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Sala d'Arme Achille Marozzo

Ancient Fencing Art Italian Institute

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Masters and Treatises

Achille Marozzo

OPERA NOVA
First Book		 OPERA NOVA
Second Book		 OPERA NOVA
Third Book		 OPERA NOVA
Fourth Book		 OPERA NOVA
Fifth Book

The author of the principal Italian fencing treatise in '500

Master Achille was student of the Bolognese Master Guido Antonio De Luca. He had taught in Bologna and he wrote a treatise, "Opera Nova" (literally: "New Work"), that is the first fencing treatise on a modern base. 
The treatise of Marozzo has been reprinted numerous times during the XVI century and it is the symbol of the Italian Fencing School in '500. 
The most famous edition remains however the first edition in Modena in 1536.

All the techniques taught by Marozzo are notably refined and precise, the defenses and the responses are punctual and immediate, the attacks are prudent and well calculated, always thinking that the principal purpose of the action is not to injure the adversary but to exit uninjured from the action.
Footwork system is formed by circular movements and side-stepping, very different from the actual fencing one, and studied for fighting with a weapon in both hands.
The bases of the techniques are the "parata e risposta" ("parry and response"), the "mezzo tempo" ("half time"), that is: hitting your opponent when he begins his attack, and the "tempo insieme" ("same time"), that is: while you parry with a weapon (for example the target, the dagger or the cloak) you attack with the other (the sword), without waiting to have completed the parry like in a "parry and response".
In attacks, and this is the greatest refinement of this play, he always presupposes that the adversary reacts to the best, protecting himself and immediately responsing, so the attack always is studied to escape to the response of the adversary and to use this response to hurt him.

Structure of the Treatise

The structure of Marozzo’s treatise is the following:

©2006 Sala d'Arme Achille Marozzo ®