The schiavona was a
Renaissance sword that became popular in
Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries. Stemming from the 16th-century sword of the
Venetian Doge guard, the name came from the fact that the guard consisted largely of
Dalmatian Slavs -
Croats (Schiavoni).Classified as a
true broadsword, this war sword had a wider blade than its contemporary civilian
rapiers. It was basket hilted (often with an imbedded quillon for an upper guard) and its blade was double edged. A surviving blade measures 93.2 cm × 3.4 cm × 0.45 cm and bears two
fullers running about 1/4 the length of the blade. Weighing in at around 1.1 kg, this blade was useful for both cut and thrust.
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