Renaissance warfare - from “Profession of Arms“ (“Il Mestiere delle Armi“) (Ermanno Olmi 2001)

November 25th, 1526: Giovanni de Medici, known as “Giovanni delle Bande Nere“ or “Giovanni of the Black Bands“ (because of his black striped insigna), the last great “condottiero“ (mercenary warlord) of Italian Renaissance, clashes near Governolo, a strategic spot in the Po Valley (northern Italy), with the German imperial “Landsknechts “, led by general Georg von Frundsberg . Giovanni is 28 years old, but has been fighting almost non stop since he was 18. Frundsberg (the guy with the white beard), whose mission is to reach Rome and destroy it (he carries a golden noose to hang the Pope!) is just 52, but nearly 30 years of wars had turned him into an old man. It’s the end of an era - during this battle Giovanni will receive a light artillery shot, and die five days later because of septicaemia (after being amputated of his right leg - reputedly he held a candle to light the surgeon’s work). He thus became the first famous victim of fire arms. Frundsbe