Altenhof Castle - Schloss Altenhof
Ishem Castle - Kalaja Ishem
Drisht Castle - Kalaja e Drishtit
Delvines Castle - Kalaja e Delvinës
Gjon Bocarit Castle - Kalaja e Gjon Boçarit
Gradenegg Castle - Burgruine Gradenegg
Grades Castle - Schloss Grades
Gomarn Castle - Burgruine Gomarn
Knightly full plate armor (also known as harness) is the pinnacle of medieval armor engineering. It is not simply a collection of metal plates, but a complex, anatomically designed system of protection that enabled knights of the 15th and 16th centuries to become virtually invulnerable warriors on the battlefield and in tournaments.
Full plate armor appeared in the late 14th century and reached its peak in the 15th century, particularly in Italy and Germany. By this time, armorers had learned to forge large steel plates and connect them with hinges and sliding rivets, allowing the knight to maintain remarkable mobility while providing maximum protection.
What does a full plate armor consist of?
A full plate armor typically weighed 20–30 kg (depending on the configuration and thickness of the plates) and distributed the load across the entire body, not just the shoulders. Here are the main components:
Head and neck: helmet (usually an armet, sallet with bevor, or a closed helmet) + gorget.
Torso: cuirass with breastplate and backplate, plackart for additional abdominal protection, faulds (a skirt made of overlapping plates).
Arms: pauldrons, upper and lower sleeves (vambrace and rerebrace), elbow guard (couter), gauntlets.
Legs: cuisses, poleyns, greaves, and sabatons (plate "boots").
Additional: tassets for thigh protection, chainmail inserts in vulnerable areas.
All plates were connected with sliding rivets and straps, allowing the joints to flex without gaps in protection.
Evolution: From transitional armor to a masterpiece.
In the 14th century, armor still combined chainmail with large plates (so-called transitional armor). By the mid-15th century, Gothic armor emerged—elegant, with sharp lines and a "ribbed" surface, which not only looked beautiful but also reinforced the plates' rigidity.
Later, in the early 16th century, German craftsmen created Maximilian armor (named after Emperor Maximilian I). It was distinguished by its characteristic deep parallel grooves (flutes), which increased strength with a thinner metal thickness and gave the armor a luxurious appearance.
Protection and Mobility: Myths and Reality.
Full plate armor protected against virtually everything: slashing blows from swords, spears, arrows (at a distance), and even early gunshots with oblique impacts. High-quality steel 2–4 mm thick could withstand incredible forces.
A knight could:
walk freely, run, and climb stairs;
Mount a horse unassisted (although this was more difficult in full tournament plate);
Turn the head, raise the arms, and bend the legs almost as if they were unarmored.
Inside the armor, they wore a quilted gambeson (arming doublet) with attachment points, from which all the elements were suspended. This allowed for even weight distribution.
In battle and at the tournament.
On the battlefield, full plate armor transformed heavy cavalry into a "living tank." A knight could withstand a hail of arrows and infantry strikes until he fell from his horse or found himself in a crowd, where he could be dragged down and finished off with a dagger in his vulnerable joints.
At tournaments, armor became even heavier and more specialized: reinforced breastplates, special helmets, and "lance rests" (spear rests) were added. Here, not only strength but also aesthetics were important—polished steel, engraving, gilding, and heraldic colors.
Decline and Legacy.
By the mid-16th century, full plate armor began to lose its relevance due to the development of firearms. Although it continued to be used for parades and tournaments, in actual battles, preference was given to lighter three-quarter plate armor or cuirasses.
Today, original full plate armor is preserved in museums around the world—from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Royal Armouries in London to the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Modern reenactors and historical swordsmen recreate them with astonishing accuracy, proving that medieval artisans created not just armor, but a true work of engineering art.
Full plate armor is a symbol of an era when war was simultaneously art, science, and status. It combined strength, beauty, and the ingenuity of armorers, who managed to protect a man almost completely without restricting his freedom of movement. This is not just iron—it is the dream of an invulnerable knight embodied, a reality for several centuries.