condottiere

He's a species of condottiere; we can buy his allegiance with his service: and we must forego the sentimental objection.

From The Quality of Mercy by William Dean Howells

Sforza was the great condottiere who, after the departure of the Visconti, ascended the throne of Milan as the first duke of his house.

From Lucretia Borgia According to Original Documents and Correspondence of Her Day by Ferdinand Gregorovius

The bridge over the river at Dessau recalls the hot assaults of the condottiere Ernst von Mansfeld in April 1626, and his repulse by the crafty generalship of Wallenstein.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

Adjoining the east porch is the Capella Colleoni, the mausoleum of Bartolommeo Colleoni the celebrated condottiere of the fifteenth century, whose equestrian statue in front of the church of SS.

From Cathedral Cities of Italy by William Wiehe Collins

The condottiere was in other words a contractor or impresario, undertaking to do a certain piece of work for a certain price, and to furnish the requisite forces for the business in good working order.

From New Italian sketches by John Addington Symonds

Xenophon became in essence a mercenary lord, somewhat like the condottieri of Renaissance Italy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Like the humanist condottieri of 15th century Italy, they built themselves impregnable and magnificent castles.

From Time Magazine Archive

The chosen electors went about that serious task with all the noble intent and show of national interest of a group of condottieri.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a result, these condottieri have conducted Italy into slavery and disgrace.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

This man, as I said, having been named by the Syracusans commander of their armies, immediately realized that mercenary forces were useless, since their condottieri were men like our Italian condottieri.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli