European Plate Armor (Transitional Period)

Timeline

1. 1350–1400France and England · FranceFrom the mid-fourteenth century, knights added breastplates, elbow guards, and greaves over their mail, forming a "half-plate" configuration; battles such as Crécy and Poitiers accelerated the spread of plate protection.
2. c. 1380–1450Northern Italy · LombardyArmorers in Milan and southern Germany connected pauldrons, arm guards, and leg guards with strap and rivet systems to form plate suits that could be donned and removed as a whole; the demands of tournaments and parades spurred the development of decorative armor.
3. c. 1420–1500German lands and the Holy Roman Empire · German landsIn the fifteenth century, fluting techniques increased the structural strength of plate armor without adding weight; Maximilian armor represents the mature form of the transitional period leading toward full Renaissance plate.