It was during the middle age period when Spain just like other countries in the world experienced outrageous combats among realms, countries and warlords. As a result, Spaniards came up with assorted armour to protect their next of kin as well as their properties from budding rivals. Gradually, the various forms of armour used became obsolete with introduction of sophisticated and enhanced brands.

To add to the reinforcement of the kingdom's soldiers, the commonplace citizens were also required to participate in battles to boost the efficiency of soldiers and protect their kingdom. Gambesons were the padded garbs that were the earliest form of armour employed by the knights in the medieval epoch.

They were made of steel and were worn in form of leggings and shirts. They included woven rivets to prevent the spread of intertwined rings made from heavy steel metal. The main weapons used in battles included batons, bows and arrows, billhooks, daggers, war axes and spears just to mention a few.

The Knights' armour

The Chain mail body armour progressively died away as a result of invention of artillery capable of harming a solider wearing it. The Chain Mail became less protective against enhanced weapons such as the cross and long bows. It was this that led to the contraption of the knight armour. The defensive armour was fabricated as a suit and cost a fortune.

To guarantee comfort to the knight at the time of the battle, the suit was custom made for a knight so that it could fit perfectly to enable the knight to counter enemy attacks without any hindrance.

The Armour as the Status Emblem

The protective as well as defensive armour used by a knight was emblematic of the class or ranking of the Knight. A knight equipped with enhanced armour implements was worth more and stood better chances of surviving a weapon attack from the enemy side in a battle.

Protective armour for various Body Parts

An assortment of armour implements was used to protect various body parts. The region of the body below the waistline was covered with cuisses and poleyns to shield the knee caps and thighs correspondingly. Greaves on the other hand protected the ankles. Rerebraces and Vambraces were used to protect the hands of the knights.

The chest and back were undoubtedly the most susceptible for attack and breastplates and back plates ensured that the knight was safe during a battle. Helmets with a clip-on visor were used to protect the head.

Museums across Spain are excellent places to access both theoretical and visual facts regarding medieval artillery.