Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History / The Condottieri: Italy's Mercenary Captains of the Renaissance
Transcript
- Luna: So we've talked about popes and emperors, bankers and artists... but I feel like we've barely touched on the warfare that made all that possible. Or impossible. Lucas: You're right, and it's a huge part of the story. Because for much of the Renaissance, Italy wasn't fought over by national armies — it was fought over by private contractors. Mercenary captains called condottieri. The word comes from condotta, meaning 'contract'. And these men — they were entrepreneurs of violence. Lucas: They led what were called 'free companies' — bands of professional soldiers who'd fight for whoever paid them. And some of them became incredibly powerful. A few even became dukes. But the whole system had a dark side, and it's a story that connects to almost every episode we've done, from the Lombard League to Machiavelli. Luna: So when did this start? Like, when did city-states start hiring mercenaries instead of raising their own armies? Lucas: It really takes off in the 13th century, but there's a key early moment: the Sicilian Vespers in 1282. That's a rebellion against French rule in Sicily, and it was orchestrated in part by a man named Giovanni da Procida — a doctor and diplomat who basically acted as a freelance conspirator, stirring up trouble for the Angevin king. He's not a condottiero in the military sense, but he foreshadows the whole idea of hiring specialists to do your dirty work. Lucas: After the Vespers, the wars in southern Italy drew in mercenaries from all over Europe. And then, during the 14th century, you get these huge, roving bands called the Great Companies. The most notorious was the Company of the Rose, led by a Frenchman named Fra' Moriale — who was actually a knight of St. John. He and his men terrorized central Italy, holding towns for ransom. Luna: Wait — a knight of St. John? Like, a crusader? Acting as a bandit in Italy? Lucas: Exactly. And that's the thing — these were often experienced soldiers from the Hundred Years' War or the Crusades, who found themselves unemployed when peace broke out. So they formed companies and sold their services. Fra' Moriale was eventually captured and executed in Rome in 1354, but his company didn't disappear — it was taken over by a man you might have heard of: John Hawkwood. Lucas: Hawkwood was an English archer who fought in the Hundred Years' War, then came to Italy with the White Company. He ended up leading it, and for decades, he was the most famous condottiero in Italy. He fought for Florence, for Milan, for the Pope — whoever paid. And he was good at it. He even has a fresco in the Duomo in Florence, a monument to his skill. Luna: A mercenary gets a monument in a cathedral? That says something about how important they were. Lucas: It does. Florence was proud of him, even though he changed sides a few times. But Hawkwood was also part of a peculiar style of warfare that developed in the 14th and 15th centuries. It's often called 'war without blood' — because condottieri were expensive assets, and no one wanted to lose them in a real battle. So they'd maneuver, skirmish, but avoid decisive engagements. Some historians say the famous Battle of Anghiari in 1440, which Leonardo da Vinci later painted, had only one casualty — a man who fell off his horse. Luna: That sounds almost... gentlemanly. But I know it didn't stay that way. Lucas: No, it didn't. Because the system had a built-in flaw: loyalty was only as good as the paycheck. And when a condottiero wasn't paid — or saw a better offer — he might switch sides mid-campaign. Or worse, he might decide to take power for himself. That's what happened with Francesco Sforza in Milan. He was hired by the last Visconti duke, but when the duke died without an heir, Sforza used his army to seize the city and made himself duke in 1450. That's a condottiero becoming a ruler. Luna: So the system could create its own kings. But it could also destroy them. Lucas: Absolutely. And there's no better example than Carmagnola. He was a famous condottiero who fought for Milan, then switched to Venice. And he won some big battles for them. But the Venetians — they were famously suspicious. In 1432, they invited him to Venice for a celebration, arrested him in the Doge's Palace, and had him executed on the Piazzetta. They didn't trust him, and they were ruthless about it. Lucas: The Venetian Republic had a policy: they'd hire condottieri, but they'd also make sure the condottieri never became too powerful. They'd play them off against each other, and if one seemed a threat, they'd eliminate him. It's a dark side of Renaissance statecraft. Luna: So where does Machiavelli fit in? He wrote about mercenaries in The Prince, right? Lucas: He did. Machiavelli hated condottieri. In The Prince, he says they're 'useless and dangerous' — because they're disloyal, they avoid real fighting, and they're only interested in their own profit. He argued that a state should have its own citizen army, loyal to the republic. And in Florence, he actually tried to create one — but it didn't go well. The militia he raised was defeated by the Spanish in 1512. Lucas: But Machiavelli's critique was prescient. By the end of the 15th century, the French and Spanish invasions of Italy brought a new kind of warfare — with disciplined infantry, artillery, and national armies. The condottieri, with their small, expensive companies, couldn't compete. The Swiss pikemen, for example, were hired by the French, and they were far more reliable than any Italian free company. Luna: So the condottieri kind of faded away as Italy became a battleground for the big European powers? Lucas: Exactly. The Italian Wars, which we covered in episode 22, essentially ended the era of the condottiero. The last great one might be Giovanni dalle Bande Nere — a Medici cousin who fought with innovative tactics and was killed in 1526. After that, mercenaries still existed, but they were mostly foreign — like the German Landsknechte or Spanish tercios. The age of the Italian freelance captain was over. Luna: It's strange to think that this system, which seems so unstable, actually kept Italy in a kind of balance for over a century. Lucas: It did. Because the condottieri were expensive and cautious, they often prolonged wars but also prevented total destruction. Until the big powers showed up, that is. Then the mercenaries couldn't protect anyone. It's a fascinating system — part business, part warfare, part politics. And it's a reminder that the Renaissance wasn't just about art and learning. It was also about violence, money, and the men who sold their swords. Luna: And the cities that hired them — like Florence and Venice — they were savvy enough to use them, but also smart enough to fear them. Lucas: Exactly. The condottiero is a perfect mirror of the Renaissance itself: brilliant, ruthless, and ultimately a product of its time. Thanks for joining me on this one, Luna. Luna: Always a pleasure, Lucas. Next time, maybe we'll look at the other side — the people who actually lived through these mercenary armies. Lucas: That's a great idea. Until then, take care.