Need some Fencing history information

xaine5150 · Apr 14, 2009

Okay, I'm into historical recreation as part of the Society for Creative Anachronism and have gotten involved with my local groups Rapier fencing group.
Being the academic over achiever I have done some research into renaissance era fencing masters and their contributions to the evolution of Fencing which has lead to a market for more information on them.

In particular I'm looking into characters like Rocco Bonetti, Camillo Aggripa, Capo Ferro, and Gerard Thibault. They were the masters referenced in the sword fighting scene of Princess Bride.

I have tried my local library but I'm at a small town in Alaska so it wasn't entirely helpful. I am looking for a source that will tell me what these guys taught about fencing. I'm not looking for comprehensive information about them, just what their philosophies of fencing were.

Does anyone know of an internet source where I could get a hold of that information?

dirtsider · Apr 14, 2009

http://www.kingdomoflucerne.com/

Try this link. I know these guys (was part of it for a while). There are some contact emails in the registration form for the Fort Mifflin event. Lucerne got started because of their interest in historical fencing and doing the research on the background. They were also some of reenactors at the 400 year anniversary activities in Jamestown.

Ariella · Apr 14, 2009

Sydney Anglo's book The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe is a good introduction to the subject.

The AEMMA online library also has a lot of these treatises. I can't seem to make a direct link, but click on the "knowledge base" tab, then on "online library" and then on "16th century".

WriteKnight · Apr 14, 2009

George Silver - English 'Master of Fence' - HATED the "Italianate style of Rapier play" Prefered good stout English swords. Often referred to as the 'father of modern sabre'.

Jospeph Swetnam - Practical advice in real rapier play - easy to read and understand.

Those two are a good place to start. Really you can find most of the period manuals on line nowadays.

But back in MY DAY - when I was a young student master - we were allowed to look at the few copies in the libraries - hard to find. I recall seeing some original pages of Angleo's manuals (Not the excellent reprints available now) when I lived in Paris in 79/80.

Good stuff.

pdr · Apr 14, 2009

Try here.

In the Genres, Historical section,we have a sticky called Resources by Era. In there you'll find a section on swords with some excellent references on and off line.

It's a big reference library/resource centre now so take your time to find wat you want.

MaryMumsy · Apr 14, 2009

No specific info to share, but if you find out about books you would like to look at, see if your small local library participates in inter-library loan. It used to be all free, but with the shrinking library budgets some of them now charge for shipping to your library. I have had several books sent from TX to AZ

MM

Smiling Ted · Apr 15, 2009

xaine5150 said:
Okay, I'm into historical recreation as part of the Society for Creative Anachronism and have gotten involved with my local groups Rapier fencing group.
Being the academic over achiever I have done some research into renaissance era fencing masters and their contributions to the evolution of Fencing which has lead to a market for more information on them.

In particular I'm looking into characters like Rocco Bonetti, Camillo Aggripa, Capo Ferro, and Gerard Thibault. They were the masters referenced in the sword fighting scene of Princess Bride.

I have tried my local library but I'm at a small town in Alaska so it wasn't entirely helpful. I am looking for a source that will tell me what these guys taught about fencing. I'm not looking for comprehensive information about them, just what their philosophies of fencing were.

Does anyone know of an internet source where I could get a hold of that information?

Did you try Wikipedia before you posted here?
Just picking one of your guys at random - Ridolfo Capo Ferro - yielded not only a biographical entry, but also links to an English translation of his fencing treatise and to an article summarizing his principles ("Practical Capoferro").

Need some Fencing history information

xaine5150

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Ariella

...

WriteKnight

Arranger Of Disorder

pdr

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!