Istruzioni per la scherma di sciabola by Arnoldo Ranzatto

Today I bring you scans of another Italian sabre treatise, this time it is Istruzioni per la sciabola di sciabola ('Instructions for sabre fencing') by Arnoldo Ranzatto, first published in 1885 in Venice. These scans are of the third edition, published in 1889.

Scans: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s9qrRX_w1lkftrOreOISJMZcdTNyfPtK/view

(Edit: Higher quality scans of this treatise are now available here through the Bibliothèque nationale de France.)

Although this is a non-Radaellian sabre treatise, it is interesting to see some Northern Italian characteristics such as the forward-leaning body in the lunge, the use of both simple sforzi and sforzi di cambiamento, and parry of 7th (as opposed to e.g. 'ceduta di sesta', as Parise calls it).

His system does not use molinelli, but still uses the wrist as the main point of rotation, and his chosen guard is the same as Parise's guard of 3rd. He also has a short section at the end on rules for the duel.

Thanks to Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze for providing the scans.