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Difference between revisions of "Nicoletto Giganti"

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m (→‎Treatise: Added image captions to single sword section)
m (→‎Treatise: Added image captions to sword and dagger section)
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 24 Figure 21.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 24 Figure 21.png|200px|center|Figure 21]]
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING THE STOCCATA THAT COMES<br/>at the face from the right side with sword and dagger
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING THE STOCCATA THAT COMES<br/>at the face from the right side with sword and dagger
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 25 Figure 22.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 25 Figure 22.png|200px|center|Figure 22]]
 
| THE PROPER WAY OF PARRYING<br/>THE STOCCATA<br/>THAT COMES TOWARD YOUR LEFT FLANK
 
| THE PROPER WAY OF PARRYING<br/>THE STOCCATA<br/>THAT COMES TOWARD YOUR LEFT FLANK
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 26 Figure 23.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 26 Figure 23.png|200px|center|Figure 23]]
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>A THRUST THAT COMES<br/>AT YOUR RIGHT FLANK WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>A THRUST THAT COMES<br/>AT YOUR RIGHT FLANK WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 27 Figure 24.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 27 Figure 24.png|200px|center|Figure 24]]
 
| THE WAY OF PARYING<br/>THE THRUST OF SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER AT YOUR FACE
 
| THE WAY OF PARYING<br/>THE THRUST OF SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER AT YOUR FACE
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 28 Figure 25.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 28 Figure 25.png|200px|center|Figure 25]]
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>THE CUT<br/>ON THE HEAD WITH SWORD AND DAGGER
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>THE CUT<br/>ON THE HEAD WITH SWORD AND DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 29 Figure 26.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 29 Figure 26.png|200px|center|Figure 26]]
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>A RIVERSO<br/>WITH THE DAGGER
 
| THE WAY OF PARRYING<br/>A RIVERSO<br/>WITH THE DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 30 Figure 27.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 30 Figure 27.png|200px|center|Figure 27]]
 
| THRUST THROWN AT THE CHEST<br/>WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
 
| THRUST THROWN AT THE CHEST<br/>WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 31 Figure 28.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 31 Figure 28.png|200px|center|Figure 28]]
 
| THROWING THE STOCCATA<br/>WHILE THE ENEMY<br/>MOVES
 
| THROWING THE STOCCATA<br/>WHILE THE ENEMY<br/>MOVES
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 32 Figure 29.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 32 Figure 29.png|200px|center|Figure 29]]
 
| THRUST THROWN<br/>OVER THE DAGGER
 
| THRUST THROWN<br/>OVER THE DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 33 Figure 30.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 33 Figure 30.png|200px|center|Figure 30]]
 
| Many are the guards that can be made, because every way of holding the sword is a guard, as has been said, and all the guards are good to one who understands tempo and measure. In war one who knows how to make guards with artifice will always deceive the enemy.
 
| Many are the guards that can be made, because every way of holding the sword is a guard, as has been said, and all the guards are good to one who understands tempo and measure. In war one who knows how to make guards with artifice will always deceive the enemy.
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 34 Figure 31.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 34 Figure 31.png|200px|center|Figure 31]]
 
| ARTIFICIAL GUARD<br/>UNCOVERING THE RIGHT<br/>SIDE
 
| ARTIFICIAL GUARD<br/>UNCOVERING THE RIGHT<br/>SIDE
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 35 Figure 32.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 35 Figure 32.png|200px|center|Figure 32]]
 
| ARTIFICIAL GUARD<br/>UNCOVERING THE CHEST
 
| ARTIFICIAL GUARD<br/>UNCOVERING THE CHEST
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 36 Figure 33.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 36 Figure 33.png|200px|center|Figure 33]]
 
| THE FEINT WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO WOUND OVER THE DAGGER
 
| THE FEINT WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO WOUND OVER THE DAGGER
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 37 Figure 34.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 37 Figure 34.png|200px|center|Figure 34]]
 
| THE FEINT<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO WOUND IN THE CHEST
 
| THE FEINT<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO WOUND IN THE CHEST
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 38 Figure 35.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 38 Figure 35.png|200px|center|Figure 35]]
 
| THE FEINT<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN THE FACE<br/>Disengaging the sword over the point of the dagger
 
| THE FEINT<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN THE FACE<br/>Disengaging the sword over the point of the dagger
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 39 Figure 36.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 39 Figure 36.png|200px|center|Figure 36]]
 
| PARRYING THE<br/>LONG STOCCATA<br/>WITH THE SWORD<br/>BY CARRYING<br/>the vita back
 
| PARRYING THE<br/>LONG STOCCATA<br/>WITH THE SWORD<br/>BY CARRYING<br/>the vita back
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 40 Figure 37.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 40 Figure 37.png|200px|center|Figure 37]]
 
| PARRYING WITH<br/>THE DAGGER,<br/>CARRYING THE VITA BACK
 
| PARRYING WITH<br/>THE DAGGER,<br/>CARRYING THE VITA BACK
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 41 Figure 38.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 41 Figure 38.png|200px|center|Figure 38]]
 
| PARRYING WITH<br/>THE DAGGER,<br/>CARRYING THE VITA<br/>BACK<br/>and wounding with the sword in the same tempo
 
| PARRYING WITH<br/>THE DAGGER,<br/>CARRYING THE VITA<br/>BACK<br/>and wounding with the sword in the same tempo
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 42 Figure 39.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 42 Figure 39.png|200px|center|Figure 39]]
 
| THE THRUST IN THE FACE<br/>PARRYING WITH THE SWORD
 
| THE THRUST IN THE FACE<br/>PARRYING WITH THE SWORD
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 43 Figure 40.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 43 Figure 40.png|200px|center|Figure 40]]
 
| THE PASS<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO APPROACH<br/>THE GRIPS<br/>and wound with the dagger in the face
 
| THE PASS<br/>WITH SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>IN ORDER TO APPROACH<br/>THE GRIPS<br/>and wound with the dagger in the face
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 44 Figure 41.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 44 Figure 41.png|200px|center|Figure 41]]
 
| THE THRUST<br/>WITH THE SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>THROWN FROM THE SIDE<br/>of the right shoulder
 
| THE THRUST<br/>WITH THE SWORD AND DAGGER<br/>THROWN FROM THE SIDE<br/>of the right shoulder
  
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 45 Figure 42.png|200px|center]]
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| [[File:Scola, overo teatro (Giganti) 45 Figure 42.png|200px|center|Figure 42]]
 
| PASSING<br/>WITH THE FOOT<br/>WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
 
| PASSING<br/>WITH THE FOOT<br/>WITH SWORD<br/>AND DAGGER
  

Revision as of 11:57, 31 May 2018

Nicoletto Giganti
Born 1550-1560
Fossombrone, Italy
Died after 1622
Venice, Italy (?)
Occupation
Nationality Italian
Citizenship Republic of Venice
Patron Cosimo II de Medici
Influenced Bondì di Mazo (?)
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s)

Nicoletto Giganti (Niccoletto, Nicolat; 1550s-after 1622[1]) was a 16th – 17th century Italian soldier and fencing master. He was likely born to a noble family in Fossombrone in central Italy,[2] and only later became a citizen of Venice as he stated on the title page of his 1606 treatise. Little is known of Giganti’s life, but in the dedication to his 1606 treatise he counts twenty seven years of professional experience (possibly referring to service in the Venetian military, a long tradition of the Giganti family).[3] The preface to his 1608 treatise describes him as a Mastro d'Arme of the Order of St. Stephen in Pisa, giving some further clues to his career.

In 1606, Giganti published a popular treatise on the use of the rapier (both single and with the dagger) titled Scola, overo teatro ("School or Fencing Hall"). This treatise is structured as a series of progressively more complex lessons, and Tom Leoni opines that this treatise is the best pedagogical work on rapier fencing of the early 17th century.[4] It is also the first treatise to fully articulate the principle of the lunge.

In 1608, Giganti made good the promise in his first book that he would publish a second volume.[5] Titled Libro secondo di Niccoletto Giganti Venetiano, it covers the same weapons as the first as well as rapier and buckler, rapier and cloak, rapier and shield, single dagger, and mixed weapon encounters. This text in turn promises two additional works, on the dagger and on cutting with the rapier, but there is no record of these books ever being published.

While Giganti's second book quickly disappeared from history, his first seems to have been quite popular: reprints, mostly unauthorized, sprang up many times over the subsequent decades, both in the original Italian and, beginning in 1619, in French and German translations. This unauthorized dual-language edition also included book 2 of Salvator Fabris' 1606 treatise Lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme which, coupled with the loss of Giganti's true second book, is probably what has lead many later bibliographers to accuse Giganti himself of plagiarism.

Treatise

Research on Giganti's newly-rediscovered second book is still ongoing, and it is not currently included in the tables below.

Additional Resources

  • Giganti, Nicoletto; Pendragon, Joshua; Terminiello, Piermarco. The 'Lost' Second Book of Nicoletto Giganti (1608): A Rapier Fencing Treatise. Vulpes, 2013. ISBN 978-1909348318
  • Leoni, Tom. Venetian Rapier: The School, or Salle. Nicoletto Giganti's 1606 Rapier Fencing Curriculum. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9825911-2-3
  • Mediema, Aaron Taylor. Nicoletto Giganti's the School of the Sword: A New Translation by Aaron Taylor Miedema. Legacy Books Press, 2014. ISBN 978-1927537077

References

  1. Leoni, p xii.
  2. Lancellotti, Francesco Maria. Quadro letterario degli uomini illustri della città di Fossombrone. In Colucci, Giuseppe. Antichità picene, XXVIII. Fermo, 1796. p 33.
  3. Calcaterra, Francesco. Corti e cortigiani nella Roma barocca. Rome, 2012. p 76.
  4. Leoni, p xi.
  5. This treatise was considered lost for centuries, and as early as 1673 the Sicilian master Giuseppe Morsicato Pallavicini stated that this second book was never published at all. See La seconda parte della scherma illustrata. Palermo, 1673. p v.