1480-1490 Italian Noblemans Sword with Medici Family Crest

For Study and Research Only!

The sword made by Master smith Ercole Dei Fedeli, who was one of the finest smiths both in Venice and Rome during the period The date circa 1400’s to 1509, the style of the sword favoured and mainly made for nobility.

Interestingly he made swords for the pope Giulio II a Carlo, the Duke of Burgundy who later became the Charles V Holy Roman Emperor. They where made for the knights of St.Peter one of which was made for Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

This particular sword is highly gilded with gold, fine etchings and blueing. The sword bears the Seal of Florence and the Medici family crest.

Indications that the sword belonged to a family member, the style of the sword making it a short sword which was popular during that period.

The hilt is super intricate with a ebony handle, these bearing gilded dots and gilded crowns at the top and base of the handle.

The guard finish is blued finish with gilded gold dots, a set of curved quillons with wide spatulate ends with a ball at the end also gilded. Identical finger guards on either side and perforations on the end. The quillon block on either side has the seal of Florence. The pommel also referred to as a breveto is gilded with Florence seal and Medici family crest.

The sword blade shares many characteristics with a cinquedea, with a double edge design and multiple fullers on either side. The fullers included many fine etchings with the seal of Florence, Medici Family Crest. Some of the gilding has since faded off but you can still clearly see that this sword was made for someone of extreme importance in the Medici family.

The blade on one side also has a armours mark associated with Venitian armouer from the late 1400’s, and the blade blued which is quite uncommon. The sword is perfectly balanced and displays no looseness in the fittings.

A work or Art and in amazing condition, truly a rarely seen sword of Museum quality!