The side sword

In Italy, the side sword from the 15th and 16th centuries is known as Spada da Lato. This weapon still shows many similarities with the traditional one-handed arming sword (arming sword), which was primarily used in a military context. Around the end of the 15th century, the first finger rings and guards began to appear on the hilts of swords. These were added to protect the hand. Especially in civilian contexts, people did not always wear protective gloves, so the guards prevented the hand from becoming an easy target.

The name refers to the practice of wearing the sword at the side. In Spanish, it is called Espada ropera, literally "cloak sword," where ropa corresponds to the Italian roba, the male garment worn in the late Middle Ages and early modern period. From the Spanish, the word rapier later emerged in French and English, which refers to both the side sword and the later 17th-century rapier.

Depending on the historical period or the preferences of the fencer, side swords were produced in very diverse shapes and sizes. Therefore, it is not possible to define a standard side sword. Museum specimens vary in weight from 0.75 to 1.7 kg.

The side sword developed in the 15th century in the countries of the Mediterranean region, where companies of mercenaries were widespread and where a general situation of violence and insecurity prevailed. This particularly concerned Spain and the Italian city-states:

• In Italy, from the 1470s onwards, swords with a slimmer blade than the traditional arming sword were increasingly depicted in paintings. These swords also had complex hand protection for the unarmed hand of the fencer. Remaining weapons from that period confirm this trend.

• In Spain: The espada ropera is mentioned in Coplas de la panadera by Juan de Mena (1445/1450) and in an inventory of Duke Álvaro de Zúñiga (1485).

During the 15th century, the best masters in the use of the side sword were Italian. This led to a real "sword market," with Italian masters traveling to courts across Europe and students from Northern Europe traveling to Italy to learn the new sword technique. The first school specifically focused on the side sword was the Bolognese school of master Lippo Bartolomeo Dardi (where master Fiore dei Liberi still preferred longswords), active since 1415.

Thanks to this sword market, the side sword spread beyond the Mediterranean region and reached France as early as 1475, from where it later came to England.

During the 16th century, the side sword underwent various changes, including more extensive hand protection and an increasing length. This gradually transformed it into the rapier, or striscia, the characteristic weapon of the 17th century.

Numerous images show that Christopher Columbus during his expedition in 1492 showed a side sword to the indigenous people of the island of Guanahani, for whom steel weapons were until then completely unknown.

In a military context, the side sword remained popular because it was very suitable for cutting, in contrast to the rapier. For this reason, the weapon was used in parallel with the rapier for a long time, although the rapier was originally primarily a weapon for the bourgeoisie.

Side swords were manufactured in many different shapes and sizes, depending on the period and the fencer, so there is no standard side sword. Museum pieces range from 0.75 to 1.7 kg.

Important features of the side sword compared to a regular arming sword or a stoc are:

• Blade: long and pointed but still robust, sharpened on both sides, with a short ricasso protected at the top by a metal ring.

• Grip: suitable for one or two hands, depending on the length of the blade and the total weight of the weapon. The crossguard was straight or S-shaped and was often equipped with a knuckle guard, and sometimes with additional rings and short guards to better protect the hand.

In the 16th century, artistically characterized by the peculiarities of mannerism, the model of the side sword was interpreted in various ways by European weaponsmiths. Among the remaining museum pieces are some remarkably bizarre specimens:

• Flamberge swords, these were side swords with a "flame-shaped" blade. They were mainly intended for parades and impressing spectators. These are sometimes mistakenly confused with the flamberge Zweihänder, a large two-handed sword that had a similar type of blade.

• Some side swords even had a pistol mechanism in the crossguard and could be used as combination weapons. Such combinations also occurred with other weapons, such as maces or axes with pistols in the hilt.

The side sword combined cutting and thrusting attacks and often used circular attacks.

Usually, the side sword was combined with a second weapon in the left hand. Many different weapons, both offensive and defensive, could be used for this purpose, such as daggers, capes, round shields (rotella), small shields (targa or brocchiero), large shields (targone) or a second sword.

Only at the beginning of the 17th century was the use of the side sword increasingly limited to dueling, usually without a second weapon or at most with a dagger. At the same time, its use for duels was codified.

Important fencing masters concerning the side sword were especially Achille Marozzo (Opera Nova, 1536) and Antonio Manciolino (1531). The fighting method described by the Strasbourg free fencing master Joachim Meyer, which he himself referred to as "Rappir", can also still be considered part of the side sword.