A brief dive into the duelling history of Ascanio della Corgna, a 16th century warrior, dubbed by a contemporaneous poet as ‘a true son of Mars’.

Weapon: An active imagination and the ability to imagine a soundtrack during the narration of duels

Source: Sixteenth and seventeenth century legal documents, fight books, correspondence, poems and art.

This lecture will focus on the urban duels of Ascanio della Corgna but will also examine Ascanio’s martial ‘lineage’, as well as some of the processes, locations and weapons of duelling in sixteenth century Italy. By the end of the lecture participants will have hopefully enjoyed a brief retelling of two cinematic-like duels but most importantly delved into some additional contexts and repercussions of martial culture of the period.

Skill level of Participants: Any skill level
Needed Equipment: Cup of coffee (tea will also do)

About the trainer – Dr. Iason Eleftherios Tzouriadis

Dr. Iason Eleftherios Tzouriadis is the Curator of European Edged Weapons at the Royal Armouries, Leeds. He has curated exhibitions and public displays on European martial arts, on the soldier personal experience in war, and on collective memory in rural areas. He has published on topics such as arms and armour typologies, their representation in art and their production, the medieval tournament, European martial arts, and sixteenth century war propaganda.

He is currently managing a project for the creation of a digital database of arms and armour makers and their marks, and preparing a publication on talismanic inscriptions on European swords.