Campaldino wargaming

[giorgio]

On 11 June 1289, in Campaldino, in a narrow valley between Florence and Arezzo, two large armies clashed. 20,000 infantry and over 2,000 knights divided by ideological rivalries, hegemonic desires and of course economic interests. In fact, the Tuscan cities were become Guelph (for the Pope) and Florence had  risen to the rank of a regional power, the Ghibellines (for the Emperor) were reduced to exile and find refuge in last strongholds such as Pisa and Arezzo. Now the war is for them a war of survival, in an international context that saw the imperials in  serious difficulty, for the Guelphs it is one of affirmation of a leadership and a centrality that cannot accept rivals or resistance. After two years of uncertain progress and fluctuating fortunes, the conflict is decided in a single clash, a battle between factions (a civil war, with exiles militating on both sides). In Campaldino, among the knights of the first line, the “feditori”, those who would have had to carry out the most daring actions, there is a young Dante Alighieri who will not forget the chilling scenes of that bloody day, leaving traces of them in his Comedy.
In Genoa club Garibaldi we have taken the task to reproduce it, trying to implement the last historic studies, fidelity to heraldic and deployment. To play it we have chosen “Sword and spear” rules, with specific amendment and modifications to keep it balanced and with specific historical episodes, often taken from Dante’s Comedy.
In the following posts, if you are interested, we’ll go on explaining heraldry, rules, anecdotes. Miniatures are mostly Mirliton. But let’s start with introducing the armies.
Historically there were about 800 knights and 8000 infantries for Ghibellines, while Guelphs were approx. 1350 knights and 8000 infantries plus other 4000 low level militia with baggage etc. These numbers have been converted with a scale of about 100 knights and 500 infantries for each base, that means:
Ghibellines 8 cavalry 10-infantry 4 crossbow 2 archers
Guelphs 12 cavalry 12 foot 4 palvesari (pavises)   2 archers plus baggage attendants, countrymen etc
Actual map:

Let’s start with Ghibellines:
12 paladini are the best of the best, supposed to crash any obstacle. Recent studies propose they wanted just hit and then retreat to provoke the guelphs to pursue and fall in the trap to be encircled by the remaining Arretine knights. They were so effective, even if only 12, that disbanded Florentine first line, and the other Ghibellines knights closed on disbanded Guelphs, but were encircled by infantry and then crushed by reserve under Corso Donati, hitting the flank, while Ghibelline’s reserve under Guido Novello retreated in his close castle in Poppi.
I think probably they wanted just disperse the guelphs knights, as Ghibellines were higher quality fighters and almost succeeded. The stratagem by Baron Mangiadori to deploy baggage and militia at the end of Florentine army avoided their disruption and allowed that the larger number pays the victory.
Next topics will be dedicated to specific armies and their specific heraldic, and the anectodes reported in gaming cards driven by Alighieri’s Comedy verses to generate balance and surprises.

In this picture red palvesari standard bearer, wip (there are 4 palvesari bases, 2 red company and 2 white one, in the 2 horns of the army, as per above map).

[Skorda]

Impressive and very interesting. Lookinf forward to the next post 

[Atheling]

Very interesting indeed 

May I ask, where are you looking for your sources for heraldry on the battle please?

[pws]

Paldini Ghibellini : https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=136897.0
some useful info on my blog page 



https://pippoweb.blogspot.com/2022/05/campaldino-paladini-ghibellini.html
Ciao

[Michi]

Wonderful painting of that flag and bearer, Giorgio! The introduction is very good as well - it is already promising a lot of entertainment for us spectators... 

[giorgio]

Very interesting indeed 

May I ask, where are you looking for your sources for heraldry on the battle please?

Atheling, you are more than welcome. Most are italian sources, are you italian?

Il sabato di S. Barnaba
La battaglia di Campaldino. Catalogo della mostra allestita a Bibbiena, Castel San Niccolà, Stia e Poppi (Arezzo) nel 1989 Ediz.Elect, 1989 AAVV
Ideazione mostra e catalogo Scramasax.

La battaglia di Campaldino a Poppi 11 giugno 1289
Edizioni Sramasax 1998 AAVV

Gli eroi di Campaldino 11 giugno 1289
Federico Canaccini
Edizioni Scramasx 2002

Guerre e assoldati in Toscana 1260-1364
Fondazione museo Stibbert
AAVV ottobre 1982

Montaperti. La battaglia nel diorama di Mario Venturi
Edizioni scramasax 2000 AAVV


1289 la battaglia di Campaldino
Federico Canaccini
Edizioni Laterza 2021


La battaglia di Campaldino 1289
Dante, Firenze e la contesa tra i comuni
Niccolò Capponi  Kelly DeVries
Edizioni Leg 2019
Titolo originale : Campaldino 1289: The battle that made Dante.
Osprey 2018

Istoria genealogica delle famiglie nobili Toscane et Umbre, Vol1 Eugenio Gamurrini

Battaglie di immagini tra Guelfi e Ghibellini nella Toscana comunale
Federico Canaccini
STVDI MEDIEVALI SERIE T E R Z A Anno LIII - Fasc. II 2 0 1 2

Famiglie fiorentine Guelfe e Ghibelline
ing. Pierluigi Carnesecchi La Spezia anno 2005

A lot of investigations involved the study of single cities fights between guelphs and ghibellines, than the family heraldic was investigated in internet.
An example is Guidarello d'Orvieto, standard bearer often depicted with the shield with Orvieto eagle. We decided to paint the colours of his family, ghibelline Filippeschi

[giorgio]

Paldini Ghibellini : https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=136897.0
some useful info on my blog page 



https://pippoweb.blogspot.com/2022/05/campaldino-paladini-ghibellini.html
Ciao

I know your blog, very interesting and very helpful. Your decals are great!!! Which part of Italy are you from? Ciao

[giorgio]

Wonderful painting of that flag and bearer, Giorgio! The introduction is very good as well - it is already promising a lot of entertainment for us spectators... 

Thanks for the kind words. This bearer and flag are painted by a very talented member of our club: Eddy. He deserves your compliments

[Ragnar]

This is an impressive project.  I will follow with much interest.

[Atheling]

Atheling, you are more than welcome. Most are italian sources, are you italian?

No. I'm from the UK and have zero Italian. Maybe google translate can be my friend in this matter?

Il sabato di S. Barnaba
La battaglia di Campaldino. Catalogo della mostra allestita a Bibbiena, Castel San Niccolà, Stia e Poppi (Arezzo) nel 1989 Ediz.Elect, 1989 AAVV
Ideazione mostra e catalogo Scramasax.

La battaglia di Campaldino a Poppi 11 giugno 1289
Edizioni Sramasax 1998 AAVV

Gli eroi di Campaldino 11 giugno 1289
Federico Canaccini
Edizioni Scramasx 2002

Guerre e assoldati in Toscana 1260-1364
Fondazione museo Stibbert
AAVV ottobre 1982

Montaperti. La battaglia nel diorama di Mario Venturi
Edizioni scramasax 2000 AAVV


1289 la battaglia di Campaldino
Federico Canaccini
Edizioni Laterza 2021


La battaglia di Campaldino 1289
Dante, Firenze e la contesa tra i comuni
Niccolò Capponi  Kelly DeVries
Edizioni Leg 2019
Titolo originale : Campaldino 1289: The battle that made Dante.
Osprey 2018

Istoria genealogica delle famiglie nobili Toscane et Umbre, Vol1 Eugenio Gamurrini

Battaglie di immagini tra Guelfi e Ghibellini nella Toscana comunale
Federico Canaccini
STVDI MEDIEVALI SERIE T E R Z A Anno LIII - Fasc. II 2 0 1 2

Famiglie fiorentine Guelfe e Ghibelline
ing. Pierluigi Carnesecchi La Spezia anno 2005

A lot of investigations involved the study of single cities fights between guelphs and ghibellines, than the family heraldic was investigated in internet.
An example is Guidarello d'Orvieto, standard bearer often depicted with the shield with Orvieto eagle. We decided to paint the colours of his family, ghibelline Filippeschi

Very much appreciated Georgio.  I'll have a deep dive into the heraldic sources over the next week. I reckon it will take me at least that long with Google Tramslate! 

By thed way, is the Federico Canaccin book any use for heraldry?

[pws]

I know your blog, very interesting and very helpful. Your decals are great!!! Which part of Italy are you from? Ciao

Thank you, nice work.
I''m from Florence
Ciao

[giorgio]

Thank you, nice work.
I''m from Florence
Ciao

I'm from Florence too, living now in Genoa. Florentine with Ghibelline army? You may be in big trouble my friend... black guelphs get the power

[giorgio]

No. I'm from the UK and have zero Italian. Maybe google translate can be my friend in this matter?

Very much appreciated Georgio.  I'll have a deep dive into the heraldic sources over the next week. I reckon it will take me at least that long with Google Tramslate! 

By thed way, is the Federico Canaccin book any use for heraldry?

Hi, a must is heroes of Campaldino by Canaccini, but out of print. if you like we can provide you some images with specific heraldry (your email?). let us know if you need help for specific words in translation . Happy you are interested in xiii century Tuscany wars. do you have any project/army on going?

[pws]

I'm from Florence too, living now in Genoa. Florentine with Ghibelline army? You may be in big trouble my friend... black guelphs get the power

Yes I'm in BIG trouble. In my local club they are all guelphs  and in my neighborhood club all Ghibellines  so it's quite impossible to make good campaign games 

[giorgio]

As I said before, the ambition of this topic is  to provide information about building,  painting and wargaming with the armies who fought at Campaldino in 1289.
The Guelphs were basically deployed with a first line of feditori,, one of them Dante Alighieri. It was a researched honor for the warrior-minded ghibellines, perhaps  less for the wealthier  guelph merchants' sons. Florence was divided in 6 sestieri (sixth) and each sestiere had to provide 25 feditori (25 x 6 = 150 feditori overall).. One of the Florentine most important leader was Vieri dei Cerchi.  It is told that, as the knights of his Sixth (San Piero, yellow pennons) were hesitating, he offered himself (although very old) and his relatives. In front of this act of courage, many others (or for sincere emulation, either for fear of shame) volunteered.
In the picture of S.Piero wip cavalry base; from the left: Pazzi (descendant from Pazzo di Ranieri, the first knight to climb  Jerulasem wall during the first crusade, Pazzi of Florence to be not confused with ghibelline  Pazzi of Valdarno),  Vieri de Cerchi (one of army leaders, see above) and the poet Dante Alighieri (he was feditore for S.Piero).


After these feditori, the main cavalry body, with about 1000 knights including also allied cities  that we have represented with  bases of San Gimignano, Bologna, Guelphs  of Arezzo (I anticipated that it was a civil war too),   in the reserve Lucca and Pistoia  and in the main body also a base of Pagani, from Romagna.
The commands are 3 bases: the main is the command of the army: Narbona (French angioin) with his tutor  Durfort (the real leader) and the Anjou banner brought by Gherardo Ventraia de Tornaquinci,  another base with the wise Baron dei Mangiadori, podestà (major) in San Miniato with Malpighi Ciccioni (leader of S.Miniato soldiers) and a standard bearer, and the reserve under Corso Donati  (podestà in Pistoia) and a pistoiese standard bearer. All these will be posted later on.
In this one I want to show you also a wip picture, by our talented member Eddy, of Maghinardo Pagani  from Susinana, named “the devil”. He, from ghibelline family, was given as hostage to Florence when he was a child and never fought all his lifelong against Florence, so that his enemies called him guelph in  Florence and ghibelline  in Romagna.  Dante, writing about him, says he changes side from summer to winter and calls him the blue lion on white nest.