The Armour Archive

Anybody have links to some websites that cover info on 1360's Italy?

I am just bumming around and wanted to surf some pertanent info on the web... but after years of just using the web to read this page... I'm not so hot at surfing anymore... I'm wiping out all over the place...

Help please?

Any specific questions?

Anything, anything at all... was wanting to better aquaint myself with my chosen time frame and local within the SCA...

The Italians in the 14th century? They were at the cutting edge of fashion- both in armour and clothing. Northern Italy has access to Germany, the Balkans, and France. It's a great place to be. As far as what is going on...the cities are almost like little Kingdoms, and there were many urban knights who lived in city homes and apartments.

Neopolitan Succession Wars!
Rah! Half-pagan horse-archers all over Italy! Fire, Calamity, and the English! Dogs and cats, living together!

It's a pretty interesting time.

1360? A great year. The Peace of Bretagne has been signed, bringing about a truce in the direct fighting between England and France. The Bretons and Gascons are free to go back to their internecine quarrels, the English relax on their laurels, and the French try to rebuild. Thousands of mercenaries (men at arms, eschourchers, pillagers, archers, and common bandits) are thrown out of work. In Bretagne and Gascony they find ready employment or strike out on their own. In the South of France one of the Great Companies lays siege to the papal town of Avignon and defeats a French army at Brignais (actually in 1361). Some of them continue into Northern Italy, finding employment with the Marquis de Montressat in his war against the Duke of Milan. These 'English' mercenaries quickly supplant the Germans who have dominated the mercenary scene for over 50 years. Exciting times.

For my part I prefer Valencia in 1368. Mercenary forces released by King Enrique de Trastamara after an easy and profitable campaign under Bertrand Du Guesclin linger on their way back to Gascony as they consider their options: take service with one of the Gascon barons in their constant feuding, heed the rumors that the Black Prince will lead an expedition on behalf of Pedro the Cruel against his brother King Enrique and return to Northern Spain, take ship and return to Italy where Sir John Hawkwood is hiring, perhaps an independent raid into the adjacent Muslim kingdom, or perhaps seize a fortified town and make a go of organized brigandage like the old days in France.... All the while enjoying the benefits of being on a major trade route: cotton, playing cards, oranges, rice, almonds, dates, silks, coffee, lemons, and hundreds of other items seen but rarely, if at all, in the Northern climes.

And the Black Death has just killed off 25 million people (1347 - 1352) so there is low unemployment! Buyers' market for real estate as well!

Broadway, as you can tell from the above posts, you have chosen a delicious time and place to be.
The history of this period hasn't changed much of late, so I would suggest you may want to snuggle up with a good book on the subject instead of the glaring computer screen.

I can't reccommend one, but I'm sure others could.

Erik

A little later and you could play with a good Englishman named Sir John Hawkwood, the essence of a Parfait and gentel Knight

BWAHAHAHahhahahahahahah Hawkwood...gentel!!!

The mad dog killer merc son of a Tanner! hahahahah

He did spend time in Italy salughtering whole towns.

Murdock wrote:A little later and you could play with a good Englishman named Sir John Hawkwood, the essence of a Parfait and gentel Knight

BWAHAHAHahhahahahahahah Hawkwood...gentel!!!

The mad dog killer merc son of a Tanner! hahahahah

He did spend time in Italy salughtering whole towns.

Actually 1360 is just fine. Hawkwood went into Italy after the extortion of Avignon as part of the contingent that found service in the war against the Duke of Milan. He then joined the great company, under Werner von Urslingen (as I recall) as a subordinate troop leader. After the dissolution of the Great Company he found an independent condotta and began his rise to prominence in Italy.

The only time Hawkwood was involved in the wholesale slaughter and sack of a town was when his Papal paymaster (a Cardinal) ordered it. Even then most of the slaughter was carried out by Breton troops (who were largely regarded as vicious animals by the Italians).