Fior di Battaglia ("The Flower of Battle", MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13) is an Italian fencing manual authored by Fiore de'i Liberi and dedicated to Niccolò Ⅲ, Marquis d'Este. The original currently rests in the holdings of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 is written on parchment in a tidy humanist script; the illustrations are inked sketches with gold leafing on the crowns and garters. This manuscript is often referred to as the Getty Version.
MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 contains the most content of any of the four known manuscripts of Fior di Battaglia. The text takes the form of descriptive paragraphs set in poor Italian verse, which are nevertheless fairly clear and informative; its preface, format, illustrations, and text are all very similar to the MS M.383 (FLM). Despite their shared characteristics, however, there are important differences, not the least of which is the vastly different order of the information. This difference in sequence is often attributed to the fact that the preface indicates that it was laid out according to the wishes of Niccolò, whereas the MS M.383 claims to have been laid out according to Fiore's own intellect.
Provenance
The known provenance of the MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 is:[1]
- Possibly written in ca. 1404 for the Milanese diplomatic mission to Ferrara.
- Possibly manuscript 253 in the 1436 catalog of the Estense Library, which had a red leather cover.[2]
- before 1825 – owned by Luigi Celotti (sold London, Sotheby's, 1825).
- 1886-1966 – the MS 4202 in the collection of Thomas Phillipps (sold London, Sotheby's, 1966).
- 1966-1983 – the MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 in the collection of Peter and Irene Ludwig.
- 1983-present – the MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 in the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Contents
Gallery
A collation diagram for this manuscript is available on the
index page.
Digital images courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program
Additional Resources
- Hatcher, Colin (2017). The Flower of Battle: MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13. Ed. by Tracy Mellow. Tyrant Industries. ISBN 978-0-9847716-8-4.
- Leoni, Tom (2009). Fiore de’ Liberi’s Fior di Battaglia. Self-published.
- Leoni, Tom (2012). Fiore de’ Liberi’s Fior di Battaglia. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press.
- Leoni, Tom; Gregory Mele (2017). Flowers of Battle, Volume 1: Historical Overview and the Getty Manuscript. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press. ISBN 978-1-937439-18-7.
- Malipiero, Massimo (2006). Il Fior di battaglia di Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale: Il Codice Ludwing ⅩⅤ 13 del J. Paul Getty Museum. Udine: Ribis. ISBN 978-887-44503-5-0.
- Mondschein, Ken (2011). The Knightly Art of Battle. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 978-160-60607-6-6.
- Rubboli, Marco; Luca Cesari (2002). Flos Duellatorum. Manuale di Arte del Combattimento del ⅩⅤ secolo. Rome: Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali. ISBN 88-8474-023-1.
- Windsor, Guy (2020). From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice: The Longsword Techniques of Fiore dei Liberi. Spada Press. ISBN 978-9527157558.
- Палій, Людмила Іванівна (2020). "Витоки художнього стилю ілюстрацій «Квітки Битви» майстра Фіоре Фріулано деі Лібері." Науковий вісник Ужгородського університету 2(43): 84-102. doi:10.24144/2523-4498.2(43).2020.217366.
References
Copyright and License Summary
For further information, including transcription and translation notes, see the discussion page.
