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of Johannes of Fulgineo, near Arezzo. This master crossbowman, and noted marksman, was recruited by the Dalmatian maritime city of Ragusa, arriving there in 1376. His lirst contract was to make 20 crossbows "da braccio and three "da baloardó for the sum of 45 gold ducats. He madę good contacts with local guild leaders and went into business with other men from Italy, Dalmatia and Southern France, including a ‘diver’ from Ancona, a rope-maker from Yenice, a smith from Zara, and an armourer from Lecce. When he was about 30 years old, Johannes married Ruchna, the 16-year-old daughter of a leading Ragusa merchant. He later purchased a vineyard and a merchant ship, and in addition received a special allowance for his services to the city.

The details of recruitment varied from place to place, but in generał prosperous, middle-class immigrants were usually welcomed in the societates armorum (militia companies). In the far north-west, tlie feudal kingdom of Savoy had much in common with neighbouring France, and to the east the city State of Yerona had a militia system in which duties like guaile (manning the walls) mirrored the French system of guet (urban guard duty). Crossbow militiamen played the major role in the guaile, whereas decene (garrison duty outside the citv’s walls) seems to have fallen to evervone. Incidentally, we also know that the Yeronese militia crossbowmen were under strict instruction to maintain their weapons in good condition, and that there were normally Five times as many ordinary stirrup-type balestre a Staffa as there were larger balestre da due piedi.

In Florence the militia was reorganised into four quarters after 1342, each providing four units under their gonfalonieri ofFicers. Each militia group (or societd) was still supposed to include cavalry, heavy infantry and crossbowmen in the proportions of 1:2:2, but a crisis in 1354 led to an elite force of 800 crossbowmen being selected from the 16 gonfaloni companies and put under a constable. In rival Siena, the Podesta continued to enforce militia conscription, with each of the contrade (smali wards or precincts) supposedly maintaining its own company. Not all men were eligible to join here. They had to be ‘good and faithful popolani", resident in the surrounding contado, or foreigners who hacl proved their loyalty to Siena. Others were excluded because their families were involved in a vendelta or because they were from the aristocratic class.

Less is known about Southern Italian militias, that had a comparatively minor military role to play. Yet even a smali Calabrian town like Nicotera still had its own militia in the late-13th century.

Over the straits in Sicily, the traditional xurteń (night-watch militia companies) were deemed ineffective by the early-14th century, seeing as most men found an excuse to avoid senice.

Instead, during a period of near anarchy when

A soldier tries to defend his lover as both are driven into Heli, on a wall-painting of the 'Interno' by Orcagna, 1348-50. The soldier still has his shield, bacinetto, mail gorgiera and basilarda dagger. (Museo delTOpera di Santa Croce, Florence; photograph by Niccoló Orso Battaglini)

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