00:00 In Renaissance Italy, the condottieri, or mercenaries, were highly skilled professionals who fought wars for profit and were known for their innovation and professionalism.

05:25 In Renaissance Italy, the fractured political landscape and incredible wealth created the perfect conditions for cutting-edge warfare, which was carried out by generations of mercenaries known as the Condotieri, who eventually influenced European warfare as a whole.

10:07 The great company, a dominant force in Italian politics, was eventually defeated by the White Company, led by John Hawkwood, a skilled and disciplined professional who left a lasting impact on Italy.

14:43 John Hawkwood, a skilled and disciplined professional mercenary, gained fame and notoriety by leading armies in various conflicts throughout Italy, ultimately becoming the most feared and respected mercenary commander in Italy before his death in 1394.

20:17 In 1420, a young man named Jacopo from a rural noble family in the Romagna region of Italy prepares to follow in his father's footsteps as a condottiere, a professional mercenary, in a land still dominated by castles and a military nobility.

24:46 Jacopo begins his military apprenticeship with Muzio Attendolo, a famous and effective condottiere, in Naples, where he sees familiar faces and joins a disciplined and professional organization that serves as both a professional army and a political tool for its commander.

29:13 Jacopo learns professionalism and the art of war under Muzio Attendolo's command, and after years of training, he joins Muzio's army in a battle against their rival condottiere, Braccio Damantone, resulting in Braccio's death and marking the end of the second phase of the Condotiere.

34:05 After the Battle of the Aquila, both Braccio and Muzio's armies disbanded, and Jacopo, now 20 years old, began his career as a condotiere by joining the company of Michelotto Atendolo, serving the Pope and earning good pay without much fighting.

38:56 Jacopo, a professional condottiere, was part of a professional group that trained and fought together, distinguishing them from other European soldiers, and he joined Francesco da Carmaniola's army in Venice by signing a contract specifying the number of troops, duration, and pay.

43:24 Jacopo and his men joined Francesco da Carmaniola and the Venetian army, campaigning through the Po Valley and capturing the city of Brescia, but Carmaniola's cautiousness and desire to stretch out his contract led to a delayed invasion of Milanese territory, resulting in a massive victory but ultimately no gain for the Venetians; Carmaniola later listened to offers from the Visconti to defect and was executed, highlighting the risks of hiring condottieri who could turn on or desert their employers, and Jacopo continued to expand his operation and switch sides in various wars.

47:58 Jacopo retired from mercenary warfare and signed a permanent contract with Venice, enjoying a stable income and a comfortable life on his estates, while witnessing the transformation of warfare in Italy.