Monte, Pietro

De dignoscendis hominibus. Ayora, Gonsalvo, ed

      Milan: A. Zaroto, 1492. The Earliest Published Work on Physical Fitness and the First Published Book on Wrestling pMonte, Pietro (c. 1460-ca. 1513). De dignoscendis hominibus. Translated from the Spanish by Gonsalvo Ayora. Folio. [228]ff. Milan: Antonio Zaroto, 17 December 1492. 278 x 191 mm. Blind-paneled calf over wooden boards c. 1492, rebacked preserving most of original spine. Title a bit soiled, a few wormholes at end affecting a few letters, occasional faint marginal dampstaining./p pFirst Edition of the earliest published work on physical fitness, and the earliest published book on the art of wrestling. Monte, a Spanish master of arms who lived and studied in northern Italy, was renowned in the Renaissance for his expertise in all of the martial arts-he even taught Leonardo da Vinci how to play darts! During the 1480s and 1490s Monte wrote a number of treatises on military theory and the fighting arts, most of which appeared in the early 16th century. His De dignoscendis hominibus may be the only one of his works to have been published prior to 1501 (there appears to be some confusion between Monte and Pietro del Monte [d. 1457], who wrote works on theology and the law; see RLIN)./p pMonte's treatises on the fighting arts-many of which were long overlooked or considered lost-are in the process of being studied and translated by Dr. Sydney Anglo, author of The Martial Arts of the Renaissance (2000). Anglo's analysis of Monte's De dignoscendis hominibus is summarized below:/p pAnglo tells us Monte was a wrestling master of considerable ability and knowledge. His De dignoscendis hominibus, of 1492 is the first ever actual published text on the subject and contains much of his thoughts on the art. He considered wrestling skill to be the best foundation for personal combat and stated its "prime requisite" was a "balanced temperament". Monte's intense primary interest in wrestling is evident in his describing in detail series of grips, holds, take-downs, joint-locks, throws, escapes and counters of techniques. He also presents what is the first ever systematic survey of wrestling styles from other European countries including British, German, French, Greece, Sicily, and Portugal. He also describes his dislike for the ground fighting style of the Germans (which interestingly few German manuals show). Monte declares his belief that "wrestling must always be associated with the art of arms". Anglo calls Monte's manual a technical treatise on the martial art of wrestling for combat and self defence, not sport (Clements)./p pFrom a medical and scientific standpoint, Monte's treatise is of interest for its discussions of the four humors, the effects of climate on human temperament, how men and women should prepare themselves to conceive a child, etc. Monte's work was translated from Spanish to Latin by Gonsalvo Ayora; "this individual, equally eminent in letters and arms, filled the dissimilar posts of captain of the [Spanish] royal guard and historiographer of the crown" (internet reference). OCLC and RLIN note copies at Yale, Folger Lib., Duke, NLM, Wellcome and the University of Barcelona. Goff M-857. BMC VI, p. 722. Stillwell, Science, 458. Norman 1541. Clements, "Pietro Monte-from Medieval to Renaissance Master . . . once again" (internet reference) 38969/p