Salvator Fabris (1544-1618) was an Italian fencing master from Padua. During his life he taught in various European countries, most notably in Denmark where he was the fencing instructor of King Christian IV. It was during his time in Copenhagen that he published his treatise on rapier fencing, Lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme, in 1606. The treatise became a fencing bestseller around Europe, and was reprinted until 1713 and translated into several languages, notably into German, and again in 2005, into English.
His treatise, first published by Henrico Waltkirch, is also regarded as one of the finest examples of baroque printing, with its 191 copperplate engravings by Jan van Haelbeck, Francesco Valeggio and possibly other artists. This book is also important to bibliophiles because it is the first Danish book to feature copperplate engravings.
Fabris was also the Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts, a chivalrous order of which we do not yet know much today. The order's insignia, consisting of seven hearts arranged in a cross pattern surmounted by a phoenix bird, are visible on the left breast of Fabris' only extant portrait (see illustration). The wording "Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts" is coupled with the author's name in all editions of Fabris' work, indicating that it must have been a point of importance.
Life
Salvator Fabris was born in 1544 in or around Padua, and his youth coincided with the flowering of the Italian school of swordsmanship, with early Italian masters like Achille Marozzo, Angelo Viggiani and Giacomo di Grassi still teaching. Although it is not known from whom he learned fencing, his statement of "having had considerable experience" may suggest his having studied under more than one master.
He worked as a fencing master in Italy as well as in Northern Europe. The French master Henry de Sainct-Didier in 1573 mentions a meeting with a young fencer by the name of "Fabrice" while he was in the process of writing his own treatise, though there is nothing to prove that Fabris and Fabrice are the same man. But we are on sure footing when we find Fabris in the service in Johan Frederik of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, archbishop of Bremen and cousin to the King of Denmark, in the 1590s.
It was during his years with the Archbishop that Fabris composed his treatise Scienza e Prattica d'Arme (of knowledge and practice of arms), although the book would be first published under the title Lo Schermo, overo Scienza D'Arme (on fencing, or martial knowledge). The book was first presented to the Archbishop in handwritten form, with drawings of fencing positions and actions. This precious manuscript now resides at the Library of Copenhagen.
After employment with the Archbishop, Salvator entered the service of the king of Denmark, Christian IV from 1601 to 1606. It was the King himself who sponsored the publication of the treatise, putting his Flemish court artist, Jan van Haelbeck, as well as others like Valeggio (whose signature also appears in the book's plates) at Fabris' disposal to refine the drawings of the book's handwritten edition.
Fabris left the King's employment in 1606, and after traveling across Europe, returned to Italy, teaching at the University of Padua. His renown at its peak, young noblemen from all over Europe came to Padua to be taught by him. He died in 1618 after fighting against malignant fever for about 10 days. He was 74. According to Hynitzsch, the editor of the 1676 German-Italian parallel edition of Fabris' treatise, on his deathbed, he bestowed his salle to senior student Herman, a German, who was later assassinated by a jealous colleague by the name of Heinrich.
Jacopo Gelli, a 19th-century fencing historian, states that a monument was erected in honor of the Master in his native town. This monument was shown by Hynitzsch in 1676 as being under construction. Modern Fabris researchers have so far been unable to find other references to it.
Fabris' Fencing Treatise: the Scienza D'Arme
In his treatise, Lo Schermo, overo Scienza D'Arme (1606) Fabris deals with sword alone, sword and dagger, sword and cape as well as bare-handed fighting against a man armed with a dagger. Fabris also includes a Book II consisting on ways to defeat an opponent without stopping in guard, a unique occurrence among 17th-century Italian extant fencing treatises.
In raw number of pages and illustrations, Fabris is the 17th century fencing master who, after thoroughly describing the use of the single sword, devotes the longest sections to sword and dagger and sword and cape.
The Scienza D'Arme is structured as follows: