It was no easy task to piece together all the scattered yet limited information concerning the Spanish Army — composed of a relatively small number of Spaniards, Italians from the Duchy of Milan, Neapolitans, Sicilians, Swiss, Walloons and Germans — whose units fought and succeeded one another across the Italian peninsula between 1701 and 1707.
The sheer variety of uniforms is truly remarkable, as can be seen from the partial overview shown below.
Thus we find white uniforms, off-white uniforms tending towards grey, blue, red and dark grey coats, with facings in an extraordinary variety of colours. Some combinations are virtually identical, while others appear to be unique.
I must admit that the work has been quite complex. For the moment, I have completed my research on the infantry, although I have not yet prepared all the individual regiments. The drummers are still missing, as are the flags and the officers, together with many of the grenadier uniforms that I still need to develop.
I originally thought the task would be much simpler, but I was wrong. What has impressed me most is the fact that there seems to be no single book dealing systematically with this army and this period, which I find rather remarkable.
I am therefore trying, in my own way, to fill this gap: gathering and cross-checking scattered information, contacting libraries for further material, and buying books which, more or less directly, deal with this subject.
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