Archaeometallurgical investigation on historical sword-making techniques in northern Italy between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

The history of Brescia (Latin Brixia), a city in northern Italy, is charac-terized by a long manufacturing tradition, in particular the crafting of steel weapons and armor. This was made possible thanks to the availability of iron ore, the great forests from which to obtain charcoal, the numerous streams used as the driving force for power hammers and forges, but most importantly the ingenuity and industry of the people. Beginning in the pre-Roman age, the skills of the masters and craftsmen steadily progressed over the centuries, until Brescia and its vicinity became one of the most important arms production centers in Europe between the sixteenth and eigh-teenth centuries. This paper presents an overview of the weapon manufacturing region of northern Italy, in particular Brescia. Moreover, a metallurgical study performed on an early seventeenth century north Italian “storta” sword has shed light on histor-ical sword-smithing technologies and enabled us to discover the secrets behind the high-quality Italian weapons.