Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477, maintained much closer relations than had any of his three predecessors with the various states that made up what we know today as Italy. This was partly a result of his abiding suspicion of his feudal overlord, King Louis XI of France, and his search for allies against the growing power of his French neighbour. However, the duke’s relations with Italy were not confined to politics. The size of the Italian contingent in his entourage impressed contemporaries, and they were looked on with special favour by the duke himself. Charles could speak their language and his outlook was influenced by them to an extent which has led some historians to consider him a proto-Renaissance prince.

Charles the Bold and Italy is the first study to give an overview that not only places Charles the Bold’s relations with Italy in both an Italian and a European context, but also explains and illuminates the presence of Italians at his court. Richard Walsh considers why Charles the Bold was so interested in Italy; what he expected to obtain, and did obtain, from his relations with Italian rulers; why there were so many Italians in his entourage; and to what extent and in what ways the duke himself was influenced by them. Drawing on extensive research in the archive collections of Milan, Venice, Mantua, Modena and Florence, as well as Burgundian sources in Lille and Brussels, Charles the Bold and Italy offers a comprehensive account of a fascinating aspect of Burgundian history. To purchase this book, click here.