The School of Fencing

work by Angelo

Also known as: “L’École des armes”

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July 19, 2026

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Domenico Angelo, an Italian fencing master born in 1716, revolutionized fencing by emphasizing its role in developing health, poise, and grace, transforming it from an art of war into a sport. He trained in Pisa and Paris, studying the French style of foil fencing. Angelo later moved to London, where he established Angelo's School of Arms, instructing members of the royal family and even female students.1

His influential work, L'École des armes (1763), also known as The School of Fencing, featured instructional sketches and was so highly regarded that its content was used in the French Encyclopédie. Angelo's methods were methodical and practical, resembling modern fencing techniques.1

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Domenico Angelo
…treatise, L’École des armes (1763; The School of Fencing), included colourful instructional sketches by London’s most accomplished illustrators; some historians have suggested that the chevalier d’Éon de Beaumont, who had joined Angelo in London, may have assisted with the French text. This work and its illustrations were considered so excellent…
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…treatise, L’École des armes (1763; The School of Fencing), included colourful instructional sketches by London’s most accomplished illustrators; some historians have suggested that the chevalier d’Éon de Beaumont, who had joined Angelo in London, may have assisted with the French text. This work and its illustrations were considered so excellent…
Read More