De Arte Gladiatoria - facsimile

This is a full-colour facsimile edition of Philippo Vadi's De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi, the art of swordsmanship. 

De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi was written in the late 1400s by Philippo Vadi, for Guido da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbinoand a famous condottiero. It is dated to between 1482 and 1487. It is unusual in that it begins with sixteen chapters of fencing theory, making it a vital resource for anyone studying the martial and literary culture of the quattrocento. The manuscript exists in only one known copy, held in the Biblioteca nazionale di Roma.

The book begins with an introduction, followed by 16 chapters on the art and practice of swordsmanship, then continues with illustrated martial arts techniques. Swordfighting in armour, out of armour, techniques with a pollax, with a spear, and with and against a dagger. The whole of knightly combat on foot is covered.

Our facsimile reproduces the best scans available, and is bound in glorious hardback, measuring 6×9 inches, as close as we could make it to the size of the manuscript.

This is indispensible reading for any scholar of medieval history, swordsmanship, medieval and renaissance combat, or re-enactment.

Please note: this book is written in Italian, and there is no translation or commentary included in this edition.