Quick Facts: Churburg Armour
- Main Period: Late 14th and early 15th century (ca. 1370-1420)
- Core Feature: Transition from coat-of-plates to full breastplate
- Helmet Type: Bascinet (often with hinged visor or houndskull)
- Named After: Churburg Castle (Northern Italy), armour collection no. 13
Introduction + Definition
The Churburg style is a specific armour style from the late 14th century that marks the crucial transition from maliënkolder to a complete system of steel plate armour. This style is named after the world-renowned "Churburg no. 13" armour, which is displayed in the eponymous castle in South Tyrol. In this period, plate armour was no longer merely used as reinforcement for chainmail, but developed into the primary component of knightly equipment.
Historical Context & Development
The rise of the Churburg style was a direct result of escalating warfare in Europe, particularly the Hundred Years' War between France, England and Burgundy. In the early 14th century, knights primarily wore maliënkolder with loose plates. The Churburg style consolidated these loose components into a cohesive whole.
Historical research indicates that many terms we use today, such as "Churburg style", didn't actually exist back then. For a 14th-century knight, this was simply modern armour; the categorization is a product of contemporary historians mapping the technological leap that occurred between 1370 and 1410.
Features and Construction
The construction of a Churburg-style armour is recognizable by several specific technical details:
- Torso Protection: Characteristic are the relatively short breastplates. These were often combined with a brigandine (small steel plates riveted to cloth). Over the torso, a jupon was often worn, a tight doublet that served both decorative and additional protective functions.
- Head Protection: The dominant helmet was the bascinet. This was worn in various configurations: open, with a hinged visor, or the iconic "houndskull" (hounskull). A kettle hat was also often used for better visibility.
- Limbs: The arms and legs were protected by relatively simple steel constructions that mainly covered the outer sides of the limbs. The shoulders had simple shoulder plates, later supplemented with besagews (round plates to protect the armpits).
- Hand Protection: The Churburg style uses bell-shaped armoured gauntlets with individual fingers, or so-called half-gauntlets that covered the palm but not the fingers completely with plate.
Social and Practical Function
The Churburg armour was the standard for the elite on the battlefield at the end of the Middle Ages. It offered for the first time reliable protection against lance impact and heavy arrows, while the wearer still wore a complete maliënkolder under the plates for maximum coverage.
Well-known archaeological and art historical examples of this style are:
- Churburg no. 13 (ca. 1380): The best-preserved example in the world.
- Tomb monument of sir Richard de Willoughby (1369): An important visual source for the early forms of this style.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is the Churburg style named after a castle?
The style takes its name from Churburg Castle in Northern Italy, which houses one of the most complete and best-preserved collections of 14th-century armours in the world, including the famous armour no. 13.
What did a knight wear under Churburg armour?
Under the steel plates, the knight wore a complete maliënkolder and a quilted doublet (gambeson). This was essential to absorb the impact of blows and to seal the gaps between the steel plates.
Is a bascinet helmet always part of the Churburg style?
Yes, the bascinet was the standard helmet for this period. It was the first helmet to rest directly on the shoulders via an aventail (maille collar), which provided much better neck protection than the earlier great helm (great helm).
Summary
- The Churburg style marks the definitive transition from chainmail to complete plate armour.
- The style is recognizable by short breastplates, bascinet helmets and the use of the jupon.
- Churburg Castle houses the most important surviving examples from this period.
- These armours offered hybrid protection of steel plate and underlying maliënkolder.
