Domenico Angelo

Domenico Angelo was arguably the greatest fencing instructor of the late 18th century. He
was the central figure in the transformation of fencing from a martial skill into a refined gentlemanly art.

In 1758 Angelo founded the School of Arms in Soho, later known as the Angelo School of
Fencing, which became the most fashionable fencing academy in London. There he taught
generations of aristocrats, military officers, and gentlemen. His lasting fame rests on his monumental illustrated treatise, The School of Fencing, first published in 1763 and reissued in an expanded edition in 1787. Lavishly illustrated, the book codified smallsword fencing as a regulated, elegant system and set the standard for fencing instruction across Europe. Its emphasis on form, precision, and safety reflected Angelo’s belief that fencing should civilise violence rather than glorify it.