Here is an example of old fashioned Italian fortifications: a tower within Castel Bolognese (in Northern Italy, between Imola and Faenza) was judged too high to resist to bombards, hence the Bolognese government ordered to lower it. Spectabilis eques civis et … Continue reading →| De Re Militari
He set off from Pisa on the 26th of December along with don Ferrante [d’Este], Filippo Albanese, Annibale da Doccia, some 140 men-at-arms lightly equipped with their sallets, Giovanni Greco and other commanders of 500 mounted crossbowmen and stradiotti. They rode the whole night in order to get to Montopoli; and so as to cross the river [the Arno] easily they waded across it near Pontedera, where many artillery shots were fired at them. One grazed the aforesaid provveditore’s arm, whi...| De Re Militari
Ill.mo S.re mio. Per le altre gente che sono passate ho fatto scrivere a V. Ex.a et così farò per quelle passaranno. Ma de queste che sono oggi passate, ho deliberato per questa de mia mano dare adviso a la S.V., non perché la cosa sia de importantia alchuna, ma per mio piacere, parendomi mentre ch’io scrivo di ragionar cum v.a cel.ne. Essendo adunque quella occupata, differisca el legere questa mia et anche non la legendo non ne farà molta perdita. Dico adunque che hoggi è passato...| De Re Militari
The following is a letter from Ludovico il Moro, duke of Milan to the new commander of Milan castle in January 1490.| De Re Militari
The matter in hand prompts me to say a few words about the equipment of the English soldiery. There is hardly any without a helmet, and none without bows and arrows; their bows and arrows are thicker and longer than those used by other nations, just as their bodies are stronger than other peoples’, for they seem to have hands and arms of iron. The range of their bows is no less than that of our arbalests; there hangs by the side of each a sword no less long than ours, but heavy and thic...| De Re Militari
In 1480, a Florentine named Giovanni Ridolfi traveled from Milan to Genoa. His observations on his journey include the following description of a castle in Milan.| De Re Militari
Dilecte noster. Voressemo che come da te tu monstrassi haver inteso che nui a questa Pasqua de Mazo proxima vogliamo far trare cum le balestre quatro o cinque presii, tra li quali ge ne serà uno forsi de XX braza de veluto. Et vedesti intravenire se in lo tuo vicariato ge fosse alcuno che dicesse voler venir a trar et che havesse la balestra che fosse sua. Et ne avisasti de quanti ne fossero in esso tuo vicariato et il nome loro, non monstrando de ciò haver havuto lettera alcuna da nui.| De Re Militari
Graff Friederich von Cilli und graff Ulrich die endtsagten dem von Oesterreich mit aller ihrer macht; und desgleichen der fürst von Oesterreich ihn herwieder und griffen zu beiden seiten mit raub und mit brandt einander an etc. In demselbigen krieg kam ein Bechamb zu dem von Cilli, genandt Jann Wittowecz; der wardt zu haubtmann über den gereisigen zeug gemacht oder gesazt, dem auch darnach der von Cilli durch seiner redligkeit und wohlthat willen das schloss Greben in Windischen landen gele...| De Re Militari