After a government commission organised by the Italian Ministry of War declared that Masaniello Parise's fencing treatise would become the new regulation fencing text for the Italian army (thus supplanting the Radaellian method), a new national school for training military fencing masters was founded in Rome in 1884, with Parise appointed as its head of instruction.
This school, known as the Scuola magistrale militare di scherma in Italian, replaced the one in Milan which was directed by Giuseppe Radaelli until a few years before his death, with his number one assistant Giovanni Monti taking over the role until the school's closure some time between 1882 and 1884.
What I present here today is a translation of the official regulations which laid out the structure of the training at the new fencing masters school in Rome as well as the roles and responsibilities of the various personnel assigned to it. This Act no. 123 was issued on the 27 June 1884, and was published in the official Italian military journal Giornale Militare on the 4 July.1 At the beginning of the following October the first 'conversion' courses began at the school, in which all fencing masters employed by the military would be taught the new official method.2
Internal service regulations for the military fencing masters school
Generalities
1. The military fencing masters school was instituted with the aim of propagating the instruction of Italian sword and sabre fencing in the army, with uniformity of method and in conformity with the official treatise approved by the Ministry of War.
2. The treatise, according to which the teaching must be conducted, is that compiled by Mr. Masaniello Parise and which has already been examined and selected by a special commission delegated for this purpose by the Ministry itself.
3. Under the high dependence of the command of the IX army corps (Rome), the direction of the military fencing masters school is entrusted to the commander of the 6th cavalry brigade.
4. Called to the military fencing masters school are the non-commissioned officers who were put forward to hold, after passing the required exams, the post of fencing instructor.
5. As an exception, civilian masters and non-commissioned officers already appointed as fencing instructors may be called to the school to acquire practical knowledge of the method developed in the prescribed official text.
School structure
6. The military fencing masters school is composed of:
- A senior director, whose functions are carried out, as said in no. 3, by the commander of the 6th cavalry brigade;
- A deputy director;
- A technical director;
- Three assistant masters to the technical director;
- A junior supervising officer of military personnel and secretary of the Directorate-General;
- A number of candidates attending the courses at the school, determined on a case-by-case basis by the Ministry;
- Three official orderly soldiers.
The senior director
7. The responsibility of the senior director is the supervision of discipline, instruction, and administration of equipment in the school's charge.
8. On consultation with the technical director, he compiles the timetables and invigilates their continuous adherence.
9. Leaving the full responsibility of the results of the teaching to the aforementioned technical director, he maintains high supervision of it and makes sure that said teaching is successfully imparted and in accordance with the chosen treatise.
10. With regard to the personnel permanently or temporarily assigned to the school, all the duties prescribed in Chapter VI of the regulations of military discipline will be honoured.
11. If the conduct or behaviour of any of the civilian personnel assigned to the school leaves something to be desired, after a warning the senior director will refer him in writing to the Ministry of War, formulating concrete proposals regarding the punishments to be applied.
12. If any of the military personnel commanded to attend the courses at the school do not meet the requirements of good behaviour, discipline, and attitude towards the art professed in the school, after hearing the technical director's opinion regarding this person's attitude, [the superior director] will immediately send that person back to their own corps, giving notice of the measure taken to the Ministry of War through the command of the IX armed corps (Rome).
13. The position of deputy director is held by the commander of the cavalry regiment, which has its headquarters in Rome.
He assists the senior director in carrying out the functions assigned to him by these regulations and according to the orders which will be given by him.
14. In the absence of the senior director, the deputy director will take over in the supervision of discipline, instruction, and administration of the school without, however, as far as possible, bringing substantial change to the rules established by the senior director whose place he is taking.
The technical director
15. The direct responsibility for the teaching and the direction of the same teaching, for the artistic side, will be assigned to the technical director, except always with the high supervision of the senior director.
16. He will be obliged by the aforesaid director to scrupulously conform the teaching to the rules of the Italian school of fencing, given in the above-mentioned treatise, and to the highest standards of perfect chivalry.
17. He proposes to the senior director the allotment of instruction hours and the division of the candidates attending the courses at the school into sections.
18. He resolves any technical doubt which arises in the candidates in conformance with the principles established by the treatise.
19. He directs the lessons given by his assistants, giving lessons himself where he sees fit.
20. He indicates to the supervising officer the required equipment or repairs, to submit the requests for approval by the senior director.
21. He keeps a current register of the individuals admitted to the school and fortnightly he assigns, to each of those on the register, a numerical classification score between 0 and 20.
22. He proposes to the senior director the expulsion or dismissal from the school of those candidates who prove deserving of such due to bad behaviour, indiscipline or ineptitude in fencing.
The technical director's assistants
23. The technical director's assistant masters have the task of giving the lessons to the school's candidates, according to the rules established by the treatise and according to the other prescriptions which said technical director believes best to issue.
24. The highest ranked or oldest of the assistants substitutes the technical director in case of absence and assumes all his obligations and responsibilities.
25. During the time he holds this position, the assistant master who temporarily replaces the technical director cannot make any changes to the method followed by the director. It will instead be his constant care that said method undergoes no alteration of any kind so that the necessary and perfect unity of direction is maintained at the school.
26. The assistant masters are entitled to a month of annual leave to be enjoyed in the months of August or September at their choice, provided one of them is always present at the school headquarters. This leave will be granted by the senior director.
27. When special needs require their absence from the school for a few days, they will ask the senior director, through the technical director, and comply with the decisions he makes.
28. All reprimands and criticisms on the behaviour and conduct of individual candidates at the school by the assistant masters must be made to the technical director, who will in turn refer them to the senior director.
The supervising officer
29. The direct disciplinary supervision of military personnel assigned to the school is fully devolved to the junior officer assigned to the school.
30. He therefore exercises the aforementioned powers according to the Regulations of discipline and subordinate to the senior director.
31. He has free access to the fencing halls in which, even during instruction, he exercises disciplinary supervision without, of course, hindering the progress of said instruction in the slightest.
32. He ensures the delivery of all equipment entrusted to the school and keeps the register up to date.
33. On direction from the technical director, he compiles the requests for new equipment or repairs to existing equipment in order to then submit them for approval and signing by the senior director.
34. He must be present at the beginning of every instruction in order to verify the participation of those admitted to the school, make note of absences, and the reason for the absences, which will in turn be reported to the technical director.
35. The dress standards, order in the chambers and fencing halls, and general behaviour of the soldiers assigned to the school will be the particular subject of his care and his responsibility.
The candidates attending the courses at the school
36. In each year some non-commissioned officers who aspire to become fencing instructors are admitted to the school, the number of which being determined each time by the minister.
37. These non-commissioned officers will be drawn from bodies of troops proportionately to the need of each arm.
38. The proposals for admission to the masters school will be made by the corps commanders, taking into account, for those coming from educational departments, the note of the student's special aptitude for fencing made by the commanders of said educational departments.
The proposals will be directed to the Ministry of War (Directorate-General of conscripts and troops), and the number of requests must be greater than the number of admissions in order to be able to choose, through examination, the people most suitable for the purpose.
39. The non-commissioned officers who are called to attend the courses at the masters school in order to then obtain the appointment of fencing instructor, as soon as they have arrived at the school, will be subjected to a practical examination in the presence of the senior director, deputy director, and technical director in order to verify their fencing aptitude. Those who are sent back in this examination will be made to return immediately to their corps by the senior director.
40. As an exception, non-commissioned officers already provided with a military fencing instructor's licence may be called to attend the school's courses, with the aim of verifying if they know and profess perfectly the instruction method established by the Ministry.
41. With the same intention, civil fencing masters dependent on military administrations may also be called to the school.
42. Those admitted to the school are divided into sections in accordance with the rules which will be given by the senior director, on the advice of the technical director.
43. The highest-ranking or the most senior of each section will be its leader with respect to discipline and internal services.
44. In the fencing halls, those admitted to the school must maintain the behaviour, courtesy, and deference to the directors and teachers which is dictated by the feeling of duty and by the profession of an essentially courteous and knightly art.
45. Those who, through their conduct, character or incompetence, prove to be less suitable for the role of fencing instructor will be immediately expelled or discharged from the school.
46. With respect to discipline, the military personnel assigned to the school are directly under the junior supervising officer, to whom should be directed all questions and complaints which the individual wishes to be addressed to the senior supervisor.
The official orderly soldiers
47. The official orderly soldiers attend to the cleaning and care of the premises and, if necessary, the preparation of the canteen for the non-commissioned officers assigned to the school.
48. Through daily shifts, one of these soldiers will be assigned to the care of all the premises belonging to the school and may not leave or be distracted for any reason.
49. Another of the aforementioned soldiers must remain in the vicinity of the fencing halls throughout the whole period of instruction, at the disposal of the technical director and supervising officer.
Said soldier must ensure that the fencing halls are opened in a timely manner and arrange for their closure according to the orders given by the technical director and supervising officer.
50. The third of these soldiers may, if necessary, be assigned to the preparation of the canteen for the non-commissioned officers assigned to the school. If he is not assigned to this service, he will join the other two in carrying out their duties.
The courses and lessons
51. The course of instruction at the military fencing masters school normally lasts two years for those aspiring to become military fencing instructors.
Possible courses for civil fencing masters and non-commissioned officers who have already obtained a military fencing instructor licence will have a duration determined by the Ministry on a case-by-case basis.
52. Lessons will begin on the 1st October of each year and will finish on the 31st July the following year.
53. On each working day, the instruction will last for a total of six hours, three of which being before midday and three after.
Disciplinary rules for the fencing halls
54. The weapons, masks, and gloves required in the fencing halls may not be used without the presence of the director or teachers.
55. It is forbidden to fence sword or sabre without a mask, glove, and duck canvas underplastron,3 so as to avoid any unpleasant mishaps.
56. If a piece of fencing equipment breaks during a lesson or bout, the teacher whose presence it occurs in will communicate with the director for the appropriate replacement or repair requests.
57. Replacements and repairs of equipment broken or ruined during instruction will be paid for by the school. If instead the damage is produced by negligence or in the absence of teachers, it will be paid for by the one who caused it, and if the culprit cannot be found, the damage will be shared between those admitted to the school.
58. Since it is the technical director's responsibility for the teaching and its results, the students owe him their absolute obedience and deference in the fencing hall, and similarly they owe obedience and deference to the assistant masters whom they receive the teaching from.
59. In the interest of the instruction, the very best behaviour is required in the fencing halls.
60. If the senior director of the school or another military authority superior to him are present in the fencing halls, the technical director will suspend the instruction, which will be resumed only on invitation from the senior director or the above-mentioned authority.
61. Any discussion of the various fencing methods which have existed in Italy until now are absolutely prohibited, as are all comparisons. Everyone must therefore keep in mind that the school was instituted with the sole aim of propagating throughout the army knowledge of the method chosen by the Ministry.
62. Any doubt or controversy which arises in the fencing halls will be resolved by the technical director or whomever takes his place.
Examinations and final exhibition
63. At the end of every school year, in front of a special commission appointed by the Ministry, theoretical-practical examinations will take place which serve to classify the candidates.
64. Individuals who do not pass the aforementioned examinations, and who do not compensate for the deficiencies reported in them with an average fortnightly score reported throughout the year, will be discharged from the school.
65. The final classification score of each course year will consist of the score reported in the aforementioned examination and the average score for the year.
66. The classifications are given by numerical marks from 0 to 20.
67. To pass from the 1st to the 2nd course year, each individual must have a final classification score of no less than 12/20.
68. To receive the military fencing instructor licence, those admitted to the school must have achieved a final classification score in the 2nd course year of no less than 14/20.
69. With the examinations complete, on a day determined by the senior director a final grand exhibition will take place, with the primary authorities being invited and which will, depending on the means and premises available for the school, be given the greatest possible solemnity.
70. Provisions for the arrangement and preparation of this grand exhibition will be given by the senior director, who, where he deems it appropriate, may also allow masters and amateurs not belonging to the school to take part.
71. The Ministry of War reserves the right to allocate one or more prizes to be distributed to the best fencers participating in the exhibition.
72. The aforementioned prizes will be awarded by the special jury appointed by the Ministry of War on the advice of the senior director.
Reports
73. Every quarter the technical director must make a summary report in writing to the senior director on the course of the instruction and the progress of those admitted to the school.
74. At the end of the year, this report must be as detailed as necessary to give an exact and perfect conception of the development and fruits of the instruction.
This annual report will be sent through the commander of the IX army corps to the Ministry of War by the senior director, who will add his own observations.
75. The senior director—whether for technical reasons, disciplinary reasons or anything other reason—will send to said Ministry all other reports which he deems appropriate along with the others.
2 Emilio Ferrero, "Circolare N. 131. - Corsi eventuali presso la scuola magistrale militare di scherma. - (Segretariato generale). - 26 settembre," Giornale Militare 1884: parte seconda, no. 41 (3 October 1884): 757–9..↩
3 TN: 'petto di tela olona' — Also known as cotton duck, this is tightly-woven canvas which was commonly used for sails.↩
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