Company of Death The Company of Death is the name used in the historical literature of English language for two related chosen tactical corps , two selected bands of warriors , entrusted to guarantee the cohesiveness and efficiency in battle of both the Milanese and Lombard League ' s militias through their bound by oath to the defence of the Milanese Carroccio , the wagon on which the standard of the Lombard allies stood . They fought in the Battle of Legnano ( 29 May 1176 ) against the imperial army of Frederick I Barbarossa Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire , in his 5th Italian Campaign , and were determinant in his decisive defeat . The two corps who formed the Company of Death were the Company of the Carroccio , an infantry unit of 300 men , and the real and effective Company of Death , a cavalry unit of 900 men , commanded according to tradition by Alberto da Giussano . The Chronicles . The mention of the " battle wagons " is very probably an anachronism , they were employed , without any success , years before the Battle of Legnano of 1176 took place , by a " Mastro Guitelmo " a milanese Guild - master and magistrate in a previous battle fought in the lands between Rho and Legnano in 1160 AD . It is possible that the chronicler was mixing facts as their effective use at Legnano isn ' t mentioned elsewhere , it may also be a rhetorical device intended by him to recreate the appearance of the traditional trinitarian model of a " Holy Venture " . The Company of the Carroccio . The Company of the Carroccio , was an infantry unit of 300 men , all of them young volunteers ( forming a " societas " ) and Milanese , sworn by oath to die in defence of the Milanese Carroccio . They fought as phalanx in a Sheltron formation around their " Sacred wagon " , armed with a large shield and a " lanzalonga " . The Knights of Death . The Company of Death , also known in some sources till the late 19th century as the Knights of Death , is the name of a temporary military association of medieval knights ( a temporary " societas " ) , not historically well documented , which according to tradition was organized and equipped by a leader known as Alberto da Giussano . It had a great importance during the Battle of Legnano ( 29 May 1176 ) where it defended the Carroccio of the Lombard League against the imperial army of Frederick I Barbarossa . The company was assembled in haste , depriving the Lombard infantry of the valuable support of enough heavy cavalry , " horse " were recruited by Alberto da Giussano around Brescia , and in other eastern areas of Lombardy that had contributed less in infantry and trails to the League . The knights would not be understood in the medieval and romantic sense , but as mere " mounted on horseback " or also " light cavalry " . They were very probably particularly cruel and fierce " professional , or semi - professional , " fighters " " , apt at wreaking havoc in the enemy ranks . According to Milanese chronicler Galvano Fiamma it was composed of 900 men at arms but other sources and modern scholars reduce that number to 300 or , more probably , 500 . According to tradition they wore a sort of dark suit ( black and gray , cut vertically ) connected at the sides , to cover the armour , with probably the symbol of the skull on the traditional small pointed wooden shields . After the battle there is no further information about the company ' s continued existence .