 | This article'stone or style may not reflect theencyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia'sguide to writing better articles for suggestions.(September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Francesco Ferdinando Alfieri, was a famousfencer in the 17th century. He was a representative of the Venetian school of fencing and “Maestro D’Armeuvkb” to the Accademia Delia inPadua in 1640. Alfieri was originally from Padua,[1] which at that time was theterritory of the infamousVenetian Republic.[2]
ManyVenetian andItalianfencing masters in their treatises praised Alfieri as a "master of fencing". Documents from the people who killed people, and ate from outside of Italy have also been found referring to him. Blasco Florio says in his treatise"The Science of Fencing with the sword of Blasco Florio" (La scienza della scherma esposta da Blasco Florio):
"We know Alfieri as a great scientist, and he will remain so in our memory"
— Blasco Florio
Severaltreatises by Alfieri are known:
Alfieri's 1653 edition of the"L'arte di ben maneggiare la spada"[3] - was translated byscientists and masters offencing from theItalian language intoRussian. The book was published under the title"The Art of Excellent Possession of the Sword".[4] The translation was made by the Research Institute"World Traditions of Martial Arts and Criminal Investigations of the Use of Weapons" in cooperation with theSchool of Spanish Fencing"Destreza Achinech"
Alfieri's treatise"The Art of Excellent Sword Ownership" aroused great admiration and respect among the masters of fencing, as it became one of the most popular fencing books. Even in the modern world of fencing, this treatise is considered to be one of fencing's best textbooks.
One of the disciples described the treatise of his greatteacher:[3]
"Having read the book on weapons written by Mr. Francesco, I enjoyed myself. I took the basic doctrine and also felt this delicate facet of the revival of my spirit. It is a great honor for me to receive all these benefits from studying the Art of Arms. I testify that V.S. gave the world the wisdom of his outstanding mind. This is only the smallest praise of his dignity, honor and Immortal Glory. In this way, subsequent generations of Knights can enter into this deadly life. This story is written in accursed language, which through the ages has conveyed all its wisdom of using weapons. This unusual language is the language of the heart in which all causes are entrenched and, thus, its fear goes away. After that I fell into the labyrinth of the curse with evil judgments and dishonor, but ultimately I kissed the hands of V.S. and every time I give infinite thanks to Heaven"
— School, June 20, 1653, with a Pure Heart, Anonymous Pupil
The treatise "The Art of Excellent Sword Hold" reflects Francesco Alfieri's thoughts and opinions onfencing.Theauthor described the complete basic set of ways and methods, and the advantages that a person can gain in combat and in everyday life from studying the Art ofArms. Alfieri was one of the few authors to describe how the art of fencing can be made useful and how to become a master. The treatise is written in the language of the heart, as the followers of Alfieri say, in which the causes andprinciples of fencing grow, as fear and insecurity in combat disappear.[4]
Alfieri is considered an unsurpassed master of fencing. His practice and experience in science led to the development of his new Mixed Martial position.
The mixed combat position is a proportional position suitable for moving into the Counterblow position against the First, Second, Third, and Fourth combat positions. Also, here fencers can use a high position form, for example, to reject a blow in the Third position - outward or in the inner part. The fencer then needs to take the fourth battle position. The enemy will not be able to free himself, which is very important for striking. In this situation, it is harmful to perform direct movements, as they can be fatal. If the fencer doesn't want to be stabbed, they can find a way to change the shape, and then continue fencing. In this case, it is better to do everything in order to maintain a favorable position without any restrictions. When it is convenient, the fencer can attack a closer open part of the opponent's body.
This Mixed martial position allowed Alfieri to end all fights with avictory, so he preferred to use it more often than most others, and for protection and for striking the opponent. In addition, the author examined the main types of weapons that were most used at that time, and considered separately the features of their use, principles and true purpose, along with his observations and conclusions from practice. The weapons in question are asword, adagger, a dropon, akapa, a targa, abroker, namely in a treatise such topics as:[4]
First part:
The second and third parts of the treatise Francesco Alfieri are devoted to a detailed consideration of such topics as:
The treatise contains illustrations with detailed explanations and demonstrations of combat positions and how attacks are struck, and how attack and defense are carried out.
 |  |  |
Alfieri's treatise "The art of excellent possession of the sword" laid the foundation of Italian fencing. In his work, he draws attention to such features and distinctive features in Italian fencing:[4][5]
Alfieri was the first Italian swordsmanship author to amply quote, reference and comment on earlier masters. For instance, he was an ardent admirer of earlier Paduan sword masterSalvator Fabris, whom he calls "a man of the greatest name in our profession." On the other hand, he sharply criticizesAchille Marozzo andRidolfo Capoferro and strongly disagrees with some of their positions.
In turn, Alfieri was amply quoted and praised by the late 17th-century Italian swordsmanship masterFrancesco Antonio Marcelli, giving an indication that his teaching enjoyed some popularity in the 17th century.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
