Sinossi:

When we get close to doing a “free fencing”, which is basically the simulation of a duel, what drives us? What state of mind do we have? What’s behind the gesture?

With what attitude do we approach it? …and, What is the intention? There is the profound awareness much preached and flaunted, of having it in hand a sharp and pointed weapon?  Last butnot least, we are aware of the fact that we are, virtually, about to hurt or kill the other
duelist?
The art of dueling has been an integral and accepted part of society and law, for centuries! We custodians of tradition have a moral obligation to approach the “free” with the correct attitude.
Let’s explore the issue together by delving into the soul of the duelist, in our soul, which should be trained in measured instinct, in action “taught” by constant practice.
Jacopo Gelli gives us some tips on what the person should be like “duelist”, let’s read and analyze an excellent passage from him manual “Italian fencing”:

>>Fencing gives the character greater condescension and stronger energy; DEVELOP AND INTELLIGENCE COURTESY; inspires confidence in the shooter of him strength, and instills in him a chivalrous feeling, which increases with grow in the gentleman’s reputation.
Educate these to REPRESS THE GESTURE AND WITHHOLD THE OFFENDING WORD, ready to escape him, because force imposes moderation on him and makes it easy for him.  The duel statistics prove, in fact, that the greatest number of fights chivalrousness happens precisely among those who know little or nothing about fencing; since those who  are skilled in this most noble ART, from this healthy exercise they have learned to measure the disastrous consequences, which it gives a duel can result, and the words and deeds that to the unfortunate use of dueling lead.<<

We will not be looking at a treaty as the basis for our conversation of fencing, but rather apassage that describes a duel present in the novel “Il piacere” (The pleasure) written by
Gabriele D’Annunzio in 1888.
It seems reasonable to hypothesize that the poet recounts this duel by taking inspired by real-life experiences, both in everyday life which in the military context of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not unusual that, for various reasons, it ended in a duel, in fact it was the most simple form to get justice, so we will read and disassemble this text together.

 

For those who wish to delve deeper, the passage from the book from which all this is extracted is linked below:

https://it.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Il_piacere/V

Alternatively, you can access it by scanning the following QR code.

 

 

 

 

Bio:

Fausto Lusetti, born in Volta Mantovana, a small medieval town in the North of Italy and grew up in closeby town of Cerlongo, the traditional hometown of the Lusetti family.
Fausto’s fascination with swords started when, at age 5, he saw the poster for John Boorman’s movie “Excalibur”.
Many years later in 1996, after he just finished Military service, he watched a reenactment in Soave di Verona and was introduced to the historical company “La Zoiosa” in Mantova, where he started practicing the longsword.
In 2001 he met Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair and ASD FISAS, discovering a new passion for rapier and sidesword. This led him to achieving the rank of Provost in longsword and sidesword in the early 2010s.
Briefly studying I-33 sword and shield with provost Natasjia Solgaard Grønli, he became fascinated with this system and continued to study it, drawing in his friend and colleague Davide Rovelli of Belluno, who later worked on further translating the document from German and Latin.
Fausto founded the “Sala d’arme Confraternita San Giorgio”, which later expanded to two locations thanks to the number of students joining from Mantova and the surrounding areas.
Now as an independent researcher with over 20 years experience in particular in the older systems like longsword and sidesword.