Le ali di fanteria nelle osti tardo-comunali italiane (1289-1348)

Abstract

Communal armies, highlighting the role of the infantry wings that usually appear on the flanks of the cavalry lines from the end of the 13th century to the first half of the 14th century. The importance of this topic underlies the historiographical underestimation of this combined arms tactic in the evaluation of both the Italian and European Medieval warfare. If the history of military Art has indeed shown considerable interest in the tactical development of European infantry in the early 1300s, the wings of tens of thousands of Italian infantry have been in fact substantially not studied, both in Italy and abroad. The “wing” tactic, while probably not innovative in the wider European landscape, finds its maximum development and documentation in the Italian Communes, supporting the cavalry on the flanks and closing in on the enemy ones once the opponent’s foot is overwhelmed. The article tries to explain, in addition to the interaction of the various arms, also that of the infantry specialties (pikemen, crossbowmen and pavisemen) within the wings, despite the scarce existing information: as a general datum, the great level of collective training armament of the infantrymen is noted together with, however, the decline of the same during the great political-social crisis of the mid-300s, with the persistence above all of professional units of crossbowmen and pavisemen.