Vienna Anonymous On Fencing: a Rapier Masterclass from the 17th Century

If there ever was an invaluable glossa to two of the major Italian rapier fencing treatises, the Vienna Anonymous—also known as Della Scherma or MS 381 in the Fürstliche Sammlung des Palais Liechtenstein (Vienna)—deserves the title. An anonymous fencer took it upon himself to write a detailed explanation of the art of the single rapier by referencing (and expanding on) the writings of Salvator Fabris and Ridolfo Capoferro. Finished in 1614, the Anonymous bridges the gap between the high-level rapier treatises of the time and the minutiae of salle instruction, thereby gifting us with a wealth of technical and tactical details that would otherwise have faded forever into the dark night of history. The intricate handwriting of the Anonymous has been meticulously deciphered, transcribed and translated by experienced Italian rapier scholar Tom Leoni. This book includes a historical introduction, glossary, translation and transcription of the text, amply annotated for the benefit of today's rapier student.