Pietro Monte was one of the most famous general and trainer of military arts and exercises in Renaissance Italy. Mentioned by Leonardo as an expert to consult on the flight of darts (javelins) and by Castiglione as ‘the supreme and perfect master of every form of trained strength and agility’, he had a thirty-year career as a professional soldier and war leader. A later biographer, Garurrini, described him as:
“one of the most reputable of the heroes of his time, and one of the most famous captains, both because of his long experience in the trade of war and because of his tactical schemes.”
In his book, the Collectanea (pub. 1509), Monte gives a rare insight into the military arts and strategy of the Italian Renaissance, including training in a wide range of weapons.