What did gun control look like in Renaissance Italy?

The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were the age when developments in technology and design meant guns rapidly became small enough and affordable enough to be held and used by ordinary men. Italy led the way, helped along by Leonardo da Vinci. They caused havoc, and changed both the art of war between states, and arguments between gentlemen, forever. The posed a difficult question for the ruling Italian states - how to balance their need for defence versus how to control their use in everyday life.  Guest:  Catherine Fletcher, professor of history at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of The Firearm Revolution: From Renaissance Italy to the European Empires published by Princeton University Press Producer: Catherine Zengerer Get in touch: Email us at [email protected]