ITT we post images and discuss the greatness, pageantry and unquestionable beauty of the 16th century.
I like to think of the late Renaissance as the high point in Western military fashion. The general aesthetic of the time was brightly colored and gay, despite the fact that warfare was entering a brutal new age of gunpowder and therefore impersonal slaughter of one's enemies.
If it's true that men want to look good when they march out to kill or be killed, never was it more fitting than the regalia and garb of Renaissance era combat.
My favorite moment in all this is certainly the Italian Wars, particularly during the involvement of Francis I.
The dynamic of the European stage during the lives of Francis I, Charles V, Henry VIII and Suleiman the Magnificent was an unparalleled drama of religious, political and military strife.
The best part about this section of history is the convergence of artistry and military science. The knowledge and skill of armorers reached a level that will never again be achieved.
Colton Williams
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Hunter Collins
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Ayden Price
The Battle of Pavia is how you know Francis was a great French king. All the best French kings get captured at some point.
Jeremiah Wilson
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Ian Cooper
>tfw no armor + skirt
Easton Taylor
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Jaxson Robinson
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Christian Foster
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Chase Diaz
I fucking love cogs and galleons. It's like the shipbuilders said, "Fuck it, let's make this thing look as silly as possible!" and then proceeded to send them off on voyages that nobody expected them to return from.
Brandon King
Shame I posted a carrack then
Dominic Cooper
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Jeremiah Hughes
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Jacob Johnson
Does anyone have any interesting snippets or excerpts from their knowledge of the era that they would like to share?
For instance, my favorite moment when learning about XVI century was seeing a map of Habsburg domains for the first time, and truly starting to understand the extent of Charles V's influence.
France was surrounded. And yet Francis still had the balls to practically spit in the face of Charles every opportunity he got. Despite the vast extent of Charles' rule, none of his lands were quite so consolidated and homogeneous as France thanks to the later events of the Hundred Years War.
Brandon Jackson
I would love to hear a detailed explanation of shipbuilding styles and techniques of the era as I'm no expert.
Also, that ship in the bottom right looks straight out of antiquity. Did they still utilize that bireme/trireme design?
Julian Flores
Galleys underwent a lot of change during the Middle Ages. Mortise and tennon planking was replaced by caravel (Planks over a strong frame) construction. This made ramming obsolete so the under water ram was replaced by a boarding spur.
Galleys were used a lot in the Mediterranean but also in the Atlantic for coastal raiding. During the Middle Ages sailing ships with a higher freeboard started to get gain a large advantage over galleys in the boarding type combat that naval combat consisted of.
The introduction of the naval cannon caused a brief resurgence in galleys as the could effectively mount really heavy ordinance on their prow.
Since boarding and not ramming was the goal the speed of these galleys was not a prime objective. A single level of oars was deemed enough and instead of skilled freemen slaves were often used to row.
Galleys were never as seaworthy as Atlantic sailing ships and they enjoyed the most popularity in the Mediterranean. They were also used by Europeans and Middle Easterners in the India Ocean and Asia. The picture you replied too is actually meant to portray Asia.
So that slashing-fashion thing. When did it started seeping into normal people's clothing?
Jeremiah Perez
Henri II style was best style
Charles Torres
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Jonathan Turner
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Jose Allen
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Nathaniel Richardson
I like this thread.
Kayden Bell
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Elijah Clark
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Gavin Morris
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Noah Foster
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Noah Thomas
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Blake Wood
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Christopher Taylor
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Landon Bell
Does anyone know anything about the sumptuary laws of this era?I mean, like how strict they were and such.
Brandon Smith
>gay you got that right
Henry Sanders
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Julian Williams
Can someone tell me what Irish Gallowglas and Kern mercenaries did at Pavia? I keep trying to find that one osprey book in pdf form but i really dont want to go outside to spend money.
Jackson Long
Louis XIV? Philippe Auguste?
Caleb Sanders
Apparently the 16th century is the last time you start to see fully native Irish swords being made and after that they just started to import German and Scottish ones.
bit sad 2bh
Aaron Nelson
The XVI marked the transition from oars to sails everywhere. Galleys were most common in the Mediterranean because calmer waters but were also used for littoral operations in the Atlantic because of their relative low cost, maneuvreability and non-dependance on winds.
This is a fine example of military galleys operating in the Atlantic;
