Italian Medieval Armies 1000-1300

Una splendida collana di volumi illustrati dai più famosi disegnatori: ogni opera offre una panoramica sintetica ma completa sulle uniformi, le insegne, gli equipaggiamenti, ecc. di famosi corpi militari dalle legioni romane alla seconda guerra mondiale e oltre.

As early as the 11th century, Italian warfare was developing along lines which were unique in medieval Europe. This fragmented, cosmopolitan region, increasingly rich from international trade, saw the rise of independent cities able to fund armies of urban militia, sometimes defying the traditional feudal aristocracy. Against this background regional powers - the Normans, the Papacy, the German Emperors, the Angevins and Aragonese - manoeuvred for advantage. This engrossing account of the armies of northern and southern Italy - their organisation, command structure, strategy, tactics and fortifications - is illustrated with rare manuscript images, diagrams of fortifications, and eight striking colour plates showing armour and weapons of all types.