“Do not unsheath me without reason. Do not wield me without valor.” These words are carved into the sword held by a statue of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, one of

“Do not unsheath me without reason. Do not wield me without valor.” These words are carved into the sword held by a statue of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, one of the most renowned military commanders of Renaissance Italy. Born into the powerful Medici family in 1498, Giovanni became a condottiero, a…