The
Navarrese Company was a company of mercenaries, mostly from
Navarre and
Gascony, which fought in
Greece during the late 14th century and early 15th century, in the twilight of Frankish power in the dwindling remnant of the
Latin Empire. "Navarrese Company" is an informal, modern, somewhat inaccurate, term for these soldiers.
The first Navarrese Company was formed to fight for Charles II of Navarre against Charles V of France. In 1366, after peace was made, the mercenaries were organised into a coherent company of soldiers under Louis, Count of Beaumont-le-Roger in his own right and Duke of Durazzo in right of his wife, Joanna. Louis was a brother of Charles of Navarre, who supported his endeavour to recapture lost Durazzo and the regnum Albaniae. Charles of France likewise aided him with 50,000 ducats.
In 1372, the Navarrese ranks began to swell through the recruiting techniques of Ingeram de Coucy, who was hired to form a force of 500 lances and 500 cavalry archers, mostly from Gascony. Though these soldiers were recruited for service in Albania, they were first organised in Naples. In 1375 and 1376, many men from Navarre began enlisting and travelled directly to Albania to join their countrymen. The enrollment lists for those years have been preserved in Pamplona and reveal the important presence of many engineers. The total number of men which left Tortosa between February 1375 and June 1376 was in the thousands. They were paid thirty gold Aragonese florins a month.
In 1376, Louis and the Navarrese captured Durazzo, thus reestablishing the regnum Albaniae.[1] Louis died that same year, leaving the Navarrese unemployed. They put themselves under at the command of the Peter IV of Aragon early in 1377 and were formed as four companies, commanded by four captains the Gascon Mahiot of Coquerel and Pedro de la Saga and the Navarrese Juan de Urtubia and Guarro.
