Fiore dei Liberi was a 14th-century Italian fencing master whose surviving treatises are among the earliest and most comprehensive records of European martial arts. His work sheds light on the practice of armed and unarmed combat during a period when martial prowess was both a personal defence and a mark of status. Despite the fragmentary records of his life, Fiore’s manuals offer a strikingly detailed window into knightly martial education in northern Italy.
Biography and Historical Context
Fiore was born around 1350 in the Friuli region, then part of the Patriarchate of Aquileia. While exact details about his early life remain uncertain, he claimed to have studied with many masters of arms, some of whom he described as dangerous or deceitful. His martial career coincided with a turbulent period of warfare among Italian city-states, noble houses and mercenary companies.
Fiore served as a fencing master to nobles and knights, and likely trained men for real battlefield and judicial combat. By 1409 he had completed his primary surviving work, a fencing manual titled Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle).
The Fior di Battaglia Manuscripts
Four versions of Fior di Battaglia survive today:
- Getty Manuscript (MS Ludwig XV 13) – J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
- Morgan Manuscript (MS M.383) – Morgan Library & Museum, New York
- Pisani-Dossi Manuscript – Private collection, once owned by Novati
- Novati Facsimile – 1902 printed edition based on Pisani-Dossi
These manuscripts vary slightly in organisation and illustrations but cover the same core disciplines, presented through combatants depicted in realistic postures. Instructions are delivered in a mix of prose and verse, usually in Italian, occasionally in Latin.
Martial Disciplines and Content
Fiore’s treatises are systematically arranged and cover a wide range of martial forms, including:
- Wrestling (Abrazare) – joint locks, throws and disarms for close combat
- Dagger (Daga) – defences and counters, both in and out of armour
- Longsword (Spada) – his most detailed section, covering both armoured (in harness) and unarmoured fighting, in and out of the bind
- Spear (Lanza) and Poleaxe (Azza) – techniques for longer weapons, including armoured duels
- Mounted combat (a Cavallo) – horseback fighting, using sword, lance and grappling
- Judicial combat (Giudizio) – techniques suitable for duels and trials by combat
Each section contains a series of Guardia (guard positions), Remedy Masters (defensive techniques), and Counter Masters (counters to those techniques), structured as a martial dialogue.
Fiore’s Method and Pedagogy
Fiore emphasised control, timing, distance and leverage over brute force. His manuals depict a pragmatic combat system suitable for both deadly encounters and formalised duels. Notably, his approach includes the use of Fior di Virtù (flower of virtues), which are attributes such as prudence, courage, and speed, symbolised by animals like the lynx, lion and tiger. These serve as allegories for mental discipline as much as physical skill.
He did not rely heavily on written commentary, instead using schematic drawings to convey movement and principle. His system is also notable for integrating unarmed and armed techniques as part of a coherent whole.
Influence and Legacy
While Fiore’s tradition did not evolve into a widespread fencing school like those of later masters such as Achille Marozzo or the German Liechtenauer lineage, his treatises remained among the most complete martial manuals of the Middle Ages.
Today, Fiore’s work plays a central role in the revival of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). His detailed treatment of longsword combat, especially, has become a foundational source for practitioners and researchers. Scholars have praised the clarity of his illustrations and the consistency of his system, making him an essential reference in any study of medieval martial disciplines.
Where to See Fiore’s Work
- Getty Center, Los Angeles – home to the Getty Manuscript
- Morgan Library, New York – preserves the Morgan version
- Digital archives – all versions are now digitised and accessible online, often used by museums and researchers
Modern Reconstruction and Practice
Fiore’s system is actively reconstructed by HEMA groups across Europe and North America. Translations, interpretations and sparring interpretations are ongoing, with organisations like the International Armizare Society and various fencing schools dedicating training to his methods.
His influence has also reached popular media and video games, where techniques based on his treatises are occasionally featured in fight choreography and design.
Fiore dei Liberi stands as one of the earliest martial arts instructors whose teachings survive in considerable detail. His Fior di Battaglia offers a rare blend of martial clarity, technical variety and artistic presentation. While much of his personal life remains obscure, his legacy as a master of arms is firmly established, offering both a scholarly treasure and a living martial tradition.
