The Art of Arms
At the Art of Arms we have one solitary vision, to bring the historical martial arts we study as HEMA or WMA practitioners to life by telling the stories of those who lived it. The hours of research, writing, transcription and translation are worth it when we get to see Altoni’s Spiedo section in action at the Baglioni Palazzo, Fiore’s armor techniques displayed on the battlefields of San Giovanni in Persiceto, Liectenauer’s rossfechten techniques thundering across the terrain of southern Germany, the Anonimo’s sword and gauntlet brought to bear in the lists of Mantua; these are the moments where history and martial arts meet, and we’re dedicated to bringing these moments to you our dear listeners. We hope you enjoy!
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Maestro Wars Episode 3.1: Revenge of the Pontiff
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Episode III.i
Revenge of the Pontiff
The Bentivoglio’s plans to take back Bologna have been thwarted. Now with new excommunications orders leveled against them, this time including our hero Guido Rangoni, and fresh bounties on their heads, they have no choice but to lay low, and wait out the coming storm.
All in Italy is not serene; however, the Popes ire has turned from the Bentivoglio and Bologna, to Venice. At the city of Cambrai delegates from the European world gather at the Pope’s behest. Rumors of a great war are beginning to spread, inspiring every zealot, cut-throat, and champion yearning to make a name for themselves to arms.
Meanwhile, Ugo Pepoli has won a sterling reputation for himself with his valiant efforts to stop the Bentivoglio, but with glory comes envy, and the man whose gaze has fallen upon Ugo is the most cunning of adversaries, the Cardinal Alidosi.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Devon Boorman: Spears, Polearms, and Armor
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Wrapping up our November deep-dive on Polearms with a pleasant holiday bow is the venerable Devon Boorman. Devon provides us with his perspective on the various Bolognese polearms systems, Partisan, Spiedo, Ronca, Poleaxe in armor. This is a real treat; we hope you enjoy!
For more amazing content from Devon Boorman Checkout:
www.pathofthesword.com or https://duello.tv/
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Holiday Special: Dysfunctional Families of the Renaissance
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Holiday Special: Dysfunctional Families of the Renaissance
Featuring Kari Holman, LCPC, NCC, CCTP-II!
Holidays are a time for family, and sometimes that can bring with it a certain connotation. To help ease you into your trip to visit the in-laws, or prep you for the awkwardness of that uncle who just wants to talk about politics at the dinner table, we've put together a series of stories highlighting Renaissance family dysfunction, so maybe, just maybe, you won't feel like your awkward or unpleasant family encounters are so bad after all!
Kari Holman weighs in with her clinical expertise to help us sort through our Renaissance heroes family dilemmas.
Story Highlights:
Cesare Borgia: Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Lucrezia Borgia: An Ever Loving Brother
Ippolito d'Este: The One That Got Away
Beatrice d'Este: A Glacial Affair
Alphonso d'Este: The Well Polished Cannon
Caterina Sforza: The New Man of the House
The Bentivoglio: A Family That Kills Together Stays Together
We hope you have safe and saucy holidays!
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Lochlan Koulouris: A Soldiers Perspective
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Lochlan Koulouris of Warriors of Ash, and Descendant Leather, joins Stephen and I to talk about his military experience, polearm fighting in formation, the awesome polearms his company produces, and so much more!
Check out Warriors of Ash Here: https://www.warriorsofash.com/
Descendant Leather Polearms: https://descendantleather.com/
Sunday Nov 06, 2022
Maestro Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Bentivoglio
Sunday Nov 06, 2022
Sunday Nov 06, 2022
Episode II
Attack of the Bentivoglio
The Pope has succeeded in conquering Bologna, but thanks to the cunning of the lady Ginverva Sforza Bentivoglio, hope is renewed.
Hannibal, Guido, and Ermes have gathered an army of thousands and have positioned themselves on the border between Bologna and Modena.
Meanwhile the trouble is brewing. To the east, the forces of Giampaolo Baglioni, Ugo Pepoli and Lucio Malvezzi are preparing the city of Bologna for a siege. In the west, dark rumblings of Modense and Ferrarese forces mustering are circling the camps of the Bentivoglio supporters.
In this episode of l'Arte Dell Armi:
Maestro Wars Part 2: Attack of the Bentivoglio (0:0)
Marozzo's Sword and Cape Against Someone on Horseback: Featuring Eric Weiss (41:15)
Condottiere Spotlight: Melchiorre Ramazzotto (1:19:30)
Stay Saucy My Friends!
Saturday Oct 29, 2022
Halloween Special: Necromancy, Torture, and Execution
Saturday Oct 29, 2022
Saturday Oct 29, 2022
Happy Halloween! Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. If I told you that there was a monastic throwdown in Bologna between 1450-1500 over the right of priests to summon demons to do their bidding, would you believe me? What if I told you witches and necromancers were high society, upper crust, fat cats in the Renaissance? Well, if that's not enough to get you in the spirit, maybe a little torture will hone your senses.
In this episode of l'Arte Dell Armi:
Short Stories
A Brief History of Necromancy in Bologna (1450-1500)
Renaissance Torture
Renaissance Execution
Wrap-up discussion
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Devon Boorman: Sword and Small Buckler
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Devon Boorman of Academie Duello joins us to talk everything sword and small buckler!
Ever wondered why sword and buckler is a critical edifice of the Bolognese corpus? What tactical considerations a taller fencer or a shorter fencer need to make while fencing? We answer all of that and more in this episode of l'Arte Dell Armi.
Want to learn more from Devon? Check out his blog, and Duello TV!
Blog: www.pathofthesword.com
Training Matrial: duello.tv
Marozzo's Sword and Small Bukler: https://youtu.be/3fLu2sby4bU
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Richard Cullinan
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
In this episode of l'Arte Dell Armi, Stephen and Joshua talk to Richard Cullinan of Stocatta School of Defense in Australia.
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
St. Petronius Day Special
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Hey! Happy St. Petronius day!
In honor of the patron saint of Bologna, we decided to do a special episode featuring the history of the city from antiquity to the death of Sante Bentivoglio (which takes right up to the timeline we cover in Maestro Wars), along with some intresting facts spanning into the modern era. Then, we wrap it up with an interesting discussion on the attributes of the city that made Bologna unique in the Medieval and Renaissance world, namely its gates, and it's canals.
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Maestro Wars, Episode 1: The Papal Menace
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
On New Years Eve 1516 Count Guido Rangoni fought Count Ugo Pepoli in a duel on a field prepared for them by the Marquis of Mantua, Francesco Gonzaga. The duel was fought with sword and bronze guantlet.
These two men feature prominantly throughout the fencing treatises of the Bolognese tradition. Both Ugo Pepoli and Guido Rangoni are hailed by Angelo Viggiani as paragons of the the art in his treatise Lo Schermo, Achille Marozzo dedicated his work, Opera Nova, to Guido Rangoni in 1536, and Giovanni dall'Aggochie dedicated his corpus, Dell'Arte di Scrima Libri Tre, to a later relative of Ugo Peopli, Fabio Pepoli in 1572.
Part one of this seven part series initiates the exploration of these two men's lives, and the rivalry that inspired them to stake their lives in the barriers.
After Episode Discussion:
Mancino da Bologna
Debate on the legacy of Pope Julius II
Sword and Small Buckler: Anonimo and Manciolino