Plural of condottiere; multiple Italian military leaders or captains of mercenaries, especially during the Renaissance.
Italian plural form of 'condottiere.' In Italian, the '-i' ending serves as the masculine plural, preserved in English when discussing the historical group.
The condottieri shaped Renaissance Italy in fascinating ways—figures like Francesco Sforza literally became dukes through military success and marriage alliances, showing how skill and ambition could rewrite destinies in ways feudal Europe didn't typically allow.
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