The Condottiero
During a medieval reenactment, a young man played the role of Francesco I Gonzaga (1366-1407), first Marquess of Mantua and Condottiero at the service of the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Italian word and title Condottiero, or Condottiere, refers only to the leaders of the professional military free Companies of mercenaries, contracted by the Italian City States, the Holy Roman Emperor and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance. During the Renaissance "condottiero" meant "contractor". In contemporary Italian, "condottiero" acquired the broader meaning of "military leader", not restricted to mercenaries. In Italian historiography, Renaissance mercenary captains are usually called Capitani di ventura (literally "venture captains").
Photo: my own
Texture by Ana Librillana : www.flickr.com/photos/62776155@N02/6834721049/in/album-72...
Photostream : www.flickr.com/photos/62776155@N02/
The Condottiero
During a medieval reenactment, a young man played the role of Francesco I Gonzaga (1366-1407), first Marquess of Mantua and Condottiero at the service of the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Italian word and title Condottiero, or Condottiere, refers only to the leaders of the professional military free Companies of mercenaries, contracted by the Italian City States, the Holy Roman Emperor and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance. During the Renaissance "condottiero" meant "contractor". In contemporary Italian, "condottiero" acquired the broader meaning of "military leader", not restricted to mercenaries. In Italian historiography, Renaissance mercenary captains are usually called Capitani di ventura (literally "venture captains").
Photo: my own
Texture by Ana Librillana : www.flickr.com/photos/62776155@N02/6834721049/in/album-72...
Photostream : www.flickr.com/photos/62776155@N02/