During the Italian Renaissance, the Condottieri used their swords in the service of just causes. Like Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, the most famous of their number, they often risked their own lives for the fight, while in times of peace, they lived like dilettantes in the Italian cities of the Quattrocento. They dressed in fragrant leathers and perfumed themselves with the finest irises, the scent of which lingered in their wake. They charmed the high-born women of the age, who were honored by their eager attentions.