1515, an army in the Alps

The battle of Marignano in 1515 is one of the most famous episodes of the Italian wars. What is not well known is that to get to the battlefield, Francis I of France ordered his 40,000 men to cross the Alps in armour, so that they would be ready and equipped in case of an enemy attack. Historians, biomechanists and 3D imaging specialists from the CNRS have joined forces to reproduce this extraordinary journey. For example, researchers dressed in armour that is similar to that worn in the 16th century and made a journey approximating that of the armed troops of François I. The aim of this experiment is to determine the difficulty of walking in the mountains wearing armour. After conducting this experiment, the scientists will compile and analyse the data collected in the field and provide new information on the military arts and the physionomy of 16th century men.