Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (Ridolfo Capoferro, 1610)

Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma is a printed Italian fencing treatise by Ridolfo Capo Ferro of Cagli. It was published in Siena in 1610 by the printers Salvestro Marchetti and Camillo Turi. According to Wiktenauer, the author was fifty-two at publication and in Siena worked as master of the so-called Great German Nation, probably at the university. According to English Wikipedia, Rafael Schiamirossi made the illustrations for the first edition. The treatise has two parts, The Art of Fencing and The Use. The first has thirteen chapters and moves from the definition of fencing and knowledge of the sword through measure, tempo and body posture to defence, lunging and the dagger. The second shows practice with the single rapier, the rapier with dagger, with cloak and with rotella, a small round shield, and covers grappling with the sword and fighting a left-hander. According to English Wikipedia, roughly 30 percent of the techniques involve cuts, although the rapier is today usually associated mainly with the thrust. Wiktenauer states that Capo Ferro drew on Camillo Agrippa and influenced Sebastian Heußler, whose German manual appeared in 1615. The treatise was reissued in Siena in 1629 by Ercole Gori, with biblical and mythological scenes replacing the original illustrations, in 1632 by Bernardino Capitelli, and in 1652 in Bologna. According to English Wikipedia, Egerton Castle regarded it as a fundamental work of the science of fencing. Wiktenauer, however, writes that it is neither exhaustive nor particularly innovative and apparently was not very influential in its time.

Martial arts in this work

Contents

The print opens with a dedication, a letter to readers, contents, the author's portrait and a short biographical note. According to Wiktenauer, The Art of Fencing has thirteen chapters on fencing in general, its definition, the division and knowledge of the sword, measure, tempo, posture of body and head, torso, arms, thighs, legs, feet and pace, defence and guard, seeking the narrow measure, lunging and the dagger. The following part, The Use, turns these principles into practice. English Wikipedia names fighting with the rapier alone, grappling with the sword, rapier with dagger, rapier with cloak, rapier with rotella and fighting a left-hander.

Origin

Ridolfo Capo Ferro came from Cagli in the duchy of Urbino and, according to Wiktenauer, taught in Siena as master of the so-called Great German Nation, that is, probably of German students. English Wikipedia links this with the University of Siena. He dedicated the treatise to a prince of the Urbino house of della Rovere, but the sources do not give his name consistently: in one place Wiktenauer names Federigo Feltrio della Rovere, in the outline of the preface Francesco Maria, Duke of Urbino. We have not been able to establish which of them the dedication actually belongs to. The first edition involved the printers Salvestro Marchetti and Camillo Turi and the illustrator Rafael Schiamirossi.

Editions and translations

According to English Wikipedia, the treatise was published three more times after the first Siena edition of 1610. Ercole Gori prepared the second edition in Siena in 1629, replacing twenty-seven of Schiamirossi's illustrations with scenes from the Bible and mythology. Bernardino Capitelli's 1632 edition from Siena omitted the introductory material, shortened the descriptions and reduced the illustrations. In 1652 G. Longo in Bologna issued a reprint of the 1629 edition. William Wilson and W. Jherek Swanger produced a complete English translation, but we did not find its year in the sources. The Società d'Arme dell'Aquila transcribed the Italian text.

People and martial arts

• Ridolfo Capo FerroAuthor
• William WilsonTranslator
• W. Jherek SwangerTranslator
• Rafael SchiamirossiIllustrator

Details

Form

Printed book

Editions

• 1610 · IT · Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma · Salvestro Marchetti, Camillo Turi · first edition
• 1629 · IT · Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma · Ercole Gori
• 1632 · IT · Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma · Bernardino Capitelli
• 1652 · IT · Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma · G. Longo
• EN · translation