Knight Captain Alvaro shook his head, showing obvious disdain for the combat strength of the Italian City States.
Before the outbreak of the Italian Wars in 1494, Europe had clearly overestimated the military prowess of the Italian states. The astonishing wealth controlled by each commercial city-state, combined with large iron smelting and armor workshops fueled by advanced productivity, created exaggerated numbers and armor rates of troops on sheepskin scrolls, appearing stronger than the Castilian Army. However, once the French army arrived, the "prosperous and powerful" Italian city-states fell apart, revealing only the enviable "wealth" and none of the "strength."
