Original scientific paper
The Armament of the Military Garrison of Šibenik in the Middle of the Fifteenth Century
Vladimir Brnardić
; Hrvatska radiotelevizija, Dokumentarni program, TV kalendar, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The acts of the chancery of Count Fantin de cha de Pesaro of Šibenik from the middle of the fifteenth century contain a unique list of weaponry and military equipment in the forts of Šibenik, which was deposited there and kept by the Venetian authorities. This is the oldest extant list of such a kind in Dalmatia and Croatia in general. The weaponry from Šibenik falls into four groups. In the first group belong those weapons for the use of which special training was needed. In the fifteenth century these were firearms – cannons (bombarde) and rifles (schiopi), as well as the only remaining exemplary of military throwing machines (stambachina). The second group consisted of the armaments aimed at arming townsmen and peasants in cases of immediate wartime danger: crossbows (balestra da pe, balestra da molinello), bows (archi de nasso, archi de osso), projectiles for these – veretoni (veretone) for the former and arrows for the latter – spears (lanza, lanza da pe, lanza da posta, meze lanze, dardo), and protective weaponry: shields (pavesi, pavexi), helmets (elmi, bacineto, capello de ferro, cerveliere) and armour (coraze, panziera). The third group consisted of armaments and equipment aimed at arming and equipping galleys, fuste, and armed boats. In this group, besides light cannons, rifles, crossbows and protective weaponry (armour, helmets and shields) there can be found also oars, cordage, barrels and food supplies, as well as different naval equipment. The last, the fourth group, consisted of different tools and building accessories – nails and wooden materials, as well as food supplies and other stuff. All in all the list took care of everything needed for the military garrison for successful functioning in the conditions of a longer-lasting siege. Besides these armaments, the mercenaries of Šibenik’s military garrison held in the forts of Šibenik their own, which they brought entering the military service of Venice; the townsmen of Šibenik themselves also had their own, and also kept them in these forts’ armouries.
Keywords
Šibenik; the Late Middle Ages; military history; cold arms; firearms; ship equipment; mercenaries
Hrčak ID:
33599
URI
Publication date:
5.1.2009.
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