Schiavona - The one that got away

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Victrix

I think most Hungarian swords were produced in Northern Italy near Brescia which explains why this type of pommel is also common in Venice. Pre-WWI Hungary was quite big and included Croatia, Slovakia and parts of what is now Serbia I believe (who were mostly Slavic/Slavonic).

Blade production in Lombardy and Veneto was spread between several important towns with large-scale output, the Venetians who governed the areas exported them widely by means of their mercantile genius. Principal Lombard blade centers were Caino and Bergamo. Belluno, in the Veneto region, was known for distinctive hilts (such as the graceful style seen on rapiers and riding-swords, with ball pommels, wide quillons, and tre ponti swept guards) as well as blades; it seems that the city was a prime supplier of arms for the Republic. I have no doubt that many schiavone as well as other swords originated there. Do you have the book I Grandi Spadai Feltrini e Bellunesi by Michele Vello and Fabrizio Tonin? It's fully bilingual, well researched, and fascinating.

Yes, the influence of Hungary cannot be denied. It seems that Croatia, despite Venetian dominance of the coast, was never fully out of the Hungarian shadow. Geographically, the country is like an upside down L, with the shorter arm pointing east and bordering Hungary. The Balkans can be such a complex region!

Yes, Serbia has a Slavic culture and language. The divide between Serbs and Croatians is mainly religion (Orthodox vs Roman Catholic) and the written language. A friend who has lived part of his life in former Yugoslavia tells me that the spoken languages are very similar, but due to the historical and religious background, one uses Roman and the other Cyrillic letters. Unfortunately this has also had political repercussions that turned out quite nasty during World War II.