Medieval Italy was characterized by regular warfare among its numerous city-states, as well as internal strife within comunes as aristocratic factions fought each other for domination of the cities' governments. In this context, Italian warfare developed quickly, with the crossbow playing a key role in improving the armour technology of the Italian city militias that used them. This book traces the evolution of the Italian militiaman, providing a comprehensive view of all aspects of the late medieval Italian city militias, from the weaponry, attitudes and social backgrounds of their members, to the political context that made such formations necessary.
