Top, drawing of a crossbow from a medieval statute book of the Order. Above, a typical crossbowman of the 15th century wearing a brigandine and sallet (after Voillet le Duc) similar to the ones depicted in Caoursin’s miniatures showing the siege of Rhodes in 1480, (above,right).
equip the sailors of the Order.32 Earlier in 1470, the knight Frà Nicolò Corogna was commissioned to proceed to Venice in order to purchase ‘un buco di galera’ and a ‘buona quantità di corazze, di balestre e d’altre armi.’ This was not the first time that Venetian arms reached Rhodes; earlier in 1402, the Republic was already sending ‘bombardas, ballistas et veretones’ to the knights. 33 The need to restock the armoury with quantities of arms can also be found in 1365, when, fearing reprisals after an attack on Alexandria, the Hospitallers called up 100 brethren to Rhodes, and sent for victuals, horses, and pieces of armour. Even earlier, in 1314, we find that swords were being exported to Rhodes from Puglia.34 More provisions were required in 1434, when Grand Master Antoine Fluvian wrote to the Prior of France, Frà Ugo de Sarcus and to all the other ‘priori, e commendatori, che mandar dovessero in Rodi quella maggior quantità di balestre, di virettoni e d’altri armi che possibili gli fossero.’ 35 Again in 1440, Frà Ugo di Sarcus was commissioned to purchase ‘quella maggior quantità d’armi, d’artiglieria e di salnitri’ that could be found, and sometime later Frà Perone di Monlasur, ‘Commendatore della Tronquiera’,
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