W.6. Additions to the Parts of the Italian Fioretto and Spada

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."

1884 Masaniello Parise, Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola, page 218.

• (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."

The Rivettino 

The lip on the bell is called "rivettino", it curls upward for about a fifth of an inch and is mentioned as late as 1905 in Primo Tiboldi's La Scherma di Fioretto (page 4) as an optional part of the bell. It's main purpose is to give additional protection to the hand: The rivettino catches the point of the opponent's blade, on a sharp weapon often breaking it. This makes it necessary to carefully close distance until the point passed the bell before attacking. It also strengthens the bell structurally and increases the deviation of the opponent's blade in actions with blade (and bell) contact.

1803 Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza & Grisetti, The Science of Fencing, page 75

• "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".

1844 Blasco Florio, La scienza della scherma esposta, page 146:

• (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."

1871 Cesare Enrichetti, Trattato Elementare Teorico-Pratico Di Scherma, page 66:

• (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."

1884 Masaniello Parise, Trattato teorico pratico della scherma di spada e sciabola, page 33: 

• (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."

Knucklebow

A number of spada and possibly smarra are pictured in collections or in period weapon catalogs as equipped with a knucklebow extending from the gavigliano (crossbar) to the pomolo (pommel) on one side.  See, for example, Benjamin Arms's webpage for Serafino Fratelli e Gnutti's 1904 catalog (also pictured in Holzman's translation of Rosaroll Scorza and Grisetti on page xviii).  These may be a dueling adaptation to provide addititional protection to the base of the hand opposite the thumb.  The last mention of it as a practical part of the sword that we have located appears in 1871 in Enrichetti's Trattato Elementare Teorico-Practico di Scherma, although weapons with the knucklebow were certainly available for sale as late as 1904.  

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.