Nedo Nadi: Following in Father’s Footsteps

Born in Livorno, Italy, in 1894, the fencer Nedo Nadi enjoyed an unusual advantage early on. His father, Giuseppe Nadi, was one of Italy’s greatest swordsmen, and from childhood Nedo and his brother Aldo received expert tutelage in using swords of all kinds. Only one type of sword was forbidden to them: the épée, which Giuseppe considered an inferior weapon. Not to be deterred, Nedo and Aldo secretly studied the épée. In 1912 Nedo, then...