Italian Condottieri

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

What is the meaning for the Italian word Condottieri? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-thinking.gif

Historical meaning, that is...

[Auxilia]

It comes from the word Condotte which was the contract drawn up between the mercenary captain and his employer. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[DemonArchangel]

yes
Contractor

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

So, a Condottieri is a mercenary? Any type of mercenary?

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I thought it was mainly men at arms. John Hawkwood led a mercenary force of some 4,000 to italy and worked for Florence, i think.

[Michiel de Ruyter]

Just going from memory, so please forgive if I am wrong...

A condotteri was a mercenary (usually), and IIRC more specifically a commander, with or without a troop of his own (preferably and usually with).... Aim for the Italian cities was to hire a general who would be able to beat of the enemies of the other cities... Some rose to great power, and became to dominate the republics, and eventually took over, either offically or just de facto.

Examples, IIRC of this were the Sforza's in Milan, and the Dukes of Urbino.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Thank you all for the answers http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-thumbsup.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Auxilia]

Michiel and Blind King are correct Aymer, mounted knights/men-at-arms tended to predominate in Condottiere units - the Italian states tended to raise large numbers of fairly good quality infantry on their own, but there were variations to the rule. Hawkwood brought large numbers of longbowmen with him, and there were other Englishmen who made the trip to Italy during the same period.

Incidentally, mercenary knights not attached to a condottiere were employed in substantial numbers, being referred to as 'lanze spezzatte' or 'broken lances'.