Blog - Armor of a North Italian man-at-arms (1380-1450)

Introduction

The appearance of a knight’s (or man-at-arms') armor changed throughout the medieval period. In this blog, we take a look at the equipment of an Italian man-at-arms in the early fifteenth century to help you choose your own setup.

The Hundred Years' War between England and France would continue until 1453. Periods of warfare were interrupted by brief peaces, during which both countries needed time to rebuild after intense conflict. In Italy, a series of prolonged conflicts were also brewing. The rise of major rivals like Venice and Genoa in the late fourteenth century had led to a sort of Cold War between two major alliances in Northern Italy. This would erupt into active warfare in 1423 in the form of the Lombard Wars between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan. These wars would divide Northern Italy into several large power blocs, emerging from the patchwork of individual city-states of the previous centuries. The arms race between the warring alliances led to the development of the characteristic ‘Milanese’ plate armor.

Armor Developments

By the fifteenth century, clear regional differences emerged in plate armor styles. The North Italian (Milanese) style, which emphasized large, rounded shapes, is evident in much of the art and excavations from this period.

Weak spots in armor were increasingly protected with articulated plate armor. Shoulder plates, for instance, now included ‘besagews,’ round plates designed to protect the armpits. In Northern Italy, the slowly emerging ‘white armor,’ a style where the armor was no longer covered with fabric, became fashionable. This style would later become popular in France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.

The bascinet gradually fell out of use in favor of the armet across France, Italy, and England throughout the fifteenth century. This helmet featured a complex foldable construction to better fit the head. Early armets had a bevor that fastened over the helmet to offer extra protection for the neck. While the armet remained exclusive to the aristocracy, the sallet, another helmet that replaced the bascinet, was worn by both common soldiers and knights. In the Holy Roman Empire, the sallet was almost exclusively used as part of the Gothic style. Nevertheless, the bascinet continued to be used as an open helmet.

Lorenzo's Ensemble

The year is 1433. The young Florentine man-at-arms Lorenzo is embroiled in a political power struggle within his city’s republic. Although Florence is nominally a democracy, powerful and wealthy families hold the real power. As a great admirer of ancient Rome, art, and culture, he supports Cosimo de' Medici, the ‘first among equals’ in the Florentine republic. This powerful ruler, besides being a popular politician, is also a patron of artists such as Donatello but was exiled by his rivals that same year due to his popularity. Lorenzo hopes to aid in freeing this ‘Pater Patriae’ to rebuild Florence as a revival of the Roman Republic, which he often fantasizes about in his daily role as a city guard.

Note: This ensemble is based on a North Italian knight from the early fifteenth century, but a similar setup would have been used in other parts of Europe (such as France during the Hundred Years' War).

Ensemble

Outfit

When Lorenzo is not wearing his armor, he dons a cotehardie or arming doublet, chausses, a red cap, a belt with his sword, and pointed shoes.

Undershirt

Bright colors were preferred, contrary to how this period is often depicted. If affordable, their clothing was richly decorated, but even without embellishments, medieval clothing was quite expensive. Wearing an undershirt kept the outer layer cleaner from the body and required less frequent washing, which helped prevent color fading.

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Braies with Chausses

In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, chausses (long hose) were generally worn. These long stockings were attached to the braies (underpants) and usually worn under long gowns.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/trousers-gisbert.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-chausses-with-laces-red.html

During this period, there was also a gradual transition to full-length breeches. It is a personal choice to wear chausses or breeches, but later in the fifteenth century, breeches became the norm.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/mi-parti-pants-gustav-black-red.html

TIP: Chausses and fifteenth-century breeches should fit snugly to the body. During the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, it was common to tie a lace or leather cord below the knee to tighten the breeches and chausses, improving their fit on the legs. This is a matter of personal preference but adds easy historical detail to your outfit.

Cap

The cap was a popular headwear for men in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially in Southern Europe. It was worn primarily by men of higher status, such as burghers and nobility.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-felt-hat-duerer-red-92407729.html

Cotehardie

The cotehardie was a long, flowing garment that was fashionable throughout the medieval period. Bright colors were preferred, contrary to the often-muted portrayal of this period. If affordable, their clothing was richly adorned, but even plain garments were quite costly in the Middle Ages. The wealth of the Florence guilds of tailors and weavers was a significant part of the formation of the republic. When Lorenzo wears his cotehardie, he sometimes imagines it as a toga from ancient Rome.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/renaissance-tunic-rafael-black.html

Lorenzo also wears a shirt under his cotehardie. Wearing an undershirt kept medieval clothing cleaner from the body and reduced the need for frequent washing, which helped prevent color fading.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/shirt-ulrich-natural.html

Arming Doublet

In the fifteenth century, fashion shifted from long, flowing garments to short, fitted clothing. Men began wearing doublets, which ended around the hips and emphasized the chest and waist. Full-length breeches also started to become more fashionable.

A gambeson provided a layer of padded protection under mail and plate armor, but was worn on its own by poorer soldiers. With advancements in armor, thick gambesons became unnecessary for knights, who started wearing a thinner, lighter padded variant that also aligned with contemporary fashion—the arming doublet. This snug version of the gambeson could have armor parts attached that fit closely to the body.

In Italy, the arming doublet was even worn as everyday attire by civilians and non-military nobility to give a martial appearance, similar to wearing combat boots or camouflage clothing today. Lorenzo embraces this look and wears his arming doublet in daily life.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-black-arming-doublet-canvas-cotton.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-acketon.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-doublet-red.html

Belt

People from all social classes hung pouches and other items from their belts. When assembling your outfit, consider what you would find essential to carry in your daily life as a knight, such as your cutlery and sword.

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TIP: Medieval belts were often very long, sometimes as a status symbol to show how much extra leather the wearer could afford. To wear such belts comfortably, a small loop was placed at the buckle to allow the long end of the belt to hang down.

Shoes

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, men wore pointed shoes. Over time, the fashion trend was to make these shoes increasingly long and pointed. On the battlefield, however, the shape of the shoes was more modest to prevent tripping during combat.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/late-medieval-shoes-linhard.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-poulaines-1200-1400.html

TIP: To give your outfit an authentic look, you can add your own accessories and adjustments. Often, people adorned their hats with feathers and brooches. Jewelry not only displayed wealth but also status: for instance, nobility wore signet rings to stamp their signature on important documents. The accessories you choose help tell your own story.

Armor

For armor, Lorenzo wears an open helmet, mail hauberk, breastplate, shoulder and arm plates, gauntlets, and leg armor.

TIP: Throughout the Middle Ages, knights had squires or other attendants to help them don their armor: plate armor was rarely designed to be put on by the wearer alone. We recommend asking someone to help you fit, dress, and adjust your armor. Click here to learn how to put on armor.

Girdle (Lendenier)

An arming doublet or other gambeson often had points to attach armor for the lower body, but this was not always the case. Therefore, a girdle was frequently worn to secure leg pieces and mail skirts to the body.

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Mail Hauberk

The hauberk, or mail shirt with short sleeves, became increasingly used in the fifteenth century due to developments in arm armor. Italian knights would continue to wear full mail shirts until the end of the fifteenth century.

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TIP: You can adjust your mail hauberk to your size by removing rings, but a simple way is to tie the sleeves with leather cords at the elbows.

Bishop’s Mantle

Lorenzo wears a bishop’s mantle around his neck and shoulders to protect them under his armor. This relatively inexpensive form of neck protection from mail was used throughout Europe until the sixteenth century.

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Helmet

To protect his head, Lorenzo uses an open helmet. He wears a bascinet, a design that was becoming outdated by his time. He hopes soon to have a Barbute or sallet made by a Florentine armorer to incorporate his fascination with antiquity into his armor.

In the early fifteenth century, in addition to closed helmets, open helmets were often worn to give the wearer a better field of vision and assist in issuing commands. This was especially true when the threat from the enemy was not immediate. It was also a matter of personal preference whether a knight wore an open helmet or one with a visor. Lorenzo wears an open bascinet because he values a good field of vision during combat.

Bascinet

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/bascinet-basic.html

In Italy, alongside the bascinet, the sallet and barbute were popular forms of open helmet. The Barbute was inspired by helmets from Greek antiquity, a period that saw renewed interest due to the rise of the Renaissance in the early fifteenth century. You can choose which type of helmet to include in your ensemble.

Here are examples of other open helmets from this period:

Breastplate

Lorenzo wears a breastplate with faulds over his mail hauberk, articulating plates that protect his hips. Not every man-at-arms could afford a full cuirass or found it necessary for use. Often, infantrymen only had a breastplate to save weight, as back protection was less crucial when fighting in formation.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/milanese-infantry-chestplate.html

Arm and Shoulder Armor

Fiore’s arms and shoulders are protected by plate armor pieces that move with the body. Since his arms are a significant target, they are fully protected with plate armor.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/arm-armor-1390-1450-s18.html

The shoulder plates are simple and robust and are meant to be worn with a mail collar to protect the collarbone. Lorenzo also wears separate besagews, plates to protect his armpits.

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Gauntlets

The early fifteenth century was a transitional period from traditional hourglass-shaped gloves to gloves equipped with large plates on the knuckles that protected the fingers. Later in the fifteenth century, this construction would develop into gauntlets. Lorenzo wears hybrid gloves to protect his hands.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-jousting-gauntlets.html

Leg Armor

Lorenzo considers it important to fully protect his legs. Therefore, he wears not only thigh armor but also shin guards that cover the entire lower leg. Armor is always a compromise between protection and mobility, which comes down to personal preference. Consider what is important to you and adjust your armor pieces and composition to what you find most comfortable and practical. We will delve deeper into this under the section ‘the perfect armor.’

These pieces of leg protection are designed to fit together, and the full shin guards have a special belt loop to attach to the thigh armor.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-shin-guards.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/avant-upper-leg-armour.html

In the fifteenth century, foot armor known as sabatons was also worn. This made long periods of walking in armor considerably heavier, so it was often used only by cavalry. Whether you choose to use sabatons in your gear is a matter of personal preference. Lorenzo fights mostly on foot, so he does not use them.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/15th-century-sabatons.html

Weapons

Due to advancements in armor, shields were no longer used by knights and men-at-arms in the fifteenth century. Knights often chose to use two-handed swords, maces, or war hammers as secondary weapons. One-handed swords were still used by both common soldiers and men-at-arms. They were easy to carry and, throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, developed improved hand protection, seen in ‘sideswords’ (early rapiers), making them popular as civilian weapons. Polearms remained the primary weapons on the battlefield for those fighting both mounted and on foot.

It is entirely up to you which of these weapons becomes part of your early fifteenth-century knightly gear. Here are some examples:

One-Handed Sword

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https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/french-medieval-knight-sword-joinville.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-sword-metropolitan-museum-new-york.html

Two-Handed Sword

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/two-handed-knight-sword-battle-ready-with-leather.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hand-and-a-half-sword-alessio-battle-ready-with-sc.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/italian-hand-and-a-half-sword.html

War Hammer

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-war-hammer-1430.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-war-hammer-1400.html

Polearms

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/pole-axe-war-of-the-roses.html

Without Shaft

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https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/halberd-blade-sempach-type-without-shaft.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/large-medieval-spearhead-approx-52-cm.html

Shaft for Polearms

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/ash-shaft.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/manau-wooden-shaft.html

Dagger

Lorenzo carries a rondel dagger on his belt, designed to penetrate the gaps in plate armor should he encounter another heavily armored opponent in battle. In daily life, this dagger was also used as a self-defense weapon.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/roundel-1400-1450.html

Het perfecte harnas

Contrary to popular belief, armor was not designed to make the wearer completely invulnerable. Armor was always a compromise between mobility and protection. This compromise is evident in the difference between battle armor and tournament armor (all our armor is battle armor). During tournaments, much heavier but less mobile armor was worn to fully protect the wearer from lance blows. This was feasible because tournaments were not intended as life-or-death struggles but as spectacles. On the battlefield, mobility was far more important, resulting in battle armor that provided less protection but was lighter and allowed greater freedom of movement.

Throughout history, armor was worn by individuals who were fully trained and specialized in warfare during their period. It is clear that these individuals made many choices between protection and mobility, often reflecting function and personal preference. For example, many foot soldiers wore less protection on their lower legs for greater marching comfort, while cavalry often had more complete armor. Knights sometimes chose to protect their hands with gauntlets in which the fingers could not move, but other times with gauntlets with individual fingers. Consider what is important to you and adjust your armor components and configuration according to your own preference.

On medieval battlefields, only the aristocracy wore fully custom-made armor. The rest of the armies wore armor that was gathered or passed down from previous wearers. These soldiers adapted the collected pieces of armor to their own size and decorated them with religious symbols and the heraldry of their lord. The armor parts we sell are not custom-made but are adjustable. As an armor owner, you will regularly need to adjust the armor to your measurements to ensure it fits as comfortably as possible. This can be done by lengthening straps, adding straps, adjusting arm and leg pieces, and adding laces.

For more information on modifying mail and armor, see our knowledge base.

Armor of a North Italian man-at-arms (1380-1450)