Renaissance Armies in Italy 1450–1550
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- ISBN 9781472841995
- Weight: 180g
- Dimensions: 184 x 246mm
- Publication Date: 26 Nov 2020
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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The Italian Renaissance marked a period of political and military turmoil, which saw trained infantry and firearms challenging the domination of heavy armoured cavalry.
Many regional wars were fought between the states ruled by Milan, Venice, Genoa, Florence, the Papacy, Siena and Naples. Major foreign powers also exploited these divisions to invade Italy: both France and Spain made temporary alliances with city states to further their ambitions, and early in the 16th century the Emperor Charles V sent armies from his German realms to support the Spanish.
These wars coincided with the growth of disciplined infantry – carrying not only polearms and crossbows but also handguns – which proved capable of challenging the previously dominant armoured knights. The widespread use of mercenaries ushered in the early development of the 'pike and shot' era that succeeded the 'High Middle Ages'. During this period costumes, armour and weapons varied greatly due to their national origins and to the evolution of tactics and technology.
This masterfully illustrated study offers a fascinating insight into the many armies which fought in Italy during this turbulent period, explaining not only their arms and equipment, but also their structure and successes and failures on the battlefield.
Gabriele Esposito is a university professor of modern history and a freelance researcher and author of military history, specializing in uniformology. His interests range from ancient civilizations to modern post-colonial conflicts, and his books and essays have been published by a variety of publishers and military journals.
Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963 and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe is a leading military history artist and is inspired by the works of Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy.
