In the 14-16 centuries, during the continuous struggle of the Italian cities for the redistribution of cards then Italian, urban communes, and Signori, the owners of the cities and castles, they sought to protect the services units that are consisted of knights, adventurers, and the remnants of various armies. With this contract was of course units – 'kondot', from which came the name 'Condottieri'. First formed squads of soldiers to 200-300, but over time their population grew, and these units are comparable to whole armies. These mercenary armies in the service in almost every town in Italy. (By the way, receiving a salary 'soldo' warriors became known as 'Soldati') knows Italy a lot of great condottieri. Bracci da Montone, who was in the service of Alfonso the Fifth – the future king of Naples. Knight Werner von Uslinger.

Son of a peasant Attendelo Sforza, who was also in the service of Neapolitan throne. Sforza family can be called the most successful condottiere. Attendelo son Francesco was able to so famous in the field of Merc, which was able, eventually, to become Duke of Milan – one of the most powerful cities in Italy. Condottiere was also a father of one of the greatest rulers of Italy – Duke Cosimo de 'Medici First. Giovanni delle Bande name Nera – commander of the 'Black troops' – not just terrifies the traveling through Tuscany merchants. Much more famous was the great condottiere Gattamelata ('cat stealthily'), as the Venetians called the commander of Erasmus Narvi yes, which began service in Bracci. By the way, Gattamelate monument dedicated to the master Donatello in Padua, which is one of the brilliant works of the Renaissance. The statue was essentially a repetition of ancient statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and this was the first equestrian statue since antiquity. A monument was ordered by the very Venetian doge Francesco Foscari.