Article Military Archives of Renaissance Florence: Resolutions and Bookkeeping of the Dieci di Balı `a and the Otto di Pratica Fabrizio Antonio Ansani Arezzo, Italy Abstract According to contemporary historiography, the military offices of Renaissance Florence were backward and disorganized, unaware of the current Italian innov- ations, and suspicious of their own soldiers. This literature, however, seems to be based more on the Machiavellian prejudice against mercenary companies, than on thorough and systematic archival research. The aim of this article, hence, is an examination of the whole documentary production of the two military institutions of the Florentine Republic, the Dieci di Balı `a and the Otto di Pratica, in order to try to re-evaluate the management of war, the relationships between rulers and captains, and the processes of enlistment, equipment, and inspection. The accounts, the reso- lutions, the daily registrations of treasurers, secretaries, and commissioners, then, illustrate the practices and the organization of both of these magistracies during the last quarter of the fifteenth century. The results of this study demonstrate that, long before the admission of Niccolo ` Machiavelli to its chancery, the Republic had the men, the knowledge, and the money for operating warfare efficiently and effectively. Keywords Renaissance Florence, Dieci di Balı `a, Otto di Pratica, archives, Niccolo ` Machiavelli, Renaissance warfare In recent decades, the analysis of the Florentine Renaissance military institutions has often been a simple restatement of the traditional Machiavellian juxtaposition of citizen militia and mercenary companies. Tuscan statesmen have often been blamed for the decadence of their army, for their distrust of soldiers, and even European History Quarterly 2018, Vol. 48(3) 409–434 ! The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0265691418779693 journals.sagepub.com/home/ehq Corresponding author: Fabrizio Antonio Ansani, Arezzo, Italy. Email: bluesbrizio@gmail.com