[Gabriele A. Pini]

Good day to all you!

I'm a member of the "Compagnia del Nibbio", a group of renactors from Como (North Italy) who are interested in the reproduction of the military company of the Castello Baradello, left by the emperor Federico I for defend the city from the attacks of Milan. We tour the north and center Italy with our tents, siege machines and armors.

We have a section of medieval kitchen and one of siege (two catapults), but my interest is in the arms and armors of the period, expecially for the use of farmers and artisans tools: we are a company of semi-mercenary, a mix of soldier of profession ("assoldati" from the comune) and levies from the same city, with medium-poor armor and weapons.

What advices can you give me (with an eye to our need for the renactors)?

Some points that are in discussion:
1. The diffusion of the arming sword: I know that was a very rare weapon, hard to come by and harder to use, but someone can give me an idea of this rarity?
2. The use and diffusion of polearms, the most used weapons for a footman of the period.
3. Other than mail coif and usberk, gambeson and the bacinet, what other type of armors were used in north Italy?

For reference and critics you can see some our photos in the section "Multimedia" of the site http://www.compagnianibbio.altervista.org

Adelandeyo!

[Bruno Giordan]

Well, you already have written that it wasnt so much diffused in your website .. anyway, i guess it was better than we can think.

Northern italian communal militias would reflect the well being of our cities

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...t=bonvesin

More than of diffusion of swords we should think of military tactics, as it seems quite sure that the most important weapons in battle were polearms, with the lance being the queen in early medieval periods.

I'm also in italian reenactment, I see that most reenactors like the sword. you should also consider that using lances in a melee could be very dangerous,as they are more difficult to control, while rounding points is not enough to avoid danger.

English reenactors also have devised a special spear that culminates into a little sphere, still amde out of steel.

I would match historical correctness with safety by using lances made of a rattan pole in the proper shape and a lance made up with movie prop soft materials.

[James R.Fox]

Hi Gabriele-Just off-hand, if you are using city militia, you need more crossbowmen, The 12th cent is when the crossbow became popular, and the North Italians were famous for companies of crossbomen espically Milan and Pavia They finally defeated Emperior Fredrick II in the erily 13th century you know.

[Gabriele A. Pini]

Tnks for the replies

The problems of safety of the lances is one of the most discussed topics in my company, and is strictly connected to the diffusion of swords. We tried to use some others weapons in mock-fighting, like my falchion or a warhammer, but in large battles this weapons are too frightening for the others actors... Swords are perceived as not so dangerous respect to a hammer. We use some low-quality swords for this finality, described as scraps of battle or of forge...

For the crossbow I would like to do some more research in the subject first: Como was influenced in this period more from the empire (also, our arcidiocesi was Aquileia, not Milano) and the north Europe than the Italy (we were allie with the empire against the Lega Lombarda).