Military History | Italian Wars
Painting Guide for the Italian Wars

Posted 26 Feb 2003

Spanish and Italian Infantry

Infantry should look splendid”, with little uniformity.

During the Italian Wars the Spanish wore close fitting hose, loose tunic, and often Moorish boots of red Morocco leather (Gush, 1975). Most had helmets, either sallets, burgonets, or cabacete morions. Armour was also common amongst all arms and could be a plate corselet, mail shirt, studded brigantine, or leather jerkin.

Hair (their own)

Black or dark brown

Tunic & breeches

Early (pre 1560)

Varied colours:

  • Bright red (most common), yellow (common), green, blue, but also white, black, grey, brown, etc. Heath (1997) says blue was unpopular, and brown shunned because it was associated with rustics.

  • Contrasts common, but not garish (leave that for the Germans to come).

  • Often striped or patterned; pre-1600, often slashed to show contrasting material beneath. Sleeves may differ in colour.

  • Shoulder wings of doublet often alternative colour, sometimes striped (may have distinguished units).

Hats (if worn)

Various (as above)

Stockings

Base material: Various (as above); but often white

Cloaks (if worn)

Base material: Various (as above); often scarlet.

Sash (worn by officers, pikes and cavalry)

Base material: Red (always)

Cartridge bag

White

Powder flask

Blue

Other leather

Base material: Brown or black. Boots sometimes red.

(Boots + straps + belt, etc)

Fittings: Iron

Armour (if worn)

Mail: Iron or blackened

Linen: Probably white or off white given this idea was adopted from the Americans

Leather: Brown or buff

Plate (including helmets): Varied including steel, gunmetal, gilded, or blackened.

Shield (if used)

Face: Steel, iron or painted. If painted, then black, white or red, usually with simple patterns.

Boss (if any): Iron

Sword and dagger

Handle: Iron, ivory, or wood

Point: Steel

Musket/Arquebus/pistol (if used)

Stock: Wood or blackened

Barrel: Steel or gunmetal

Pike (if used)

Haft: Wood

Blade: Steel

Spanish and Italian Cavalry

as infantry, plus ....

Plumes/helmet crest (if any)

Highly coloured

Horse trappings

Coloured; same colour for all trappings on each horse.

Lance (if used)

Coloured to match trappings, often striped.

German

On German artillery the carriage was always black with red metal fittings (Miller, 1976). The wheels were left their natural colour. Barrels were bronze.

References

Gush, G. (1975). Renaissance Armies 1480-1650. Patrick Stephens.

Heath, I. (1997). Armies of the Sixteenth Century: The Armies of England, Ireland, the United Provinces, and the Spanish Netherlands 1487-1609. Foundry Books.

Miller, D. (1976). The Landsknechts [Men-At-Arms 58]. Osprey.