Spanzotti Pauldrons

ID: 13103

The original artifact pauldrons which reside in the Churburg armor collection were made by the craftsman Biagio for Giovanni Spanzotti in Milan sometime between 1420 – 1460. They are decorated with engravings and the inscription “Urs”. On the rear side, the armor is punched with themarks of Italian masters. The pauldrons are made in the West European style and have small besagews – rondels for armpit protection which are connected to a main plate. This is a peculiarity of this piece as normally rondels were made as a separate part of armor. They were typically independent elements connected to the armor by leather fastenings.

Small plate shoulder protection was in use from the beginning of the XV century. They were worn upon the sleeves of a padded gambeson or mail shirt. From the beginning, spaulders consisted of a round plate that covered the shoulder joint and small steel plates that extended to the middle of the upper arm. The size of the plates decreased from the top to the bottom. There are also rare examples of medieval shoulder protection of this period that reached the elbow.

Our Spanzotti Pauldrons are articulated thanks to an interior riveted leather band that creates flexible connections between the steel plates. There are two holes on the top of the upper plate used for attaching the pauldrons to the gambeson. A second fastening – in the form of a leather strap and steel buckle – attaches at the bicep. The pauldrons have a reinforcement rib that follows the central axis. Spanzotti Pauldrons perfectly emphasize your build thanks to their segmented construction. This armor is suitable for reenactment and historical medieval combat.

For added visual effect, pair our Spanzotti Pauldrons with our Milanese Cuirass.

Please note, that measurements should be with padding/gambeson.