Vincentio Saviolo his Practise, in Two Bookes (Vincentio Saviolo, 1595)

Vincentio Saviolo his Practise, in two Bookes is a printed fencing manual by the Italian master Vincentio Saviolo, published in London in 1595 at John Wolfe's press. By his own account, Saviolo came from Padua. He is attested in England from 1589, when a licence was issued to print his Book of Honour, and according to John Florio he ran a fencing school at Ludgate Hill in 1591. According to Wiktenauer, he seems to have taken over the former school of Rocco Bonetti. The work is dedicated to Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. The full title announces two books. The first deals with the use of the rapier and dagger and takes the form of a dialogue between Saviolo and his pupil. It explains the rapier itself from only three guards. Saviolo's system combines the Italian and Spanish approaches and stresses circular movement instead of the lunge. The second book is devoted to honour and honourable quarrels and, according to Wikipedia, draws heavily on the writings of Girolamo Muzio from 1558. The book was published in English. Wiktenauer suggests that the text came about with the help of John Florio, or as his translation from Italian. We have not been able to substantiate this suggestion. In 1599 George Silver attacked Saviolo's Italian rapier school in his work and mentioned Saviolo as already dead. According to Wiktenauer, the first modern English edition appeared in 1972, and annotated transcriptions were prepared by, among others, the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts.

Martial arts in this work

Contents

The first book is a dialogue between the master Saviolo and his pupil about fighting with the rapier and dagger. Saviolo expressly limits his explanation of the rapier itself to three guards, writing himself "I will speake onelye of three wardes". According to Wiktenauer, the book also covers fighting with the rapier and cloak and with the rapier and buckler. Wikipedia describes Saviolo's system as a combination of the Italian and Spanish approaches, in which movement in a circle around the opponent prevails over the direct lunge. The second book bears in its full title the words Of Honor and honorable Quarrels and is devoted to honour and honourable quarrels. According to Wikipedia, it is largely based on the writings of the Italian author Girolamo Muzio from 1558.

Origin

Saviolo writes of himself in the text "At Padua where I was borne", so he gives Padua as his birthplace. His presence in England is attested by 1589, when Richard Jones received a licence to publish his Book of Honour. In 1591 John Florio mentions Saviolo's fencing school at Ludgate Hill under the sign of the Red Lyon. Wiktenauer cautiously states that Saviolo seems to have taken over the earlier school of Rocco Bonetti. The manual was published in London in 1595 by the printer John Wolfe (Wiktenauer writes Wolff), with a dedication to Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. Saviolo died by 1599 at the latest, when George Silver mentions him as dead in his work.

People and martial arts

• Vincentio SavioloAuthor
• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexPatron

Details

Form

Printed book

Editions

• 1595 · EN · Vincentio Saviolo his Practise, in two Bookes · John Wolfe · first edition
• 1972 · EN