This beautiful dagger was found in a children’s tomb in the ancient cemetery of Bibbiana (Palazzuolo sul Senio) during the exhumations made in 1906.
It is a type of dagger derived from a larger weapon: the cinquedea, a luxury dagger that was produced for a relatively short period between the 15th and 16th century and had a limited distribution in certain areas of northern Italy with beautiful specimens manufactured in Emilia. The daggers that, in a smaller size, reproduce the main features of a cinquedea, are particularly rare. The bone inserts of the handle have disappeared, exposing the internal structure that is crossed by four round loops. These have a brass foil rosette decoration. The two sides of the handle are covered with foil strips with embossed lettering DEUS FORTITUDO MEA (God is my strength) and VIRTUS SUPER OMNIA (virtue above all).
The long stay underground has seriously damaged the iron parts, but much less there in copper alloys. Among the decorations engraved on the arched pommel a tiny coat of arms is still recognizable.
This rare cinquedea specimen was the subject of an in-depth study by Prof. Luciano Salvatici (Diana Armi # 14, pp. 9/16).
The dagger has become the symbol of the Gruppo Archeologico Alto Mugello.