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{{infobox writer
+
{{Infobox writer
| name                   = Hans Talhoffer
+
| name                 = Nicoletto Giganti
| image                 = File:Hans Talhoffer.png
+
| image               = File:Nicoletto Giganti portrait.png
| imagesize             = 250px
+
| imagesize           =  
| caption               =  
+
| caption             =  
  
| pseudonym             =  
+
| pseudonym           =  
| birthname             =  
+
| birthname           =  
| birthdate             = ca. 1410-15
+
| birthdate           = 1550s-60s
| birthplace             = Swabia
+
| birthplace           = Fossombrone, Italy
| deathdate             = after 1482
+
| deathdate           = unknown
| deathplace             =  
+
| deathplace           =
| occupation             = {{plainlist
+
| resting_place        =  
 +
| occupation           = {{plainlist
 
  | [[Fencing master]]
 
  | [[Fencing master]]
  | Mercenary
+
  | [[occupation::Soldier]]
 
}}
 
}}
| nationality           =  
+
| language            = [[Italian]]
| ethnicity             =  
+
| nationality         =  
| citizenship           =  
+
| ethnicity           =  
| education             =  
+
| citizenship         = Republic of Venice
| alma_mater             =  
+
| education           =  
| patron                 = {{plainlist
+
| alma_mater           =  
  | David and Buppellin vom Stain
+
| patron               = {{plainlist
| Eberhardt von Württemberg
+
  | Cosimo II de' Medici
  | [[Luithold von Königsegg]]
+
  | Christofano Chigi
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
| period              =  
| spouse                =
+
| genre               = [[Fencing manual]]
| children              =
+
| subject              =
| relatives              =
+
| movement            =  
| period                 =
+
| notableworks         = {{plainlist
| movement               = [[Marxbrüder]] (?)
+
  | ''[[Scola, overo teatro (Nicoletto Giganti)|Scola, overo teatro]]'' (1606)
| influences            =
+
  | ''[[Libro secondo (Nicoletto Giganti)|Libro secondo]]'' (1608)
| influenced            =
 
 
 
| genre                 = {{plainlist
 
| [[Fencing manual]]
 
| [[Wrestling manual]]
 
}}
 
| language              = [[Early New High German]]
 
| notableworks           =
 
| archetype              = {{collapsible list
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Chart.A.558)|MS Chart.A.558]] (1448)(?)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS XIX.17-3)|MS XIX 17-3]] (1446-1459)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.2º)|MS Thott 290.2º]] (1459)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394a)|Cod. icon. 394a]] (1467)
 
}}
 
| manuscript(s)          = {{collapsible list
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 78.A.15)|MS 78.A.15]] (1450s)
 
| [[Ambraser Codex (MS KK5342)|MS KK5342]] (1480-1500)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.I.6.2º.1)|Cod. I.6.2º.1]] (before 1561)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.Ser.Nov.2978)|Cod.Ser.Nov.2978]] (1500s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 26.236)|MS 26.236]] (1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Sammelhandschrift (2º MS iurid. 29)|2º MS iurid. 29]] (1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (2º Col.MS.Philos.61)|2º Col. MS philos. 61]] (late 1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.Guelf.125.16.Extrav.)|Cod.guelf.125.16.Extrav]] (late 1600s)
 
| [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 014)|MS 014]] (1700s)
 
  | [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394)|Cod. icon. 394]] (1820)
 
  | [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 395)|Cod. icon. 395]] (ca.1820)
 
 
}}
 
}}
 +
| manuscript(s)        =
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
| first printed edition =  
+
| first printed edition= Leoni, 2010
| wiktenauer compilation by=
+
| wiktenauer compilation by=[[Michael Chidester]]
  
| signature              =  
+
| spouse              =
| translations           =  
+
| partner              =
| below                 =  
+
| children            =
 +
| relatives            =
 +
| influences          =
 +
| influenced          = [[Bondì di Mazo]] (?)
 +
| awards              =
 +
| signature           =
 +
| website             =  
 +
| translations         =  
 +
| below               =  
 
}}
 
}}
'''Hans Talhoffer''' (Dalhover, Talhouer, Thalhoffer, Talhofer) was a 15th century [[German]] [[fencing master]]. His martial lineage is unknown, but his writings make it clear that he had some connection to the tradition of [[Johannes Liechtenauer]], the grand master of the German school of fencing. Talhoffer was a well educated man, who took interest in astrology, mathematics, onomastics, and the auctoritas and the ratio. He authored at least five [[fencing manual]]s during the course of his career, and appears to have made his living teaching, including training people for [[trial by combat]].
+
'''Nicoletto Giganti''' (Niccoletto, Nicolat) was an [[Italian]] soldier and [[fencing master]] around the turn of the [[17th century]]. He was likely born to a noble family in Fossombrone in central Italy, and only later became a citizen of Venice. Little is known of Giganti’s life, but in the dedication to his 1606 treatise he claims 27 years of professional experience, meaning that his career began in 1579 (possibly referring to service in the Venetian military, a long tradition of the Giganti family). Additionally, the preface to his 1608 treatise describes him as a Master of Arms to the Order of Santo Stefano in Pisa, a powerful military order founded by Cosimo I de' Medici, giving some further clues to his career.
 
 
The first historical reference to Talhoffer is in 1433, when he represented Johann II von Reisberg, archbishop of Salzburg, before the Vehmic court. Shortly thereafter in 1434, Talhoffer was arrested and questioned by order of Wilhelm von Villach (a footman to Albrecht III von Wittelsbach, duke of Bavaria) in connection to the trial of a Nuremberg aristocrat named Jacob Auer, accused of murdering of his brother Hans. Talhoffer subsequently confessed to being hired to abduct Hans von Villach, and offered testimony that others hired by Auer performed the murder. Auer's trial was quite controversial and proved a major source of contention and regional strife for the subsequent two years. Talhoffer himself remained in the service of the archbishop for at least a few more years, and in 1437 is mentioned as serving as a bursary officer (''Kastner'') in Hohenburg.
 
 
 
The 1440s saw the launch of Talhoffer's career as a professional fencing master. He purchased (and perhaps contributed to) the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Chart.A.558)|MS Chart.A.558]], an anthology created in ca. 1448. The fencing portion is largely text-less and it may have been designed as a visual aid for use in teaching; in addition to these illustrations, the manuscript also contains a treatise on name magic and a warbook that might be related to [[Konrad Kyeser]]'s ''Bellifortis''. While Talhoffer's owner's mark appears in this manuscript, his level of involvement with its creation is unclear. It contains many works by other authors, in addition to plays that are somewhat similar to his later works, and shows evidence of multiple scribes and multiple artists. It is possible that he purchased the manuscript after it was completed (or partially completed), and used it as a basis for his later teachings.
 
 
 
Most notable among the noble clients that Talhoffer served in this period was the Königsegg family of southern Germany, and some time between 1446 and 1459 he produced the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS XIX.17-3)|MS XIX.17-3]] for this family… <!-- This work depicts a judicial duel being fought by [[Luithold von Königsegg]] and the training that Talhoffer gave him in preparation, but it seems that this duel never actually took place. He seems to have passed through Emerkingen later in the 1450s, where he was contracted to train the brothers David and Buppellin vom Stain; he also produced the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS 78.A.15)|MS 78.A.15]] for them, a significantly expanded version of the Königsegg manuscript.
 
  
In 1459, Talhoffer commissioned the [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (MS Thott.290.2º)|MS Thott.290.2º]], a new personal fencing manual along the same lines as the 1448 work but expanded with additional content and captioned throughout. He appears to have continued instructing throughout the 1460s, and in 1467 he produced his final manuscript, [[Talhoffer Fechtbuch (Cod.icon. 394a)|Cod.icon 394a]], for another of his noble clients, Eberhardt I von Württemberg. This would be his most extensive work, and the graf paid 10 Guilder as well as quantities of rye and oats for the finished work.
+
In 1606, Giganti published a treatise on the use of the rapier (both single and with the dagger) titled ''[[Scola, overo teatro (Nicoletto Giganti)|Scola, overo teatro]]'' ("School or Theater"). It is dedicated to Cosimo II de' Medici. 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. It is also the first treatise to fully articulate the principle of the lunge.
  
While only a few facts are known about Talhoffer's life, this has not stopped authors from conjecture. The presence of the [[:File:MS KK5012 57v.jpg|Lion of St. Mark]] in Talhoffer's 1459 coat of arms (right) has given rise to speculation that he may have been an early or even founding member of the Frankfurt-am-Main-based [[Marxbrüder]] fencing guild, though there is no record of their existence prior to 1474. Additionally, much has been made of the fact that Talhoffer's name doesn't appear in [[Paulus Kal]]'s list of members of the [[Fellowship of Liechtenauer]]. While some have speculated that this indicates rivalry or ill-will between the two contemporaries, it is more likely that Talhoffer simply didn't participate in whatever venture the fellowship was organized for.
+
In 1608, Giganti made good on the promise in his first book that he would publish a second volume. Titled ''[[Libro secondo (Nicoletto Giganti)|Libro secondo di Niccoletto Giganti]]'' ("Second Book of Niccoletto Giganti"), it is dedicated to Christofano Chigi, a Knight of Malta, and 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 additional writings on the dagger and on cutting with the rapier, but there is no record of further books by Giganti ever being published.
  
Various otherwise-unidentified fencing masters named Hans have also been associated by some authors with Talhoffer. The 1454 records of the city of Zürich note that a master (presumed by some authors to be Hans Talhoffer) was chartered to teach fencing in some capacity and to adjudicate judicial duels; the account further notes that a fight broke out among his students and had to be settled in front of the city council, resulting in various fines. In 1455, a master named Hans was retained by Mahiot Coquel to train him for his duel with Jacotin Plouvier in Valencienne; if this were Talhoffer, his training did little good as Coquel lost the duel and died in brutal fashion. -->
+
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 ''[[Scienza d’Arme (Salvator Fabris)|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.
  
([[Hans Talhoffer|Read more]]…)
+
([[Nicoletto Giganti|Read more]]…)
  
 
<dl style="clear:right;">
 
<dl style="clear:right;">
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
 
<dt style="font-size:90%;">Recently Featured:</dt>
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Andre Lignitzer]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Adam van Breen]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Die Blume des Kampfes]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Francesco Fernando Alfieri]]</dd>
+
<dd style="font-size:90%;">[[Hans Talhoffer]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Andre Lignitzer]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Adam van Breen]]&ensp;–&ensp;[[Francesco Fernando Alfieri]]</dd>
 
</dl>
 
</dl>

Revision as of 15:19, 20 July 2020

Nicoletto Giganti
Born 1550s-60s
Fossombrone, Italy
Died date of death unknown
Occupation
Citizenship Republic of Venice
Patron
  • Cosimo II de' Medici
  • Christofano Chigi
Influenced Bondì di Mazo (?)
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s)
First printed
english edition
Leoni, 2010
Concordance by Michael Chidester

Nicoletto Giganti (Niccoletto, Nicolat) was an Italian soldier and fencing master around the turn of the 17th century. He was likely born to a noble family in Fossombrone in central Italy, and only later became a citizen of Venice. Little is known of Giganti’s life, but in the dedication to his 1606 treatise he claims 27 years of professional experience, meaning that his career began in 1579 (possibly referring to service in the Venetian military, a long tradition of the Giganti family). Additionally, the preface to his 1608 treatise describes him as a Master of Arms to the Order of Santo Stefano in Pisa, a powerful military order founded by Cosimo I de' Medici, giving some further clues to his career.

In 1606, Giganti published a treatise on the use of the rapier (both single and with the dagger) titled Scola, overo teatro ("School or Theater"). It is dedicated to Cosimo II de' Medici. 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. It is also the first treatise to fully articulate the principle of the lunge.

In 1608, Giganti made good on the promise in his first book that he would publish a second volume. Titled Libro secondo di Niccoletto Giganti ("Second Book of Niccoletto Giganti"), it is dedicated to Christofano Chigi, a Knight of Malta, and 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 additional writings on the dagger and on cutting with the rapier, but there is no record of further books by Giganti 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.

(Read more…)

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