Italian Medieval/Renaissance Helmets

[MinervaItalica]

Armet



The armet is a type of helmet which was developed in the 15th century. It was extensively used in Italy, France, England, the Low Countries and Spain. It was distinguished by being the first helmet of its era to completely enclose the head while being compact and light enough to move with the wearer. Its use was essentially restricted to the fully armoured man-at-arms.

The earliest surviving armet dates to 1420 and was made in Milan. An Italian origin for this type of helmet therefore seems to be indicated. The innovation of a reduced skull and large hinged cheek pieces was such a radical departure from previous forms of helmet that it is highly probable that the armet resulted from the invention of a single armourer or soldier and not as the result of evolution from earlier forms.

Barbute



A barbute (also termed a barbuta, which in Italian literally means "bearded", possibly because the beard of a wearer would be visible) is a visorless war helmet of 15th-century Italian design, often with a distinctive "T" shaped or "Y" shaped opening for the eyes and mouth.

The name 'barbuta' when applied to a helmet is first recorded in an inventory made for the Gonzaga family of Mantua in 1407. The helmet can be considered as a specialised form of the sallet, both types of helmet being ultimately derivations of the earlier bascinet. The barbute resembles classical Greek helmets (most strikingly the Corinthian) and may have been influenced by the renewed interest in ancient artifacts common during this period.

Bascinet



The bascinet – also bassinet, basinet, or bazineto – was a Medieval European open-faced military helmet. It evolved from a type of iron or steel skullcap, but had a more pointed apex to the skull, and it extended downwards at the rear and sides to afford protection for the neck. A mail curtain ("camail" or aventail) was usually attached to the lower edge of the helmet to protect the throat, neck and shoulders. A visor (face guard) was often employed from ca. 1330 to protect the exposed face. Early in the fifteenth century, the camail began to be replaced by a plate metal gorget, giving rise to the so-called "great bascinet".

Bascinet with an aventail and "klappvisor". The method of fixing the aventail to the helmet, via a pierced leather band fitted over rivets on the helmet (vervelles) secured by a cord passing through the vervelles, is shown
The first recorded reference to a bascinet, or bazineto, was in the Italian city of Padua in 1281, when it is described as being worn by infantry.

It is believed that the bascinet evolved from a simple iron skullcap, known as the cervelliere, which was worn with a mail coif, as either the sole form of head protection or beneath a great helm. The bascinet is differentiated from the cervelliere by having a higher, pointed skull. By about 1330 the bascinet had been extended lower down the sides and back of the head. Within the next 20 years it had extended to the base of the neck and covered the cheeks. The bascinet appeared quite suddenly in the later 13th century and some authorities see it as being influenced by Byzantine or Middle-Eastern Muslim helmets. The bascinet, without a visor, continued to be worn underneath larger "great helms" (also termed heaumes)

Source: Wikipedia

[Lamoral]

Good thread, I love old armor and weapons. I was just at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where there are many suits of armor. As usual, the best quality and most beautiful things are always made by Italians and armor is no different. I took a few pictures of armor and helmets made in Italy.







(My camera is a Nikon D7000 - I mention it because people often ask.)

[Morena]

I like weapons and armor. I wonder if they were glad once gun powder became popular and they didn't have to use that cumbersome armor.

Attachment 76306

I found this goofy illustration of Italian soldiers wearing wide hats instead of helmets:
Attachment 76307

Found here: https://www.pinterest.com/alexja1963...ars-1494-1559/

[Lamoral]

They still tried using armor well after guns had been invented, because there was a point at which guns weren't powerful enough to punch through really thick armor. It was around the early 1600s, when they basically realized they needed to make the heaviest armor possible to stand up to the guns. Prior to that, armor was very intricate and almost like a sculpture, it was functional in battle but also looked beautiful. In the 1600s they just started making really, really heavy black armor, and instead of making it beautiful, they tried to make the helmets look as fucked up and intimidating as possible. Similar to the Japanese Samurai, the wearing of frightening masks actually did give some extra courage and aggression to the horsemen whose job it was to ride into gun fire.




The problem was, eventually firearms got too powerful, and they stopped using armor for a while because the weight did not make it worth the protection. Once they came up with lighter forms of armor plates, though, in the mid 20th century, they started using armor once again, and today's infantry soldiers typically wear a lot of armor.

[Lamoral]

I found this goofy illustration of Italian soldiers wearing wide hats instead of helmets:

I'm pretty sure they would have taken the hats off and put on helmets when they were needed; the hats were just for riding through safe territory or visiting with friendly forces.

[renaissance12]

Milan was the European epicentre of armour industry during renaissance time..

[grecoroman]

Italy had so much Armour and weapons but IT hired swiss men to Defender our papa.

[MinervaItalica]

Italy had so much Armour and weapons but IT hired swiss men to Defender our papa.

Papal States had its own army and fleet as well not only Swiss Guards.

[grecoroman]

Can somebody give me a name OR pics of italian Renaissance clothing.

[MinervaItalica]

I found this goofy illustration of Italian soldiers wearing wide hats instead of helmets:
Attachment 76307

Found here: https://www.pinterest.com/alexja1963...ars-1494-1559/

The goofy soldiers are Landsknechts, mercenaries who fought in the Italian Wars and those are German: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsknecht

Yes they look like clowns (pagliacci) but they fought pretty well and helped alot Spain in Italy (especially in Rome).