“It is the last armour the famous Colman made for Charles V. This is easily proved by the date (1531), engraved on the left tassets--a date which agrees with that given us some years ago by the learned German professor, Carl Justi, to whom it was communicated by Canon Braghirolli on his finding it in the Mantua archives. It is contained in a letter from Duke Federigo di Gonzaga to the Duke of Urbino on the 9th November, 1532, in which he says that _the Emperor had shown him his armour, among which was a beautiful suit by Colman, the last one he made for him, for shortly after he had died_. The statement was confirmed by the payment lists of the Municipality of Augsburg, from which the name of the armourer disappeared in the year 1532.”
The helmet is a _celada de infante_, and has a visor with wide gratings fastening over the beavor. The evolution of leg-armour is well shown by the tassets extending, in several plates, below the knee where they overlap the demi-jambs. There are no genouillères. The lower plates of the tassets were detachable, those pieces being thus convertible into tassets of ordinary length.
The shield (A109), embossed with the devices of Burgundy and the Golden Fleece, was found in the province of Burgos, where it was bought for seven pesetas. It was purchased for the nation by Alfonso XII. at a cost of 1,250 pesetas.
The suit A112, plate 28, though of the same pattern as those just described, is the work of the Italian artificer, Caremolo Mondrone, of Milan. It is one of two suits presented to the Emperor by the Duke of Mantua, in gratitude for favours received and anticipated. The gift elicited the following letter of thanks from Charles (Bertolotti, Arti minori):
“_Carolus Augustus D. F. C. Romanorum Imperator. III. Princeps consange. Carissima:_
“_Las armas q. nos truxo Caremolo nos ha parescido muy bien y estamos muy contento dellas porque son muy bien acabadas ya nostra voluntad, y lo quedamos del animo con que se embiaro porque lo tenemos bien conoscido y habemos lo que en el hay para nostras cosas. El nostro para las vestrases de la misma manera como es razon. Caremolo dira particularmente lo demas q. toca a las armas. Dat. ex Palencia a quatro de Septembre an. de MDXXXIIIJ.--Carolus._”