Frederico Ghisliero
Encyclopedia
Fredrico Ghisliero was an Italian
fencer
and soldier
who wrote his text Regole di molte cavagliereschi essercitii in 1587.
Some fencing historians have offered the hypothesis that Ghisliero's particular use of geometry is the result of influence of the Spanish school; however, the Spanish school used a single circle that encompassed both duelists, while Ghisliero's system used numerous circles centered around a single fencer. While this common usage of geometry in the context of blade combat has been thought to show at least some Spanish influence, Jeronimo de Carranza, the father of the Spanish school, was heavily influenced by Camillo Agrippa
's application of geometry to combat in his book, entitled Trattato di Scientia d'Arme, which also incorporated the idea of a circle that would encircle the duelists. Thus, it is conceivable that Ghisliero's system was influenced purely by Italian sources, since the use of geometry was common to Agrippa as well as to the theorists of the Spanish system. In addition, the terminology Ghisliero uses in his treatise is the fencing terminology used by his Italian contemporaries (e.g. Mandritto, Riverso, Fendente, Stoccata, et al.), although curiously, Ghisliero used a combination of guard names from various 16th century Italian schools including some associated with Bolognese Swordsmanship
and some of its close relatives (e.g. Guardia di Testa, Guardia di Faccia, and Guardia di Falcone) and the four rotational hand positions from Camillo Agrippa
's manual. However, this seemingly arbitrary selection of terminology is not particularly unusual for Italian systems of swordsmanship from the 16th century (for an illustration of this, compare the terminology used by Achille Marozzo
with that used by Francesco Altoni).
Like the other systems of swordsmanship prevalent in Europe
at the time, Ghisliero's system emphasized the use of the thrust over the cut. He also wrote on the use of the dagger
, and the cloak in combination with the sword, which were mainstays of civilian dress, and were often discussed in manuals of the time, especially those related to the Italian school. He was noted by Luis Pacheco de Narváez
, a major proponent of the Spanish school, as being one of ten leading experts on mounted combat in Europe at the time. Ghisliero wrote other treatises on artillery
, siege warfare and more, however many of these works are now lost. More about him can be found at http://www.thearma.org/, where a discussion of his work is given, based on the work of Dr. Sydney Anglo.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fencer
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
who wrote his text Regole di molte cavagliereschi essercitii in 1587.
Biography
Ghisliero was from an upper class Bolognese family. He listed his profession as "soldier," not master-at-arms. He died at Turin in 1619 after a distinguished military career. Ghisliero apparently wrote other material besides Regole and was a mathematician. His other works on siege warfare, fortification, and artillery were unfortunately lost in a 1904 fire in Italy. Dr. Sydney Anglo recounts that Galileo himself appears to have spent an evening at Ghisliero's home.Theories by Ghisliero
The geometrical concepts in Ghisliero's treatise are explained by the use of a series of concentric circles, with the center being the duelist's back foot (which was usually the foot on which the majority of one's weight rested in most of the systems of the time). Each concentric circle expanded out from the center by the length of one pace. There were also crossing lines, which shared their common midpoint with the central point of the concentric circles. These crossing lines pointed forward, backward, right, and left, relative to the fencer.Some fencing historians have offered the hypothesis that Ghisliero's particular use of geometry is the result of influence of the Spanish school; however, the Spanish school used a single circle that encompassed both duelists, while Ghisliero's system used numerous circles centered around a single fencer. While this common usage of geometry in the context of blade combat has been thought to show at least some Spanish influence, Jeronimo de Carranza, the father of the Spanish school, was heavily influenced by Camillo Agrippa
Camillo Agrippa
Camillo Agrippa was a noted fencer, architect, engineer and mathematician of the Renaissance. He is considered to be one of the greatest fencing theorists of all time.-Biography:...
's application of geometry to combat in his book, entitled Trattato di Scientia d'Arme, which also incorporated the idea of a circle that would encircle the duelists. Thus, it is conceivable that Ghisliero's system was influenced purely by Italian sources, since the use of geometry was common to Agrippa as well as to the theorists of the Spanish system. In addition, the terminology Ghisliero uses in his treatise is the fencing terminology used by his Italian contemporaries (e.g. Mandritto, Riverso, Fendente, Stoccata, et al.), although curiously, Ghisliero used a combination of guard names from various 16th century Italian schools including some associated with Bolognese Swordsmanship
Bolognese Swordsmanship
Bolognese Swordsmanship, also sometimes known as the Dardi school, is a tradition within the Italian school of swordsmanship which is based on the surviving fencing treatises published by several 16th century fencing masters of Bologna, although records indicate that as early as the 14th century...
and some of its close relatives (e.g. Guardia di Testa, Guardia di Faccia, and Guardia di Falcone) and the four rotational hand positions from Camillo Agrippa
Camillo Agrippa
Camillo Agrippa was a noted fencer, architect, engineer and mathematician of the Renaissance. He is considered to be one of the greatest fencing theorists of all time.-Biography:...
's manual. However, this seemingly arbitrary selection of terminology is not particularly unusual for Italian systems of swordsmanship from the 16th century (for an illustration of this, compare the terminology used by Achille Marozzo
Achille Marozzo
Achille Marozzo was an Italian fencing master teaching in the Dardi or Bolognese tradition.Marozzo was probably born in Bologna. His text Opera Nova dell'Arte delle Armi was published in 1536 in Modena, dedicated to Count Rangoni, then reprinted several times all the way into the next century...
with that used by Francesco Altoni).
Like the other systems of swordsmanship prevalent in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
at the time, Ghisliero's system emphasized the use of the thrust over the cut. He also wrote on the use of the dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
, and the cloak in combination with the sword, which were mainstays of civilian dress, and were often discussed in manuals of the time, especially those related to the Italian school. He was noted by Luis Pacheco de Narváez
Luis Pacheco de Narváez
Don Luis Pacheco de Narváez was a Spanish writer on fencing. He was don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza's student and later published a multitude of works based on the Destreza school of fencing. Some of his works were compendiums of Carranza's work while others were less derivative.He may be the...
, a major proponent of the Spanish school, as being one of ten leading experts on mounted combat in Europe at the time. Ghisliero wrote other treatises on artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, siege warfare and more, however many of these works are now lost. More about him can be found at http://www.thearma.org/, where a discussion of his work is given, based on the work of Dr. Sydney Anglo.
External links
- http://www.thearma.org/essays/Regole.htm