Strategic materials and state capacity in Renaissance Italy: The economic policies of ‘Roman saltpetre’ procurement

Demonstrating the existence of a soaring demand for strategic materials in fifteenth-century Rome, the article pioneers research in the late medieval trade in saltpetre, the irreplaceable, rare component of gunpowder, indispensable for waging war following the diffusion of artillery technology. More importantly, the essay highlights the political measures undertaken to support the supply of materiel, revealing a pragmatic stance that combined state control with private initiative. The result is a compelling example of the role arms procurement played in the early development of state capacity.