Compagnia Castelamare

Five more sleeps til this amazing event with our friends Show of Arms
🛡️🗡️⚔️🗡️🛡️

XXVII Festa Medievale calling 🏰 … and Compagnia Castellamare is looking forward its first international event with Show of Arms

Members of Compagnia Castelamare

A figure in 14th/15th century garb including a gambeson- protective defensive padded garment. Southern Italy, part of the Aragonese Kingdom of Naples, Sicily and Malta. The word gambeson comes from the Semitic phrase 'Al qoton' - cotton made.

Compagnia Castelamare members, portray the Aragonese garrison at what was known as the Castrum Maris during the medieval period.

A seaside castle defending the main harbour in Malta. The castle expanded over the various periods especially under the Order of St John, and became known as Fort St Angelo.

This is a medieval Arab oil lamp from North Africa, made from sand stone. A hard quartz type stone commonly found in desert regions. Due to its density it is less porous than other stone types and hence ideal for use for this type of oil lamp.

A member of Compagnia Castelamare shared this successful attempt at experimental archaeology. Olive oil was used as a fuel and h**p cord used as a wick. The amount of light it gave was quite impressive, enough to light up a small room, and for a duration of one hour before the wick was entirely used up.

Portraying an Aragonese garrison at Castrum Maris. Compagnia Castelmare together with Show of Arms.

Photo credits: Silvio Pace and Sandra Tufigno

Compagnia Castelmare reenactors portray the Maltese soldiers from the Castelamare garrison and the resident population of the same stronghold at Birgu. How much would the daily living cost … ?
Our period of interest spans from the late 1300’s to mid 1400’s – the kingship of king Martin the young, his Queen consort Maria and later, Bianca and his father – who survived him Martin II –‘the Elder’. The most commonly used currency in Malta during this period was that used on mainland Sicily. Minted by the royal mint – those at Messina and Catania. (It is not known if and what metal Maltese money was coined during this particular time, as no such have been found, or if these were moneys of account - uncie, tari grani valued at a percentage of Sicilian money)

Compagnia Castelmare members have followed to locate some of such coins minted during the reign of the same king Martin I - the more commonly used pieces and present them.

The Denaro – billon money – in bronze and a small percentage of silver – marked on one side with the imperial eagle and on the other the aragonese crest – with the scripts ‘Martinus Rex Sicilie’. The denaro – 14 mm diameter, weighing 5-7 grammes.
This was used to pay the garrison ‘servientes’ – trusted, experienced soldiers 10 Denari a day for their services at the Castelamare. One could buy – ex. 750 grammes of best pork on the Mdina markets. (Items within Mdina had the price control exercise and taxes ‘gabelle’ had to be paid by the butchers).

Another piece which Compagnia Castelmare presents as a used minted metal currency in it’s the period of interest is the Martin I Pierreale –minted in Messina during the period of interest. The Pierreale (also referred to ‘argonese’) was a fine crafted silver coin –weighing between 3 – 4 grammes, 2.4 cm in diameter, having the the Swabian Eagle on one obverse side and the Aragonese crest on the reverse. The ‘Martinus Rex Sicil’ inscription and the mint mark define such as having being ordered minted at Messina by Martin I. 15 silver Pierreale coins would have been the yearly wage of one of the soldiers at the ‘Castelamare’.

An important coin minted by Martin I was the Gold Florin. One can say that the Florin was a ‘European’ currency – most appreciate gold piece – in particular those minted in Florence. So much the coin was a trade money that different kingdoms and states minted the florin – with the Florentine fleur de lys on the reverse side and the image of St John the Baptist (patron saint of Florence) on the obverse – with engraving and mint mark showing which authority ordered the minting. Thus this particular mint of Florin has been chosen to be represented. A one Florin Tax on a large ‘barile’ of imported wine was placed at one time in Malta.

The yearly wage of one of the Maltese ‘servientes’ serving at the ‘Castelamare’ would have been 5 gold Florins. Not considered a too much good wage but serving at the castle, a soldier benefitted from exemption to do ‘Mahras’ duties (Night coast watch), would fall under the jurisdiction of the ‘Castellan’ – Military and Civil authority within the castle precincts – considered as a privilege and allowing one’s son to take one’s service in his stead when one retired or could no longer serve – apart from other benefices.

Books referred:
AA.T. Luttrell - Medieval Malta
S. Fiorini – Documentary Sources Of Maltese History – No2

Joint event, Compagnia Castelamare and Show-of-Arms