PAPAL INFANTRYMAN c.1375

An extract from Armies of the Middle Ages, volume 1
by Ian Heath

81.      PAPAL INFANTRYMAN c.1375

Undoubtedly representing one of the sergeants mentioned in a number of sources as being attached to the papal household, this figure is armed with a spear, sword, dagger, bascinet and pavise, the latter being red with a latten rim and a white cross and crossed keys. In the original a dozen or so such men are shown around the pope and guarding prisoners. They wear red tunics, though the colour of their other clothes varies; this particular figure wears green hose and black shoes, belt and scabbards, the latter with iron fittings. Two officer figures are better equipped, one in a green aketon and visored bascinet, the other in a long-sleeved mail hauberk under a jupon, with chapel-de-fer, iron epaulières, iron gauntlets and complete leather leg-harness with mail sabatons and mail-fringed iron poleyns.

For identification purposes troops in papal employ wore clave signati, i.e. badges in the form of a key or crossed keys, apparently on the left breast or shoulder as with English livery badges. These are first recorded being worn early in the 13th century.

81a depicts a later shield (time of Eugenius IV, 1431-47) with a variant of the papal insignia, in this instance a single pair of crossed keys with above them the white and gold papal tiara.