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| 1669 |
Early in the 17th century, when the Italian school of rapier fencing was the dominant one in all of Europe,
an independent school of fencing developed in southern Italy.
The sword masters of the Spanish-occupied regions around Naples and Sicily were feared and respected.
They had the reputation of being true “fencing devils” who combined elegance, aggressiveness and efficiency
and perfected the Italian art of thrust-fencing.
When the French school became more and more established in northern Italy and lighter, shorter blades (smallsword) replaced the rapier,
the masters of the south saw themselfes as the keepers of the only “true Italian” fencing art.
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| 1723 |
Nevertheless, in the 19th century at the latest, the weapon used, still simply called "Spada" (=sword) in Italy, was shortened and came closer to modern civilian dueling weapons used throughout Europe. ( "late Italian rapier")
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| 1803 |
With the founding of the National Fencing Academy (Naples 1861), the Neapolitan school, has remained a considerable influence in todays modern, olympic fencing.
I try to use my knowledge of the traditional, folk stick and knife fencing arts and written, historical sources from the 19th century (mainly Rosaroll Scorza & Grisetti 1803), to find my own style of Neapolitan fencing, in the context of a real duel.
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| 1844 |
"LA SPADA"
The sword, French Epee, also Smallsword or Galasword, gradually developed from the rapier as a light, fast weapon for dueling and self-defense and was part of the everyday clothing of the nobility, students or the military uniform, especially of officers.
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| original Smallsword 18/19th century |
"IL FIORETTO"
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| Italian foil ca 1960 |
Historically, the Italian foil is a light, blunt training weapon.
