42564 m136

‘Trial and Gondemnation of St. James’, de taił of another panel by Ser Giovanni on the Pistoia silver altar. Here a knight in heavier armour, including a laminated fauld to protect his abdomen, is the central figurę.

loaded trigger which brought the burning match to the flash-pan. By 1490 even some mounted infantry were being armed with the arąuebus in the Papai States.

The role of cannon was less dramatic in the 15th century. They were still used mostly in siege warfare and, because of their size, cumbersome carriages and very slow rates of fire, proved far morę efhcient in defence than in attack. In open battle field artillery were most effective in ambush, where again they could be carefully positioned. Nevertheless, field fortifications did provide increasing scope for the use of cannon. In fact, 15th century artillery raised the cost of war rather than having any profound impact on the art of warfare.

The 15th century also saw an outpouring of military treatises comparable only to Romę as it

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