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Difference between revisions of "Angelo Viggiani dal Montone"

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<p>'''The intention''' of the author of the present treatise is to demonstrate a ''schermo'' which is particularly his own; and because unto this end are things designated, it is reasonably written in a treatise of a ''schermo'' of the unaccompanied ''spada da filo'', etc., and is divided into three parts, as three in number are the things with which it treats: in the first it disputes the excellence of arms and of letters; in the second, of offense and defense, seeking to determine which came first, and is more natural, and more chivalric; and in the third, it speaks of the same combat, since combat being an action of offense and defense between two knights, it was proper to discourse upon the perfection of chivalry, and of the dignity of offense, and defense, and of the excellence of combat. He teaches combat in the last part, because this proposal being his aim, he must be teaching it in the final place; and discussing in the first part the excellence of the knight, as a thing directed to that aim, and as offense and defense are more universal than not, he follows the order of that doctrine that one is to proceed from the more to the less universal. Discussing of these three things under the form of a dialogue will render facility, because dialogue lends itself to debate, and to teaching, and learning, and he introduces in the first and second parts two of the more excellent of their age in their professions, the Most Illustrious Signor Aluigi Gonzaga, called “Rodomonte,”<ref>Literally, “Braggart”.</ref> and the Most Excellent Messer Lodovico Bocadiferro<ref>Literally, “Iron Mouth”.</ref> Bolognese; because debate of questions of such difficulty required being treated of by worthy personages, and particularly by a valorous and erudite knight; which, for the same reason, they are also introduced in the second part, and in the third part unto them is joined the Most Illustrious Signor Conte d’Agomonte, himself a famous knight as well, and deservedly praised.</p>
 
<p>'''The intention''' of the author of the present treatise is to demonstrate a ''schermo'' which is particularly his own; and because unto this end are things designated, it is reasonably written in a treatise of a ''schermo'' of the unaccompanied ''spada da filo'', etc., and is divided into three parts, as three in number are the things with which it treats: in the first it disputes the excellence of arms and of letters; in the second, of offense and defense, seeking to determine which came first, and is more natural, and more chivalric; and in the third, it speaks of the same combat, since combat being an action of offense and defense between two knights, it was proper to discourse upon the perfection of chivalry, and of the dignity of offense, and defense, and of the excellence of combat. He teaches combat in the last part, because this proposal being his aim, he must be teaching it in the final place; and discussing in the first part the excellence of the knight, as a thing directed to that aim, and as offense and defense are more universal than not, he follows the order of that doctrine that one is to proceed from the more to the less universal. Discussing of these three things under the form of a dialogue will render facility, because dialogue lends itself to debate, and to teaching, and learning, and he introduces in the first and second parts two of the more excellent of their age in their professions, the Most Illustrious Signor Aluigi Gonzaga, called “Rodomonte,”<ref>Literally, “Braggart”.</ref> and the Most Excellent Messer Lodovico Bocadiferro<ref>Literally, “Iron Mouth”.</ref> Bolognese; because debate of questions of such difficulty required being treated of by worthy personages, and particularly by a valorous and erudite knight; which, for the same reason, they are also introduced in the second part, and in the third part unto them is joined the Most Illustrious Signor Conte d’Agomonte, himself a famous knight as well, and deservedly praised.</p>
 
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Revision as of 00:23, 17 November 2023

Angelo Viggiani dal Montone
Born 16th century
Bologna
Died 1552
Bologna (?)
Relative(s) Battista Viggiani (brother)
Occupation Fencing master
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s) Lo Schermo (1575)
Manuscript(s) Cod. 10723 (1567)
Translations Traduction française

Angelo Viggiani dal Montone (Angelo Viziani, Angelus Viggiani; d. 1552) was a 16th century Italian fencing master. Little is known about this master's life, but he was Bolognese by birth and might also have been connected to the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.[citation needed]

In 1551, Viggiani completed a treatise on warfare, including fencing with the side sword, but died shortly thereafter. His brother Battista preserved the treatise and recorded in his introduction that Viggiani had asked him not to release it for at least fifteen years. Accordingly, a presentation manuscript of the treatise was completed in 1567 as a gift for Maximilian II (1527-1576), Holy Roman Emperor. It was ultimately published in 1575 under the title Lo Schermo d'Angelo Viggiani.

Treatise

Note: This article includes a very early (2002) draft of Jherek Swanger's translation. An extensively-revised version of the translation was released in print in 2017 as The Fencing Method of Angelo Viggiani: Lo Schermo, Part III. It can be purchased at the following link in softcover.

Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. ↑ Literally, “Braggart”.
  2. ↑ Literally, “Iron Mouth”.
  3. ↑ It is conspicuous that in every other instance in the present text, (at least, in the sections translated here) Viggiani uses the term “da giuoco” (of play/practice) to refer to practice arms. Sydney Anglo (The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe p.324, footnote 102) refers to evidence showing that in late 16th century Spain the spada da marra was considered to be an Italian equivalent of the spada negra, a blunted weapon with a button, and discusses the significance of the different terms. “Marra” in modern Italian is “hoe, fluke of an anchor”, and is given by Florio (A Worlde of Wordes, 1598) to mean “a mattock, a spade, a shovell, a rake to mingle sand and lome together, a pickaxe, or such rusticke instrument.” Thus “spade da marra” may simply mean “swords of blunt metal”, and represent a standard type of practice weapon. Of possible relevance, “smarra” is used to refer to the practice rapier by Marcelli (Regole della scherma, 1686) and others, presumably as a linguistic descendent of “spade da marra” (Gaugler, The History of Fencing, 1998, p. 92); turning again to Florio, “smarrare” is given as “to pare or shave down” and so “smarra” may simply derive from the meaning of “a sword whose point has been pared down”, rather than a contraction of “spada da marra”. It is intriguing to speculate that the term was originally pejorative, suggesting something akin to “swords like shovels”.
  4. ↑ Psalm 45:3.
  5. ↑ The word for which I substitute the phrase “dull edge” is, in the original, “costa”; the relevant meaning given in Florio is “the back of a knife”. Viggiani uses it to refer, first, to a dull false edge (as in a backsword); and second, to a dull portion of either the false, or, more likely, both edges (as an extended ricasso). I am unaware of a discrete word in English that could stand in adequate stead.
  6. ↑ Psalm 149:6-7.
  7. ↑ This is almost certainly an error in the original. The text reads “se nascerà la punta dalle parti dritte, chiamerassi punta rovescia”. This is, of course, the complete opposite of what is meant by “punta rovescia”, and Viggiani immediately contradicts this statement on pg. 56V, endnote immediately following.
  8. ↑ Here the correct definition (contrary to the preceding endnote) is given: “Se si ferirà con la punta, o nascerà dalle parti diritte, & chiamerassi punta diritta, o dalle parti stanche, & chiamerassi punta rovescia…”
  9. ↑ Interpreting this maneuver is problematic. It may refer to the practice of arresting a fendente by meeting it at the agent’s hand, hilt, or at worst, forte; yet no mention is made of the patient closing distance to do so, creating the impression of simply putting a hand or forearm in harm’s way rather than take the blow in the head. The relevant passage in the original is “…il suo braccio stanco tien cura, & custodia della testa in pigliare il colpo con la mano, o in ritener co’l braccio la forza sua…”
  10. ↑ A braccio is a unit of length of approximately 60 centimeters. The specified distance is therefore about 30 cm, or one foot.
  11. ↑ This is, of course, in full, “guardia larga, offensiva, imperfetta”.
Early Italian masters
Germanic Masters
Agrippa 1553 01.jpg
Bolognese Masters
Florentine Masters
Neopolitan Masters
Venetian Masters
Agrippa Style
Marcelli Style
Other Masters
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