Giovanni Battista Maffani - "New" Italian rapier treatise

[Piermarco]

I've just got my hands on a copy of Codex 10784 from the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, which does not appear in any of the standard fencing bibliographies. It is a handwritten work in Italian by Giovanni Battista Maffani of Perugia, entitled “Compendio e discorso di tutto quello, in che consiste la virtù delle spada”, the dedication dating it to 1629 in Vienna.

It is dedicated to Maffani's patron, Archduke Wilhelm Leopold (the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II) who went on to hold a variety of offices, not least governor of the Spanish Netherlands.

Interestingly like Capoferro, Maffani describes himself as "master of the glorious German nation", stating that before coming into Leopold's service he taught in his home-town of Perugia, in Siena (like Capoferro) and in Germany. Perugia and Siena have in common that they were both university towns with large numbers of German students, who likely provided a significant source of patronage for both masters.

The treatise itself is perhaps 25,000 words, divided into 91 chapters. There are no illustrations, except for one simple footwork diagram, with no detailed expositions of individual techniques. Instead the work reads like an extended "theory" section, such as that found at the beginning of Capoferro or Alfieri for example, covering principles, specific tactical and situational advice, as well as sundry matters such as salle etiquette, the various tempers of a sword and so forth. Maffani treats on the single rapier and briefly on the rapier and dagger. He covers the standard four rapier guards, referring intriguingly to a fifth guard "in the manner of a Saracen" and to a hanging guard with the point directly downwards (which he seeks to discourage).

While its emphasis on principles over specific techniques might limit its usefulness as a stand-alone text, it fits squarely into the tradition of contemporary Italian rapier, giving context and nuance to our understanding of early 17th Century Italian swordsmanship.

If there's sufficient interest a transcription in collaboration with Steve Reich is a distinct possibility in the medium term.

[Cutlery Penguin]

Sounds very interesting, I'd certainly like to see it if it ever gets translated into English.

[Piermarco]

Thanks Oz,

I think a transcription would be first on the cards as is fairly long, but once that's in the bag it would make a future translation easier.

[Reinier]

Great work! Like Oz, I'd be interested in an English translation - my Italian skills consist of putting text through google translate, and that just doesn't cut it!

[admin]

More great work Piermarco!
Do you think the 'Saracen' guard may be something akin to guardia di alta? I suggest that only because of Marcelli's illustration of a Saracen in that sort of position and because Saracens were of course seen as exponents of the cut over the thrust.

[Piermarco]

Thanks Matt To be fair it's not clear, Maffani assumes we know the position so doesn't explicitly describe it, and is more advising against using it than instructing on how to use it.

The point is apparently offline (so it may be more cutty) and he says that it gives only one opening, to the inside, and that proponents of the guard wait to be attacked to the inside to then avoid the blow with a void of the body. Maffani doesn't approve though because he says that waiting to be attacked can lead to being put into obedience.

Capoferro also mentions a "fifth" with the sword and dagger (figure E), without then using it, so I wonder if it might be that, but by the same token it could be something more exotic.

http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/NewManua ... 001055.jpg

[admin]

Hmm, if it were with the point offline low like that (in something that I might call a version of porta di ferro) then I don't really see why that would leave the inside line any more open than the outside line.
But equally I don't really see that guardia di alta leaves one line more open than the other either! Interesting stuff.

[Piermarco]

Yeah he does seem open above the sword, except if you watch his back foot he isn't standing straight on, which might serve to cover the outside line. Of course it could be a red herring.

[Piermarco]

Thinking about it the fifth "Saracen" guard described by Maffani probably fits the "Positura Turchesca" shown by Giuseppe D'Alessandro (published posthumously in 1723), better than Capoferro's "fifth":

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1ywi ... &q&f=false

As it so happens on the same plate as the late example of a spadone guard.

[admin]

Interesting, so essentially a low guardia di alta/posta di donna/vom tag-like position with the right foot forward - this sort of position is used a lot in things like escrima.
Nice to see that posta di donna was still considered the primary longsword guard even that late.

[Mink]

It also looks similar to the "postura africana" drawn in the verdadera destreza treatise from Mendoza y Quixada (sorry that's the highest quality that I could find)

Regards,

[admin]

Yes, it looks the same - fascinating, thanks for finding that!
Very interesting that this position keeps cropping up - it seems very basic and instinctive for a person using a cutting weapon (anybody test cutting will use this position, it's used in Asian martial arts and many people use it in sparring - and it is shown all over European, Middle Eastern and Asian art). Yet with the right foot forward it doesn't really appear in medieval fencing systems much at all. It seems to make the sword-arm very vulnerable.

[Chris Holzman]

Yes, it looks the same - fascinating, thanks for finding that!
Very interesting that this position keeps cropping up - it seems very basic and instinctive for a person using a cutting weapon (anybody test cutting will use this position, it's used in Asian martial arts and many people use it in sparring - and it is shown all over European, Middle Eastern and Asian art). Yet with the right foot forward it doesn't really appear in medieval fencing systems much at all. It seems to make the sword-arm very vulnerable.

It's also not all that different than the hand/arm position in which cuts are chambered in Radaellian sabre according to Del Frate, and is pretty much what Del Frate calls '5th position' for the execution of sforzi. He does the same on the other side of the head as well, especially for sforzi from 6th position Maestro Terrone shows a similar posture to either side of the head, and notes that cuts are taught from such a position in order to help develop good cutting. The cuts described from those positions are downward diagonals of varying steepness.

[John H]

It’s obviously a good position to cut from but even with the Sforzi it’s a position you past through quickly and do not linger there long, as well as being ‘relatively’ pulled back to the body as to not expose the arm if I recall correctly. This appears to be a guard position and I agree with Matt it seems to expose the arm quite a bit. I’m wondering how much that is material and how much of the quick arm cut is an aspect of ‘wounding’ them instead of debilitating the arm. Also would this guard be considered similar to a ‘peasants’ strike, or could it also be a misinterpretation of a more proper position.

You can almost be certain that the destreza version is brought up with some degradation. What does Maffani say about that position, if it favorable, negative or just an example of what ‘people do?’ Also interesting that the Destreza version has the arm more ‘forward’ than Maffani’s this definitely shows the weakness of it, while Maffani’s can almost be pulled back and most of the target removed.

[Piermarco]

What does Maffani say about that position, if it favorable, negative or just an example of what ‘people do?’ Also interesting that the Destreza version has the arm more ‘forward’ than Maffani’s this definitely shows the weakness of it, while Maffani’s can almost be pulled back and most of the target removed.

Maffani references it (what seems to be this position) but doesn't show the image (the image I put up was from D'Alessandro), but Maffani doesn't approve. It seems to be a position people wait in, inviting an attack to the inside, which they then avoid with a void of the body (presumably accompanied by a hefty chop). Maffani thinks this subjects you to going into obedience though. Its interesting in that presumably people must have done it though, and that it is identified as a "foreign" posture.

[admin]

If modern people sparring in HEMA are anything to go by it seems to almost be a base instinct position for people with cutting weapons to use. I see a lot of people using it, even if it is not theoretically a position shown in their systems.

[Chris Holzman]

It’s obviously a good position to cut from but even with the Sforzi it’s a position you past through quickly and do not linger there long, as well as being ‘relatively’ pulled back to the body as to not expose the arm if I recall correctly.

Oh yes - absolutely. I see it either as a momentary position in a bout/paired drill, or a posture to start learning cuts from. I'd rather not use either of the pictured above positions as a guard, unless I had no other choice. Another place it would show up in Italian sabre is as part of a scarto - raising the sword while shifting the weight back at the knees and hips as well as leaning the torso back, in order to let the opponent's cut fall short and pass by, then leaning back in with the cut.

[John H]

That actually reminded me, a version of that is in Taylor/Roworth but the topic is only passed over quickly. It’s under slips (voids, I believe that equates to scarto) and it’s recommended to bring your arm back to your chest and void the cut then return with your own ‘the inftant his adverfary’s blade paffes’ (I always have to laugh at the lisp that was written in )

The position you would void in looks like a 'tucked away' version of the Saracen guard, one that doesn't expose the arm.

[Reinier]

If you look a little better, you should notice that likely those f's don't have the small horizontal bar that an f has, and are in fact differently drawn s's, as was common then

That said, I also like pronouncing those s's differently

[Michael Chidester]

For those interested in reading the text of the Ms., the scans can be had here: http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00163250