condottiero

thumb|Condottiero and his troops in a Renaissance-era [[fresco, influenced by Landsknecht mercenary fashion]] Condottieri (; singular: condottiero or condottiere) were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the Italian word condotta—the contract under which they served a city-state or lord. The word condottiero thus meant 'contractor'. Over time, however, in Italian usage, condottiero came to mean any 'commander' or 'military leader'.

==Mercenary captains== ===Background=== In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Italian city-states of Venice, Florence, and Genoa were very rich from their trade with the Levant, yet possessed woefully small armies. In the event that foreign powers and envious neighbours attacked, the ruling nobles hired foreign mercenaries to fight for them. The military-service terms and conditions were stipulated in a (contract) between the city-state and the soldiers (officers and enlisted men), thus, the "contracted" leader, the mercenary captain commanding, was titled the "Condottiere".