Any study of the Italian fencing weapons of the classical period shows an evolution in their design and function. This is particularly true of the fioretto and spada prior to 1900. This post addresses one weapon and two weapon components and their evolution.
The Smarra
The Smarra is described as still in use as late as 1884 by Masaniello Parise, however, the context of it seems to have changed over time. Originally, it had been a heavier foil, only used in lessons against the fencing master. Its purpose had been to strengthen the arm and ultimately allow faster technique execution in the actual foil, which would feel light by comparison. The master himself wouldn't use it, to preserve his energy, having to teach several students in one session. Later, the smarra seems to have been used predominantly as a symbolic weapon in exhibitions. It was handed to the most deserving fencing master or amateur present by the organizer of the event, likely for the duration of the event and to use it in his demonstrations.
1803 Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza & Grisetti, The Science of Fencing, page 278:
- "The smarra is a heavier foil than the others, with which it is the custom to perform the lesson at the chest of the maestro."
1844 Blasco Florio, La scienza della scherma esposta, page 174:
- (translated) "I talked about the foil which is the weapon with which the actions are carried out, however, to teach them to the student, this weapon itself becomes heavier with increasing the mass, and then takes the name of smarra. Since it is heavy, it forces the muscles of the arm to work harder and employ more force, and therefore, as we have from physiology, not only fortifies it, but also makes the movements of the foil quicker, because it is lighter, at the assault. The master, however, makes use of the foil, so as not to consume so much strength and to be able to endure longer in teaching many students."
- (translated) "Until a few years ago one used to execute the lessons with a much heavier foil than that which one used in the assaut. This foil was called smarra, as it still is called today. One offered that weapon in preference to any other foil, to denote that whoever presidents over the academy represents a serious art."
- "Its use is that of stopping or deflecting the opposing blade from our body ... since without the obstacle of the lip, the enemy point easily slides on the convexity of our shell, we would be wounded either on the hand or on the arm".
- (translated) "The rivettino ... has three advantages, which are: 1. It strenghens the bell. 2. It serves to increase the diverting of the opponent's blade. 3. It catches the opponent's point, and often breaks it ..., and it makes it necessary for the opponent to carefully and slowly approach the opponent's blade until the point has passed the rivettino."
- (translated): "The bell ... can incorporate a zone which is called rivettino, and this serves to catch and deviate the point of the enemy to make sure it doesn't hit the hand."
- (translated): "The old ones used to add a zone around the bell that curved upward, half a centimeter long, called rivettino, to catch the point of the enemy to make sure when it hits the bell, it couldn't hit the hand. This system is preferred also by us."
Sources:
Benjamin Arms; "Serafino Fratelli e Gnutti"; [Internet page]; at https://benjaminarms.com/research/swordmakers/serafino-fratelli-e-gnutti/; accessed 3 May 2022.
Enrichetti, Cesare; Trattato Elementare Teorico-Pratico Di Scherma; [fencing manual]; Parma, Italy; 1871; at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/gri.ark:/13960/t1wf1614v.
Florio, Blasco; La scienza della scherma esposta; [fencing manual]; Catania, Italy; 1844; at https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_wjjdFWDQT4kC.
Parise, Masaniello; Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola; [fencing manual], Roma, Italy;1884; at http://www.compaquila.com/manuali/Parise.pdf.
Rosaroll Scorza, Giuseppe and Grisetti, Pietro; The Science of Fencing; translation by Christopher A. Holzman; [fencing manual]; Milan, Italy, reprint by Christopher A. Holzman, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America; 1803, reprint 2018.
Tiboldi, Primo; La Scherma di Fioretto; [fencing manual]; Casa Editrice Sonzogno, Milan, Italy; 1905, reprinted 1928; at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r4c8PfPAF8v3PwmaryBgZHOuWp1GE1Te/view.
Copyright 2o22 by Christian Olbrich
Additions to the Parts of the Italian Fioretto and Spada by Christian Olbrich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
