John Hawkwood

An English mercenary soldier, Hawkwood became known as the most successful foreign mercenary in the service of various rival governments in the 14th century Italy. The large fortune that he amassed through payments for military service and various extortion, he used to purchase vast landholdings throughout Italy and in England.

Born into a merchant family, John briefly worked as a tailor before he joined the army of King Edward III which participated in the last stage of the Hundred Years’ War in France. When the war ended, Hawkwood decided to put his military talent in service of the rival factions engaged in various civil wars in Italy. The leaders of mercenaries became known in a subsequent period as condotierri because they signed the contract (condotta) to fight in service of one of these factions for specified period of time for money.

Hawkwood started to build his career as a mercenary soldier from 1364 and remained loyal to his profession until the end. He enjoyed a reputation of a loyal employee, a sound tactician and a harsh negotiator. Over the next 20 years he was occasionally in the service of the Pope and Bernabo Visconti, the ruler of Milan. Visconti even allowed him to marry his illegitimate daughter due to his extraordinary services. In the 1380’s he entered in the service of the city of Florence which lasted until his death.

From payments for his military services and different extortions of non-attacking arrangements, Hawkwood eventually amassed an immense fortune. During the 30 years that he served as condottiere, his earnings ranged between 6,000 and more than 80,000 florins annually. In comparison, the annual income of the chief executive of the city of Florence was around 100 florins per year and for a skilled craftsman around 30 florins at that time. One part of his wealth he invested in land, purchasing the estates throughout Italy and in England, mainly in Lombardy, Romagna, Umbria, Pavia, Naples, and Tuscany.

After his death, he was celebrated in Florence as one of the greatest champions in the history of the city, and his life was described by numerous medieval and renaissance historians. Soon after his death, the era of condottieri in Italian history also came to its end.