Don't Try This at Home: The Medieval Martial Arts Manual

Taking a closer look at Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco's combat tips

By Google Arts & Culture

Words by Léonie Shinn-Morris

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Like people today, people of the medieval and Renaissance periods read how-to books. This manuscript by the greatest fencing-master of the late 1300s, Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco, instructs the reader in the intricacies of combat. Lively illustrations of charging horses and armored knights accompany the text. Through words and pictures, the manuscript teaches a variety of fighting techniques including single combat on foot with sword, dagger, and ax, and also mounted combat in all its variations.

Here are some of our favorite moments....

Unarmed Combat (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Unarmed Combat, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco, ca. 1410 (Collection: The J. Paul Getty Museum)

Combat with Dagger (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Dagger, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Il Fior di Battaglia (about 1410) by Unknown, Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Implements (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Implements, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Aiming Points on the Body (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Aiming Points, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Dagger (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Dagger, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Dagger (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Dagger, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Unknown and Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Dagger (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Dagger, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Equestrian Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Equestrian Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Rondel and Dagger (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Rondel and Dagger, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Sword (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Combat with Sword, Detail from Il Fior di Battaglia, by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da Premariacco

Combat with Pollaxe (about 1410) by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi da PremariaccoThe J. Paul Getty Museum

Explore more of Il Fior di Battaglia here.

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum

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