Ariodante Spadone

Ariodante Spadone: The Valiant Hero In Love

The Ariodante Spadone, inspired by the tragic and noble character Ariodante from Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, embodies the grandeur and aesthetic grace of the Italian Renaissance. Ariosto’s hero represents the perilous yet powerful allure of courtly love, a theme that resonated so deeply it later inspired works like Haendel’s opera Ariodante.

Grato era al re, piú grato era alla figlia
quel cavallier chiamato Arïodante,
per esser valoroso a maraviglia;
ma piú, ch’ella sapea che l’era amante.
Né Vesuvio, né il monte di Siciglia,
né Troia avampò mai di fiamme tante,
quante ella conoscea che per suo amore
Arïodante ardea per tutto il core.

Orlando Furioso, Canto V
Ludovico Ariosto
1516

The Spadone’s design draws directly from 16th-century masterpieces as depicted in Achille Marozzo’s Opera Nova (1536). Its refined hilt showcases an iron wire-wrapped grip with turk’s heads, while the blade’s fullered geometry is inspired by an Italian two-handed sword preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The crossguard reflects the elegance of another historical spadone housed at the Hermitage Museum, while the pommel shape echoes Renaissance examples found at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Entirely handmade without templates, Ariodante Spadone is a unique work of art, with slight asymmetries and distinct marks of craftsmanship that give the sword its own character.

FEATURES:

• Individually handcrafted: No templates, ensuring every future project inspired to this is uniquely crafted and possess its own character.
• Dismountable design: Simplifies maintenance, transport, replacement and customization.
• Fullered blade geometry: Inspired by an Italian Renaissance sword at the MET museum, balancing beauty and function.
• Braided wire-wrapped grip and turk’s heads: This elegant type of grip, with its intricate braided wire-wrapped design and turk’s heads, spans 33 cm in length. Crafting such a grip entails a significant investment of time and skill, along with several meters of hand-braided iron wire. Beyond the technical aspect, it also requires expertise in creating the intricate turk’s heads, the braided details at the top and bottom of the grip. Therefore, this grip is not just decorative but also a refined piece of jewelry.
• Collector’s quality: A fully functional, authentic piece, ideal for historical fencing, displays and collections.

The Ariodante Spadone is an exceptional collector’s item and a tribute to Renaissance artistry—a one-of-a-kind collector’s item that captures the spirit and legacy of Italian craftsmanship at its finest. Ideal for the demanding reenactor, advanced practitioners of historical fencing, film productions and collectors seeking luxury craftsmanship.