MAESTRO CARMINE/NINO GALANTE

In Verona, the Castelvecchio seems to have become my standard hang-out spot. More exactly, this spot is inside of the castle, at the private club for military officers, of which Maestro Carmine Galante is a member because he used to be a Captain teaching fencing in the army.

Below, in addition to Maestro Galante and his wife (between whom I am seated), please, note the Italian and American flags decorating the table. This dinner (complemented by live music) was put up by the Italian-American Friendship Society.

When Maestro Galante told me he was going to have a back surgery in less than a week after my visit with him, I thought that meant he would not be able to give me lessons. But it turned out that "some pesky surgery" did not stop him from "beating up on me" with "anything he could get his hands on" (that is sabre, epee, and foil :-). And sometimes even with two weapons at once! And the best part was that all our conversations, including the lessons, were happening in Italian (unless it proved more constructive for Maestro Galante to look up a word in his Italian-English dictionary, or for me to look something up in the English-Italian section, which Maestro Galante also provided :-).  

 I also watched several the Maestro's students prepare for a tournament. And, of course, a visit to the best local pizzeria was mandatory. 

Maestro Galante and his wife were very generous and hospitable. In addition to feeding me and having me at their house, Maestro Galante even arranged for the repairs of the little white car, which my brother lent me for my trip, when the car was damaged during a robbery.

A year earlier, two of my Fencing Masters Program classmates, David (now Maestro) and Dori (FMP Instructor), both Coblentz, were involved as well. During our first meeting for coffee and conversation at the Castel Vecchio private officers club, the first thing Maeestro Galante did--that is when he caught me trying to form the Italian formal plural pronoun to refer to him formally and politely (which I might have even managed to accomplish grammatically correctly)--is that he asked me to refer to him in the alternative informal singular form, which, at least in the Czech Republic, only friends and relatives use.  

Maestro Galante was not only very generous in sharing with us his experiences concerning fencing in Italy as well as abroad, he was also sincerely interested in learning about life in America, where his only son received his law degree. Maestro Galante also invited us back to the officers club for a concert and again for a dinner on another day, when his wife was able to attend as well.

Maestro Galante's surname is completely fitting, as he was an extremely thoughtful, considerate, and, well...*gallant* host. But in one aspect we ultimately accommodated him. While he was initially doing his best concerning speaking English, during our second meeting we were already speaking only Italian. So it appears that my plan concerning beginning learning Italian already during this my first Italian stay worked out as well. I mean, when I really had to, I was carrying out conversations in Italian, and that after only some three weeks of learning. Together with Dori, we attended classes at the Idea Verona language school during this my first visit. Below, please, see our little class. It does not include Dori because she was in an advanced section, while I was in the total beginners class. At the time of my enrollment in the school, it was obvious that I knew no Italian whatsoever (well, except for some fencing terminology :-). So at least outside of the classroom, during my first week they let me solve organizational issues in English. But already during the second week, they begun pretending they had no clue what I was talking about unless I tried to speak Italian...

A good thing about the Idea Verona school was that they found me accommodation for the moth of my studies. I stayed with the ideal landlady, Irene (pictured right below), who even let me borrow her bicycle for my trips to school as well as around the city. Her house provided the real Italian experience, completed with a balcony covered with flowers, where Irene threw parties for her friends. And the Soccer World Cup, which was taking place in Italy during my stay? (Well, it is really football championship, as the American version of football should really be called "carry-ball," or "hand-ball.") In any case, I would have missed the World Cup altogether had not Maestro Myers sent out an announcement that his historical swordsmanship practice in Sacramento, CA (USA), is cancelled to the end of watching the finals of the World Cup. So I watched at least the very last half an hour of the finals at Irene's house (while the rest of Verona, including David and Dori, partied in front of screens set up in bars all over the city). 

Our school also got us discounted tickets to the opera festival, which is one of the largest Verona attractions. It takes place in an arena that has been around since the times of the Roman Empire. A must see of this festival is the traditional Aida (see below). And speaking of my bicycle trips around the town, grocery shopping and such, I must have looked so much like "a local" that people kept approaching me to ask for directions...

Speaking of Verona shopping, the oldest and best known fencing equipment company in Italy--L. Negrini & F.--has been located there since 1897. This means that I had it "in my backyard." So I made sure to take advantage of the Negrini "backyard company" as well. And I am not kidding when I talk about backyard here. The store is located in an unsuspicious house on a quiet street within the historical part of Verona. And the company itself is, well, in this house's backyard. Although once one enters their hallway, it becomes apparent that this is not any regular house...

Should anyone be looking for it, the address is Vicolo Scala Santa, 24. No, they have not paid me for advertising, but I am ready to go back any time. Their sales representatives are well trained for dealing even with customers who "do not really know what they want" (yes, I have tested this their skill thoroughly :-), mistr Negrini gets personally involved when needed as well, more than a few people who saw my new Negrini epee could not tell it in fact has a false (as opposed to true) ricasso, their shoes fit perfectly from the very beginning (it even says "fencing" on them, in addition to Negrini, so Maestro Sahm had to stop making fun of me fencing in "dancing shoes"), and their well-fitting glove is very supple while also washable. The only serious problem I presented was that I wanted to purchase some books as well. Mistr Negrini was the only one able to find them all, and it turned out the desire to read is a sign of a true abroad fencer (as opposed to one living in Italy :-). But Dori presented the Negrini staff with a challenge as well. Since wrist straps constitute a standard part of our equipment (in the Fencing Masters Program), Dori asked for one in a "matter-of-fact" manner. While the sales representative was in fact able to produce one herself, she then had to go and inquire with mistr Negrini about the price of the strap. It turned out that they have not sold one of these for many years, and Dori is now using the last ever wrist strap the Negrini had for sale...

Maestro Giancarlo Toran

From Busto Arsizio, where Maestro Giancarlo Toran's school is located, I do not have actual fencing pictures (instead, I have recordings of Maestro Toran's lessons). His school is located in some of the buildings, provided by the city, which used to accommodate local textile industries (http://www.propatriascherm a.net/news.php). The only "weapon" that has the Classical Italian grip, which Maestro Toran was able to find at his school, was a kid's plastic foil. And when the Maestro explained (with a "good old days" shine in his eyes :-) to one of his students (who has been fencing for almost 10 years) how this traditional grip works, his student was unable to stop giggling, and having trouble believing that this could ever work. But there will be plenty of classical weapons around in the future, as Maestro Toran has acquired a large collection of artifacts and documents, from which he is installing at his school a museum of fencing. According to what Maestro Toran told me recently, the museum should in fact be inaugurated by the Christmas (of 2011). 

Maestro Toran typically begins each of his lessons by asking his student to tell him about a problem he has most recently encountered in his fencing. This allows the Maestro to tailor each of his lesson to the student's concerns.

The following obligatory standing and smiling pictures show Maestro Toran and me with the students of one of his adult classes, and with the maestri who assist Maestro Toran with teaching at his school.

Together with his wife, Maestro Toran invited me, and one of his senior students that served as a “designated translator,” to the famous local seafood restaurant. Although I am normally wary of seafood, in this restaurant we had the best ever seafood dinner of my whole life.

Scherma Storica championship

At the 2nd Historical Combat Championship (Secondo Campionato Italiano FIS di Scherma Storica da Combattimento: http://www.schermastorica. it/pages/Storicombat.php), which took place at Castel Beseno, I visited with Maestri Paolo Azzolini and Giovanni Rapisardi. During the event, the medieval Castel Beseno  was open free of charge, and a party was thrown in the main courtyard to boot. 

While the visit of the castle offered spectacular views of the surrounding towns and landscape, the competition itself took place in a lower part of the castle, from which spectators had a nice view of the castle in the background of the competition.

Maestro Azzolini was organizing the event, and Maestro Rapisardi was in charge of judging the competition (together with his judges team, Maestro Rapisardi is here also modeling the only motorized means of transportation able to reach the castle via the available road).

The preceding year, we (with my FMP classmates David and Dori) visited both Maestro Azzolini and Maestro Rapiardi at their schools.

MAESTRO PAOLO AZZOLINI

Since that time we arrived only after Italian fencing schools closed for the summer break, the only lesson that we were able to observe, that is which was not done specifically for us, was one given by Maestro Paolo Azzolini to the president of his club. Maestro Azzolini called this lesson a technical one, although many sequences with tactical choices were included. One of the goals of this lesson was the demonstration to the president of the involved pedagogy. The most readily apparent element of Maestro Azzolini's teaching was that we was using two epees, always giving the student the challenge of fencing a "left-handed" as well as a "right-handed" opponent in rapid succession. Although Maestro Azzolini lives in Verona, where he also teaches fencing at a university (while at the same time working as a psychotherapist; he said only 20% of Italian Maestri are lucky enough not to have another job), he has his own fencing school in Trento. The maestro was so very kind as to offer us all a ride to Trento, as well as back to Verona, to facilitate our visit. When he begun driving into the Trento sports complex, Dori remarked the pathway he used did not even look like a road. Maestro Azzolini explained this was indeed a pedestrian pathway for others, but he had a special parking spot right in front of his school. It was a special spot indeed... The last picture below was taken in front of Maestro Azzolini's school, which uses the natural "airconditioning" system based on his facilities being somewhat underground, in fact under a swimming pool.   

The demonstrations Maestro Azzolini did with us were focused on how all the basic elements of fencing can be taught, many times first through various games, and only then with swords. We understood this is a very common way of proceeding in contemporary Italian fencing schools. In the second picture, Maestro Azzolini explains how one can increase one's chances of landing a sabre cut instead of getting parried. This more complicated concept involves beginning from a more vertical guard, in which one' sabre also cannot be engaged.   

All the Italian Maestri we visited knew we were interested in historical fencing as well, thus Maestro Azzolini explained how historical combat is done using procedures, protective equipment, and weapons approved under the FIE safety standards. Subsequently, we got the chance to practice some of these styles as well. Since David wanted to take a picture of all the equipment, I was happy to hold the rotellas for him, thus I noticed they are way lighter than what I got to use in the US previously. It turned out, however, that girls/women do not fight with the rotellas in Italy, as the rotellas would be too heavy for them.

MAESTRO Giovanni Rapisardi

Since we visited Maestro Giovanni Rapisardi twice, with more time for the pertinent picture-taking, all the above-mentioned "Stori-Combat" styles are illustrated below using photos taken at Maestro Rapisardi's Academia Cavalaresca in Saonara, near Padova (see its "street view" below). These weapons combinations comprise two disciplines within each of the medieval, renaissance, and classical periods. Classical fencing is thus distinguished from what is called Olympic Fencing (with foil, epee, and sabre; regulated by the FIE) at Maestro Rapisardi's school. Our first visit with him took place during a weekend, thus it comprised of us getting individual lessons from the maestro. During our subsequent visit on a weekday, we were additionally able to fence with four of his students. The second photo pictures the two styles subsumed under the category of classical historical combat, which includes fencing with a heavy sabre as opposed to with a smarra. Since it is in fact Dori who is fencing sabre here while David is using the smarra (while Maestro Rapisardi is watching), something may seem to be out of order with their guards, especially their off-hands. However, this is just an expression of the principle "when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do" (or rather in fact "when you are in Rome, do as the roman maestro tells you to"). 

The introduction of the above-mentioned principle is aptly illustrated by the following two pictures from the beginning of my first lesson with Maestro Rapisardi. Upon his command "On guard!," I did not even finish getting on the guard that seemed most appropriate given the weapons at hand, when I noticed Maestro Rapisardi was not happy with it. Should the following photo series be turned into a kind of a comics strip, Maestro Rapisardi's caption would consist of a doubtful: "I do not know about that; this guard might not work very well for you." I was at first somewhat confused, but since by then I understood Maestro Rapisardi is very much into games, jokes, and riddles, I promptly made sure that, just like in each good fable, I would make exactly three attempts at getting into the desired guard. Therefore, second, I introduced the guard typical for the system of Salvator Fabris. However, Maestro Rapisardi's caption would this time probably read even: "What, the hell, are you doing now!?!" Thus, on my last attempt I assumed the guard, which was in fact promptly met with the maestro's approval. Unfortunately, this third picture is missing, as Dori failed to take the pertinent photograph. I suspect this was because she kept waiting for me to get into an actual guard instead of just hanging out there with my sword in a very relaxed manner. In any case, one of the things I got to understand during my subsequent lesson was why Olympic fencers would proceed in a way that does not seem to involve any guard at all in the sense I used to think about it. 

While we discussed how one can tell whether or not a person is a quality fencer, Maestro Rapisardi proposed that in order to make the pertinent evaluation, he would like to see the fencer performing a straight thrust. This was how the common theme of our first set of lessons originated. During our second set of lessons, we focused on "Scherma StoriCombat," but Dori received a very special lesson--in "gladiatorial games." I suspect Maestro Rapisardi gave her even a bright-colored foam "dagger" for this task because he was working on ways to help Dori loosen up. Since Dori loves games, this intention totally worked out, and Dori proved she had some serious talent as a "gladiator." The "more conservative" David, who in fact has gotten his choice of weapons first, received a lesson in the renaissance combat category with the first variation, which involves a sword and a dagger.   

Subsequently, I was assigned the second variation of the renaissance combat category, which involves a sword and a cloak. The first photo documenting my getting ready for said lesson also shows the beauty of the sale within Maestro Rapisardi's school, which was build relatively recently according to his own proposal. In the second picture below, I am fencing with one of Maestro Rapisardi's students, using one of the variations of the medieval combat category, which involves a sword and a buckler.      

Following another photo of us fencing with the same weapons, the second weapon combination within the medieval category is illustrated by a demonstration performed for us by two of Maestro Rapisardi's students, who were using swords and rotellas. Finally, I cannot help sharing some further pictures of Maestro Rapisardi's school. This is a dedicated building, and we will all have schools like this when we grow up :-). First is featured the "brain room."

Follows a partial view of the "gym" (as opposed to the "fencing studio" area), and the outside fighting area, which is an easily observed hint for anyone who is looking for Academia Cavaleresca through the satelite Goole Maps. The final photo features the women's locker room. Maestro Rapisardi had the total of three female students at the time of our visit, thus each of them had their own shower :-)!

Our visit could not of course be complete without some occurrence of "finger fencing" as well as a pizzeria dinner (see how large those one-person pizza's are!?). Yet, Dori was as sad as is shown in the last picture about a certain issue. And what was the problem? Maestro Rapisardi's male students would not fence with her. Although they would not say that openly, the message seemed to be that it would be too brutal of them to beat upon a woman!  

MAESTRO Massimo Malipiero

While Maestri Azzolini and Rapisardi utilize various historical sources with emphasis on what all swordsmanship systems have in common, Maestro Massimo Malipiero concentrates on analyzing each historical system separately. Given our preferences expressed within previous correspondence, Maestro Malipiero prepared a Salvator Fabris seminar for us at a school near Udine. It is easy to imagine that I was happy with this focus selection, although I would also come back for more, especially as Maestro Malipiero specializes also in Bolognese Swordsmanship, including the Spadone... 

While the first half of our seminar concentrated on single sword, its second half concerned sword and dagger. In addition to the maestro teaching each of us individually, two of his students came to take turns at working with each of us in pairs in the meantime. And the maestro seemed to be pretty content with what he observed :-).

This seminar format was very similar to the U.S. WMAW ways. Maestro Malipiero's wife, who works as an interpreter, assisted with translations of more complicated and involved issues. His students also helped out by providing us with the necessary equipment, which we were unfortunately not able to bring by a plane. 

Subsequently, Maestro Malipiero demonstrated certain aspects of his historical fencing pedagogy with one of his students. When he in turn wanted to see how we practice, David and Dori demonstrated a CapoFero rapier lesson conducted the FMP (pedagogy) way. And we concluded the day again by a dinner at a local pizzeria, appropriately complemented by the discussion of a variety of issues concerning historical Italian fencing manuscripts. 

Maestro Malipiero was also able to advise us with regard to where in Padova used to be located the fencing school where many historical masters, whom we know from their manuscripts, used to teach. It was supposed to be at the little piazza by the old observatory, as featured below.

Throughout our whole Italian visit, we were always first asked what we wanted to do. When we in response wondered what the maestri may like to teach us, each of them seemed to be happy to proceed using their own ideas. They were all excessively generous with sharing their time and their expertise. Their consideration and kindness were truly humbling, and they all even turned out to be better in English than the whole bunch of us were in Italian. Each of the maestri eventually also encouraged us to do some actual fencing with him, and/or with his students. The maestri were, of course, trying really hard to give us a chance during the fights, and especially with respect to some of us, their pertinent effort was simply heroic. What I mean here is that although I made sure to inform everyone that due to my beginner status, I am unfortunately not yet able to actually fight, Maestro Rapisardi did not "buy" that. Each of his lessons was concluded with a little competitive fencing to apply the skills just taught, but then he could not hope to get away with going easier one me than Maestro Sahm would :-). In general, everyone was much more informal with us than we had expected. 

Accademia Nazionale di Scherma Examinations

But wait! There is more. During our Santa Clara study group (illustrated by the first photo--with Provost Bacher), it turned out  that some in-person spying in Naples was due. So guess which FMP graduate was up to conducting it :-)!

I concluded my 2011 Italy visit by "spying" at the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma summer session of exams for the degree of Maestro di Scherma and Istruttore Nazionale. The only shame is that the exams are no longer held at the Naples castle, where Maestro Gaugler received his diploma.

Maestro Saverio Crisci (president of the AMIS: http://www.maestridischerm a.it/content/) called out my name as soon as I appeared in the door upon my arrival at Naples, and Maestro Pasquale LaRagione (president of the ANS: http://www.accademianazion alescherma.it/) welcomed me upon my showing up at the exams the next morning. First, a written test on computers was held. Subsequently, all candidates were tested (in separate rooms) from their knowledge of relevant medical issues/first aid, competition rules/judging, and Masters candidates also from history of fencing. Finally, everyone went through their practical examinations, which commenced by an oral theory exam.

One board concerning Olympic, and another concerning historical fencing were testing concurrently on Saturday. Maestro Rapisardi was, of course, involved in the historical fencing examinations too. On Sunday, then, there were two Olympic fencing boards working at the same time.

In the evening, we had a dinner together, and then some of the involved maestri (namely Maestri Saverio Crisci, Dario Chiado, and Gerardo Cirillo) invited me for some drinks (when we came back late at night, some hard-working students, who were still practicing for their next day exams, were caught doing so :-).

And Maestro LaRagione only appeared to be so strict during the diplomas awards, which were conducted at the end of the second day of the event. How nice he really is was demonstrated when I was to leave, which required my getting out of the parking space where I was pretty stuck from all sides. It was Maestro LaRagione who hurried from the group of maestri standing nearby to help me (by showing me how little forward, back, and to the sides I have to keep moving in order to free my car). And it was again Maestro LaRagione who suggested that we make the ultimate proof that I was in fact there (although I myself obviously do not appear in any of the couple hundreds photos and recordings I made at the exams). In this "ultimate proof" in the middle (with the the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma sign), Maestro Aldo Cuomo (the vice-president of the ANS) is on my right side, while Maestro Pasquale La Ragione (the president of the ANS) is on my left (in the last picture, their positions are reversed, then).

Although unfortunately not all buildings to be found even in the very center of Naples are equally glamorous, the Renaissance facade of the church of New Jesus, as well as its interior, are a good example of Naples sight-seeing, which boasts more than one medieval castle as well. 

arms and armor, further sightseeing

There will eventually be much more concerning the sight-seeing, including historical arms and armor collections, which I visited during my trips. For now, let me offer just a few brief highlights. The first picture is from the Castelvecchio in Verona. The second one is from the Doge Palace in Venice.

With David and Dori, we also made a trip to the Churburg castle (Castel Coira in Italian; it is still inhabited by its private owner), with its famous armory. I got to figure out the secret lock in the door of the armory and unlock it with the pertinent huge key so that we can all enter (well, the all of us was our guide, me, David, and Dori). And at the end of the visit, Dori had to dress up so that we can pretend to take pictures of her while taking pictures all over. Please, note also the little car we rented for this trip, and well as for our trip from Verona to Padova. Here we are getting really serious when talking little. This car must have had a motor no stronger than the average American sit-on lawn mower. You could not even hear it if the air-conditioning was on! (And Dori was certainly not going to enter the car unless the air-conditioning was running to battle the Italian summer heat.) Needless to say it was somehow decided that since in general Europeans are used to driving stick-shift cars, I became the designated driver (regardless of the fact that David actually used to drive a stick-shift car while my previous experience in this area was very limited; renting an automatic transmission car would be much more expensive). Long story short, David concluded that I had very constructive reactions in new and stressful situations, so all went in fact quite smoothly :-).  

When I traveled alone the next year, I made sure not to waste any time already while driving from the Czech Republic to Italy. Along my way through Austria, I visited the Landeszeughaus in Graz. This Styrian Armory was built between 1642 and 1645, it used to be the principal armoury in the south-eastern part of the Habsburg Empire, and it is at present the largest historic armory worldwide. As opposed to the standard practice of museums, most of the arms and armor are displayed here the way they were always stored in the armory. 

In addition to the armory, very notable in Graz is the gothic double-staircase, which is freely accessible to anyone (that is as long as they know where to go and look) in the middle of an office building complex within the old city.

In Florence, I visited the Museo Stibbert. I solved the potential problem of being hurried along with the crowd (which has happened to many other visitors, although they were interested predominantly in those rooms that are filled with arms and armor) by showing up for the very first tour on a weekday. Since all other tourists must have been still sleeping then :-), I got a completely private tour. As a result, I was able to spend in each room as much time as I wished. The guide was always just waiting for me by the entrance to the next room, where we moved after I was ready to finish my inspections of the tons of the exquisite arms and armor present in a number of rooms. Since the lady was very kind to me this way, I was polite as well, and thus I did not try to take my own pictures. The ones below thus are from the Museo Stibbert publications.

But I have plenty of my own photographs from other parts of Florence. First of all, there are some from the main piazza with the Palazzo Vecchio, and the Perseus with the Head of Medusa statue by Benvenuto Cellini (1500 - 1571) in front of it. People with the "the older the better" attitude should also make sure not to miss the octagonal Florence Baptistry, which is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built between 1059 and 1128.

Although the Duomo is much younger, its polychrome marble panels facade is also "worth a shot" :-). Since I visited Florence on a day when all galleries were open to public for free in the evening, I saw many other works of art as well. For just a few best examples, below appears an altarpiece by Fra Angelico (1395 - 1455), the Birth of Venus painting by Sandro Botticelli (1445 - 1510), the Twilight and Dawn sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564), and the Annunciation painting by Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519). 

And other cities/museums that I visited in Italy? The arms and armor museum at the Brescia castle is certainly not to be missed. When I asked Tom (Leoni) how to find it, he was completely right that I would be unable to miss it, as the museum indeed is at the top of the castle, which is at the top of the city of Brescia. And picture-taking (without flash) is totally welcome there. 

Bologna, then, is famous for being the seat of one of the oldest continually operating universities in the world. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but it is believed by most accounts to have occurred n in 1088. Featured below are one of the corridors of the university (covered with the coats of arms of its professors as well as students), the Anatomy hall (where autopsies were carried out since the time of Renaissance), and the Law School "Stabat Mater" lecture hall (the contemporary name of this hall commemorates the first performance of the Stabat Mater of Gioacchino Rossini, under the direction of Gaetano Donizzetti, which was held here in 1842).

In addition to visiting other historical places in Padova, I made sure not to miss the Scrovegni Chapel this time around. Here, Giotto di Bondone (1266 - 1337) executed his most influential work around the year of 1305. Enrico degli Scrovegni commissioned the chapel to serve as a family worship-and-burial-space, and Giotto was commissioned to execute the painted decoration of the interior of the externally very plain building.

But speaking of Giotto di Bondone (1266 - 1337), I saw a plethora of his frescoes also in the San Francis church in Assisi. Within the first picture below, and all the way down on the right, is included the image "Our Lady enthroned and Saint Francis," which was painted in 1280 by Cimabue (1240 - 1302). The Assisi church of Santa Chiara also abounds with 13th-century frescoes, including a painting of St. Chiara from the same century.