Charles the Bold's interest in Italy has, as stated at the outset, long been known to, and the subject of comment by, historians, but the evidence offered in the preceding pages will, it is hoped, make possible a fuller understanding of that interest. Indeed, to exaggerate slightly, Charles could be described as having surrounded himself with Italians almost from the cradle to the grave. One of his numerous illegitimate half-brothers, the cleric Raphael de Marcatellis (1437–1508), had an Italian mother. Those with whom Charles, from his early teens, was brought up and educated included Francesco d'Este. During his father's reign he became familiar with Tommaso Portinari and probably also with others less well known today, such as Giacomo dei Vischi. After he had become duke himself, he retained several Italian squires; he had his letters written by Italian secretaries; when he fell ill he placed his trust in Italian doctors; and he may even occasionally have worn Italian-style clothes. He liked to converse with Italian diplomats, whose language he could speak. Italian soldiers constituted the largest group of foreign mercenaries in his army, and he gave them important commands out of proportion to their numbers. The memory of his last battle is forever associated with the defection of one of his Italian generals, the count of Campobasso, and, after his death at Nancy, it was an Italian manservant who located his body.

Richard Vaughan characterised Charles as innovatory, but perhaps to a fault, being ahead of his time and too progressive to be a successful ruler. The duke's fondness for Italians was one aspect of his tendency to innovation. For example, the chronicler Philippe Wielant, contrasting father and son, noted that, while Philip the Good had chosen his military captains from among his own subjects, Charles preferred foreigners, ‘Italiens, Néapolitains, Anglois et tels autres’. Louis XI too remarked in January 1474, though probably ironically, on Charles the Bold's devotion to Italian customs, manners and methods of government (‘… in tutto dato alli costumi, modi et governi italiani …’).