Radaellian resistance at the Pinerolo cavalry school

In early 1891, the Italian cavalry was a hot topic among the nation's fencing commentators. The finishing touches had just been made to the new cavalry regulations which included Masaniello Parise's thrice-modified sabre method—referred to by some as the Parise-Pecoraro method. Although this new sabre instruction retained some features of the old Radaellian method, these reforms were mostly seen as a defeat by pro-Radaelli commentators and an example of Parise's tightening grip on fencing instruction in the Italian military.

Meanwhile a seemingly unrelated debate had been going on with regard to a proposal to move the army's cavalry school from the Piedmont town of Pinerolo to Albano, just outside Rome. While this debate would continue for a few more years and end with the school remaining in Pinerolo, at least one commentator thought that this existential threat to the school had rather insidious origins: in the director of the military fencing master's school Masaniello Parise. Below is a translation of this anonymous commentator's article, taken from the 22 January 1891 issue of Lo Sport Illustrato.

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After six years have passed without any more talk of it, this matter is back in the picture, which will certainly be under consideration, but on which we believe we are able to assert that no decision has been made, as one of the most important considerations is also that—which it is not clear how to provide for—of compensating Pinerolo in some way for the serious loss which it is going to suffer economically with the departure of the Cavalry School.

The reasons, aside from being less eccentric and closer to the capital, by transporting it to Albano there would be the better pastures and the better climate, since in winter everything in Pinerolo is under snow, while in Albano—save for the truly exceptional case of this icy cold year—there is never snow. But as for pastures, rather than better, they would perhaps be more abundant, but of poorer quality. And if it is true that the climate around Rome is milder in the winter, vice versa in summer—it is perhaps too hot.

It is true, however, that in Albano there would be very nice establishments, already offered by that municipality, and beautiful surroundings, offered by the nature of the place, among which the Campo di Annibale, excellent for drills.

There are the obvious reasons, but we believe there are also some hidden reasons to draw the Pinerolo School into the vicinity of the capital, and that is that, if we are not mistaken, to us Pinerolo seems to have always been the home of opponents of the Parise cavalry sabre method. Parise prevails at the Ministry, and with the school no longer being in Pinerolo but under the immediate gaze of he who can say with Dante:

Thus is it willed there where

what is willed can be done…

it would end with there being no more opposition.

But will it be so easy to succeed in this?

Besides, these are our ideas, and it is also possible that they are not exact. But they seem to us so likely and acceptable as to even add that, in order to settle things and not kick the hornet's nest, the school will perhaps end up being moved not to Albano, nor to Palestrina, nor to Pisa, but…to Florence, and specifically to the barracks and riding school in front of the Fortezza da Basso.

Only time will tell!