516 and, after retaking the throne from Lorenzo II de' Medici, from 1521 to 1538.
Biography
He was born ...
(Florence)
The condottieri company commanders selected the soldiers to enlist; the ''condotta'' was a consolidated contract, and, when the (service period) elapsed, the company entered an (wait) period, wherein the contracting city-state considered its renewal. If the expired definitively, the condottiere could not declare war against the contracting city-state for two years. This military–business custom was respected because professional reputation (business credibility) was everything to the condottieri; a deceived employer was a reputation ruined; likewise, for maritime mercenaries, whose (contract of assent) stipulated naval military-service terms and conditions; sea captains and sailors so-contracted were called . Their principal employers were
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
and the
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
, beginning in the fourteenth century, yet
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
considered it humiliating to so employ military sailors, and did not use naval mercenaries, even during the greatest danger in the city's history.
In fifteenth-century Italy, the ''condottieri'' were masterful lords of war; during the
wars in Lombardy
The Wars in Lombardy were a series of conflicts between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan and their respective allies, fought in four campaigns in a struggle for hegemony in Northern Italy that ravaged the economy of Lombardy and ...
, Machiavelli observed:
In 1487, at
Calliano, the
Venetians successfully met and acquitted themselves against the German
landsknechte
The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line ...
and the Swiss infantry, who then were the best soldiers in Europe.
Decline
![Bellini, Giovanni - Giovanni Emo - NGA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Bellini%2C_Giovanni_-_Giovanni_Emo_-_NGA.jpg)
In time, the financial and political interests of the ''condottieri'' proved serious drawbacks to decisive, bloody warfare: the mercenary captains often were treacherous, tending to avoid combat, and "resolve" fights with a bribe—either for the opponent or for themselves. Towards the end of the 15th century, when the large cities had gradually swallowed up the small states, and Italy itself was drawn into the general current of European politics, and became the battlefield of powerful armies—French, Spanish and German—the venture captains, who in the end proved quite unequal to the gendarmerie of France and the improved troops of the Italian states, gradually disappeared.
The soldiers of the condottieri were almost entirely heavy armoured cavalry (men-at-arms). Before 1400, they had little or nothing in common with the people among whom they fought, and their disorderly conduct and rapacity seem often to have exceeded that of medieval armies. They were always ready to change sides at the prospect of higher pay—the enemy of today might be the comrade-in-arms of tomorrow. Further, a prisoner was always more valuable than a dead enemy. As a consequence, their battles were often as bloodless as they were theatrical.
The age of firearms and weapons utilizing gunpowder further contributed to the decline of the condottieri. Although the mercenary forces were among the first to adapt to the emerging technologies on the battlefield, ultimately, the advent of firearms-governed warfare rendered their ceremonial fighting style obsolete. When battlefields shifted from chivalric confrontations characterized by ostentatious displays of power to an everyman's war, they were ill-prepared to adjust.
Captain generals
In 1494, the French king
Charles VIII's royal army invaded the Italian peninsula, initiating the
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...
. The most renowned condottieri fought for foreign powers:
Gian Giacomo Trivulzio
Gian Giacomo Trivulzio (1440 or 1441 – December 5, 1518) was an Italian aristocrat and '' condottiero'' who held several military commands during the Italian Wars.
Biography
Trivulzio was born in Milan, where he studied, among others, w ...
abandoned Milan for France, while
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; lij, Drîa Döia ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was a Genoese statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime.
As the ruler of Genoa, Doria reformed the Repu ...
was Admiral of the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
. In the end, failure was political, rather than military, stemming from disunity and political indecision, and, by 1550, the military service ''condotta'' had disappeared, while the term ''condottiere'' remained current, denominating the great Italian generals (mainly) fighting for foreign states; men such as
Gian Giacomo Medici
250px, Gian Giacomo Medici, ''Il Medeghino'', in a 16th-century engraving
Gian Giacomo Medici (25 January 1498 – 8 November 1555) was an Italian condottiero who became a noted Spanish general, Duke of Marignano and Marquess of Musso and Lecco ...
,
Ambrogio Spinola
Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...
,
Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to:
* Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome
*Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew
* Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...
,
Marcantonio II Colonna,
Raimondo Montecuccoli and
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna (1452–1523), sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Spain during the Italian Wars.
Biography
A member of the ancient ...
were prominent into the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries. The political practice of hiring foreign mercenaries, however, did not end. For example, the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
’s
Swiss Guard
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala)
is ...
are the modern remnants of a historically effective mercenary army.
The end of the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
in 1648 and the birth of
Westphalian sovereignty
Westphalian sovereignty, or state sovereignty, is a principle in international law that each state has exclusive sovereignty over its territory. The principle underlies the modern international system of sovereign states and is enshrined in the Un ...
diminished Roman Catholic influence in Europe and led to the consolidation of large states, while Italy was fragmented and divided. The condottieri tradition greatly suffered the political and strategic decline of Italy and never recovered.
List
![Farinata](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Farinata.jpg)
*
Roger de Flor
Roger de Flor (1267 – 30 April 1305), also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was an Italian military adventurer and condottiere active in Aragonese Sicily, Italy, and the Byzantine Empire. He was the ...
(c. 1268–1305)
*
Malatesta da Verucchio
Malatesta da Verucchio (1212–1312) was the founder of the powerful Italian Malatesta family and a notable '' condottiero.'' He was born in Verucchio. He was the son of Malatesta della Penna (1183-1248).
He was the leader of the Guelphs in Romag ...
(1212–1312)
*
Castruccio Castracani
Castruccio Castracani degli Antelminelli (; 1281 – 3 September 1328) was an Italian '' condottiero'' and duke of Lucca.
Biography
Castruccio was born in Lucca, a member of the noble family of Antelminelli, of the Ghibelline party. In 1300 he ...
, Lord of
Lucca
Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957.
Lucca is known as one o ...
(1281–1328)
*
Cangrande della Scala
Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
(1291–1329)
*
Montréal d'Albarno (c. 1315–1354)
*
Walter VI of Brienne
Walter VI of Brienne (c. 1304 – 19 September 1356) was a French nobleman and crusader. He was the count of Brienne in France, the count of Conversano and Lecce in southern Italy and claimant to the Duchy of Athens in Frankish Greece.
Life ...
(c. 1304–1356)
*
Konrad von Landau (died 22 April 1363)
*
Albert Sterz (executed 1366)
*
John Hawkwood
Sir John Hawkwood ( 1323 – 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or '' condottiero'' in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it in ...
(Giovanni Acuto, c. 1320–1394)
*
Giovanni Ordelaffi Giovanni Ordelaffi (1355–1399) was a member of the noble family of Ordelaffi, the Lords of Forlì, in Italy, in the 14th and in the 15th centuries.
Born in Forlì, he was a famous condottiero.
His most famous battle was the Battle of Castagnaro ...
from
Forlì
Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna.
The city is situated along the Via E ...
(1355–1399)
*
Astorre I Manfredi
Astorre Manfredi (c. 1345 – November 28, 1405) was an Italian condottiero. He was the son of Giovanni Manfredi, who had been lord of Faenza (today's Emilia-Romagna) and other castles in the area before the Papal reconquest. Astorre lived ...
(1345–1405)
*
Alberico da Barbiano
Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344–1409) was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's ''compagnia'' fought under the banner of Saint ...
(1344–1409)
*
Johann II (Habsburg-Laufenburg) (c. 1330–1380)
*
Facino Cane de Casale (c. 1360–1412)
*
Angelo Broglio da Lavello, also known as ''Tartaglia'' (1350 or 1370–1421)
* Andrea Fortebracci, better known as
Braccio da Montone
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Braccio da Montone
, title = Prince of Capua
, image = Braccio da Montone.jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, more = no
, succession = Prince of Capua
, reign = {{nowrap, July 1421 – 5 June 1424
, predecessor = R ...
(1368–1424)
*
Muzio Attendolo
Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian '' condottiero''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.
He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan ...
, also called
Sforza
The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last me ...
(Strong) (1369–1424)
*
Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola Francesco Bussone, often called Count of Carmagnola (c. 1382 – 5 May 1432), was an Italian condottiero.
Life
Bussone was born at Carmagnola, near Turin, in a humble peasant family.
He began his military career when twelve years old under Faci ...
(1390–1432)
*
Giovanni Vitelleschi
Giovanni Maria Vitelleschi (1396 – 2 April 1440) was an Italian cardinal and condottiere.
Biography
Vitelleschi was born in Corneto (modern Tarquinia, then part of the Papal States), some kilometers north to Rome. He received a military educ ...
(d. 1440)
*
Erasmo da Narni
Erasmo Stefano of Narni (1370 – 16 January 1443), better known by his nickname of Gattamelata (meaning "Honeyed Cat"), was an Italian '' condottiero'' of the Renaissance. He was born in Narni, and served a number of Italian city-states: he b ...
, also known as ''Gattamelata'' (1370–1443)
*
Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino (1386 – 15 October 1444) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was born in Perugia, the son of a butcher. Piccinino was introduced in the guild of Perugia's butchers. He was later scornfully called "son of a butcher" by ...
(1380–1444)
*
Micheletto Attendolo
Micheletto Attendolo, also called Micheletto da Cotignola, (c. 1370 – February 1463) was an Italian condottiero. He was seigneur of Acquapendente, Potenza, Alianello, Castelfranco Veneto and Pozzolo Formigaro.
Born in Cotignola, he was ...
(Muzio Attendolo's cousin or nephew, c. 1390–c. 1451)
*
Francesco Sforza
Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'A ...
(1401–1466)
*
Onorata Rodiani (1403–1452)
*
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (19 June 1417 – 7 October 1468) was an Italian condottiero and nobleman, a member of the House of Malatesta and lord of Rimini and Fano from 1432. He was widely considered by his contemporaries as one of the mo ...
(1417–1468)
*
Bartolomeo Colleoni
Bartolomeo Colleoni (; 1400 – 2 November 1475) was an Italian condottiero, who became captain-general of the Republic of Venice. Colleoni "gained reputation as the foremost tactician and disciplinarian of the 15th century".''Websters New ...
(c. 1400–1475)
*
Federico III da Montefeltro
Federico da Montefeltro, also known as Federico III da Montefeltro KG (7 June 1422 – 10 September 1482), was one of the most successful mercenary captains (''condottieri'') of the Italian Renaissance, and lord of Urbino from 1444 (as Duke fro ...
(1422–1482)
*
Francesco Alidosi
Francesco Alidosi (145524 May 1511) was an Italian cardinal and condottiero. He accompanied Giuliano della Rovere to France in 1494, and continued in favor when Della Rovere was elected pope, becoming Pope Julius II. Alidosi was elected as bisho ...
(1455–1511)
*
Vitellozzo Vitelli
Vitellozzo Vitelli (c. 1458December 31, 1502) was an Italian condottiero. He was lord of Montone, Città di Castello, Monterchi and Anghiari.
Biography
Together with his father, Niccolò, who became lord of Città di Castello, and his brothers, ...
(1458–1502)
*
Oliverotto Euffreducci
Oliverotto Euffreducci, known as Oliverotto of Fermo (1475, Fermo – 31 December 1502, Senigallia), was an Italian condottiero and lord of Fermo during the pontificate of Alexander VI. His career is described in Niccolò Machiavelli's ''Il Princ ...
(1475–1502)
*
Niccolò di Pitigliano
Niccolò di Pitigliano (1442–1510) was an Italian condottiero best known as the Captain-General of the Venetians during the Most Serene Republic's war against the League of Cambrai. He was a member of the powerful feudal family of the Orsini, ...
(d. 1510)
*
Ettore Fieramosca (1479–1515)
*
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex- cardinal and '' condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major ...
(1475–1507)
*
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna (1452–1523), sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of Spain during the Italian Wars.
Biography
A member of the ancient ...
(1452–1523)
*
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano (c. 1455 – October 1515) was an Italian condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.
Biography
Bartolomeo d'Alviano was born in 1455 ...
(1455–1515)
*
Gian Giacomo Trivulzio
Gian Giacomo Trivulzio (1440 or 1441 – December 5, 1518) was an Italian aristocrat and '' condottiero'' who held several military commands during the Italian Wars.
Biography
Trivulzio was born in Milan, where he studied, among others, w ...
(c. 1441–1518)
*
Piero Strozzi
Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c. 1510 – 21 June 1558) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.
Biography
left, Portrait of Piero Strozzi
Born in Florence, Piero Strozzi was the son of Fili ...
(1510–1558)
*
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi (; lij, Drîa Döia ; 30 November 146625 November 1560) was a Genoese statesman, ', and admiral, who played a key role in the Republic of Genoa during his lifetime.
As the ruler of Genoa, Doria reformed the Repu ...
(1466–1560)
*
Marquis of Pescara (1489–1525)
*
Marquis of Vasto (1502–1546)
*
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Lodovico de' Medici, also known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere (6 April 1498 – 30 November 1526) was an Italian '' condottiero''. He is known for leading the Black Bands and serving valiantly in military combat under his relatives, Pope Leo X an ...
(1498–1526)
*
Ferrante Gonzaga
Ferrante I Gonzaga (also Ferdinando I Gonzaga; 28 January 1507 – 15 November 1557) was an Italian condottiero, a member of the House of Gonzaga and the founder of the branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla.
Biography
He was born in Mantua, the ...
(1507–1557)
*
Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to:
* Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome
*Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew
* Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...
(1545–1592)
*
Torquato Conti
Torquato Conti (1591–1636) was an Italian military commander who served as a General-Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War. His barbarous treatment of defenceless villagers earned him the nickname, ''The Devil''. H ...
(1591–1636)
*
Ambrogio Spinola
Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...
(1569–1630)
*
Ottavio Piccolomini
Ottavio Piccolomini, 1st Duke of Amalfi (11 November 1599 – 11 August 1656) was an Italian nobleman whose military career included service as a Spanish general and then as a field marshal of the Holy Roman Empire.
Early life
Ottavio was bor ...
(1599–1656)
*
Raimondo Montecuccoli (1609–1680)
Principal battles
*
Battle of Montecatini
The Battle of Montecatini was fought in the Val di Nievole on 29 August 1315 between the Republic of Pisa, and the forces of both the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Florence. The army of Pisa, commanded by Uguccione della Faggiuola, won a ...
(1315)
*
Battle of Parabiago
__NOTOC__The Battle of Parabiago was fought in February 1339 near Parabiago, in Lombardy, northern Italy, between the Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti. A renowned condottiero, the latter was an ex ...
(1339) –
Lodrisio Visconti
Lodrisio Visconti (c. 1280 – 1364) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was the son of Pietro, of the powerful Visconti of Milan, and Antiochia Crivelli.
After military training under his father, he helped his cousin Matteo Visconti and ...
's "Company of St. George", for
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
, against
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...
and
Ettore da Panigo for
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
*
Battle of Cascina (1364)
*
War of the Eight Saints
The War of the Eight Saints (1375–1378) was a war between Pope Gregory XI and a coalition of Italian city-states led by Florence that contributed to the end of the Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during whic ...
(1375–1378)
*
Cesena Bloodbath (1377) –
Papal
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
mercenaries under
John Hawkwood
Sir John Hawkwood ( 1323 – 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or '' condottiero'' in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it in ...
slaughtered more than 2,000 citizens of
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137.
History
Cesena was o ...
.
*
Battle of Castagnaro
The Battle of Castagnaro was fought on 11 March 1387 at Castagnaro (today's Veneto, northern Italy) between Verona and Padua. It is one of the most famous battles of the Italian condottieri age.
The army of Verona was led by Giovanni Ordelaffi a ...
(1387) –
Giovanni Ordelaffi Giovanni Ordelaffi (1355–1399) was a member of the noble family of Ordelaffi, the Lords of Forlì, in Italy, in the 14th and in the 15th centuries.
Born in Forlì, he was a famous condottiero.
His most famous battle was the Battle of Castagnaro ...
, for Verona, against
John Hawkwood
Sir John Hawkwood ( 1323 – 17 March 1394) was an English soldier who served as a mercenary leader or '' condottiero'' in Italy. As his name was difficult to pronounce for non-English-speaking contemporaries, there are many variations of it in ...
, for
Padova
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
.
*
Battle of Casalecchio (1402) –
Alberico da Barbiano
Alberico da Barbiano (c. 1344–1409) was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's ''compagnia'' fought under the banner of Saint ...
, for Milan, against
Muzio Attendolo
Muzio Attendolo Sforza (28 May 1369 – 4 January 1424), was an Italian '' condottiero''. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.
He was the father of Francesco Sforza, who ruled Milan ...
and others for the Bolognese-Florentine league.
*
Battle of Motta (1412)
*
Battle of Sant'Egidio (1416) –
Braccio da Montone
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Braccio da Montone
, title = Prince of Capua
, image = Braccio da Montone.jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, CoA =
, more = no
, succession = Prince of Capua
, reign = {{nowrap, July 1421 – 5 June 1424
, predecessor = R ...
, for himself, against
Carlo I Malatesta
Carlo I Malatesta (June 1368 – 13 September 1429) (also Carlo of Rimini) was an Italian condottiero during the Wars in Lombardy and lord of Rimini, Fano, Cesena and Pesaro. He was a member of the powerful House of Malatesta. Carlo's wife ...
, for
Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
.
*
Battle of Maclodio
The Battle of Maclodio was fought on 11 October 1427, resulting in a victory for the Venetians under Carmagnola over the Milanese under Carlo I Malatesta. The battle was fought at Maclodio (or Macalo), a small town near the River Oglio, fifte ...
(1427) –
Count of Carmagnola, for
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, against
Carlo I Malatesta
Carlo I Malatesta (June 1368 – 13 September 1429) (also Carlo of Rimini) was an Italian condottiero during the Wars in Lombardy and lord of Rimini, Fano, Cesena and Pesaro. He was a member of the powerful House of Malatesta. Carlo's wife ...
, for
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
*
Battle of San Romano
The Battle of San Romano was fought on 1 June 1432, in San Romano, some 30 miles outside Florence,Private Life of a Masterpiece, BBC TV between the troops of Florence, commanded by Niccolò da Tolentino, and Siena, under Francesco Piccinino. ...
(1432) –
Niccolò da Tolentino
Niccolò Mauruzzi (or Mauruzi), best known as Niccolò da Tolentino ( – March 20, 1435) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
A member of the Mauruzi della Stacciola family of Tolentino, he fled from that city in 1370 after a dispute with his ...
, for
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, against
Francesco Piccinino
260px, Latin epitaph of Francesco Piccinino.
Francesco Piccinino (c. 1407 – 16 October 1449) was an Italian condottiero.
He was the adopted son of the condottiero Niccolò Piccinino, (1386-1444), making him the adopted brother of Jacopo P ...
, for
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
.
*
Battle of Anghiari (1440)
The Battle of Anghiari was fought on 29 June 1440, between the forces of Milan and the League of some Italian states led by the Republic of Florence in the course of the Wars in Lombardy. The battle was a victory for the Florentines, securing F ...
–
Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino (1386 – 15 October 1444) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was born in Perugia, the son of a butcher. Piccinino was introduced in the guild of Perugia's butchers. He was later scornfully called "son of a butcher" by ...
, for
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, against
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
and
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, under
Micheletto Attendolo
Micheletto Attendolo, also called Micheletto da Cotignola, (c. 1370 – February 1463) was an Italian condottiero. He was seigneur of Acquapendente, Potenza, Alianello, Castelfranco Veneto and Pozzolo Formigaro.
Born in Cotignola, he was ...
.
*
Battle of Bosco Marengo (1447)
*
Battle of Molinella
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict=Battle of Molinella
, image= Malpaga5.JPG
, image_size = 320
, caption=Depiction of the battle in the Malpaga Castle
, partof=
, date=July 25, 1467
, place= Molinella, Province of Bologna
, result=indecis ...
(1467)
*
Battle of Crevola (1487)
*
Battle of Fornovo (1495) – The
Italian League
The Italic League or Most Holy League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on 30 August 1454, between the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples, following the Tr ...
against
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable (french: l'Affable; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13.Paul Murray Kendall, ''Louis XI: The Universal Spider'' (Ne ...
*
Battle of Agnadello (1509) –
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo d'Alviano (c. 1455 – October 1515) was an Italian condottiero and captain who distinguished himself in the defence of the Venetian Republic against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian.
Biography
Bartolomeo d'Alviano was born in 1455 ...
, for
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the Italian League.
*
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–1526 between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg empire of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor as well as ruler of Spain, Au ...
(1525) –
Fernando d'Avalos
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
for the Empire of
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infan ...
against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
*
Battle of Marciano
The Battle of Marciano (also known as the Battle of Scannagallo) occurred in the countryside of Marciano della Chiana, near Arezzo, Tuscany, on August 2, 1554, during the Italian War of 1551. The battle marked the defeat of the Republic of Sie ...
(1554) –
Gian Giacomo Medici
250px, Gian Giacomo Medici, ''Il Medeghino'', in a 16th-century engraving
Gian Giacomo Medici (25 January 1498 – 8 November 1555) was an Italian condottiero who became a noted Spanish general, Duke of Marignano and Marquess of Musso and Lecco ...
for Florence and the Holy Roman Empire against
Piero Strozzi
Piero (or Pietro) Strozzi (c. 1510 – 21 June 1558) was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.
Biography
left, Portrait of Piero Strozzi
Born in Florence, Piero Strozzi was the son of Fili ...
for Siena and France.
*
Fall of Antwerp
The Fall of Antwerp on 17 August 1585 took place during the Eighty Years' War, after a siege lasting over a year from July 1584 until August 1585. The city of Antwerp was the focal point of the Protestant-dominated Dutch Revolt, but was force ...
(1585) –
Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to:
* Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome
*Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew
* Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...
for Catholic Spain against Dutch Protestants and England
*
Siege of Paris (1590)
The siege of Paris took place in 1590 during the French Wars of Religion when the French Royal Army under Henry of Navarre, and supported by the Huguenots, failed to capture the city of Paris from the Catholic League. Paris was finally relieve ...
– Alexander Farnese for the Catholic League against Royal France, England and the Huguenots
*
Palatinate campaign
The Palatinate campaign (30 August 1620 – 27 August 1623), also known as the Spanish conquest of the Palatinate or the Palatinate phase of the Thirty Years' War was a campaign conducted by the Imperial army against the Protestant Union i ...
(1620–1622) –
Ambrogio Spinola
Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...
for Spain and Holy Roman Empire against the
Electorate of Palatinate
The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a Imperial State, state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Lis ...
* The
Wars of Castro
The Wars of Castro were a series of conflicts during the mid-17th century revolving around the ancient city of Castro (located in present-day Lazio, Italy), which eventually resulted in the city's destruction on 2 September 1649. The conflict w ...
(1641–1649) – between popes
Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As p ...
and
Innocent X
Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in January ...
and the
Duchy of Parma
The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza ( it, Ducato di Parma e Piacenza, la, Ducatus Parmae et Placentiae), was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna.
Originally a realm of the Farnese ...
.
References
Sources
*Machiavelli, Niccolò. ''History of Florence''. book I, ch. vii
on-line text
*Rendina, Claudio (1992). ''I Capitani di ventura''. Newton Compton.
*Ricotti, Ercole (1844–1845). ''Storia delle compagnie di ventura in Italia'', 4 vols.
*Lenman, B., Anderson, T., eds. (2000). ''Chambers Dictionary of World History'', Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd.,
*
*Димов, Г. Войната в италийските земи през късното Средновековие: кондотиерите – В: сп. Алманах, I, 2015, 30–43.
External links
*
*
ttp://www.condottieridiventura.it Condottieri di ventura – a complete database about Condottieri operating in Italy between 1300–1550
{{Authority control
Mercenary units and formations of the Middle Ages
16th century in Italy
Medieval Italy
Warfare of the Middle Ages