The exhibition features some 400 illustrations from Renaissance-era books on sport, games and even dance. The knight - together with the physical tasks he faced, such as riding, fencing, archery and swimming - served as the manly ideal during the period. The exhibition shows that not only physical activities, but poetry recitation and knowledge of board games were also among the marks of a true knight.
Sport was held in high esteem in Renaissance Italy. Naples and Modena were famous for their riding schools, Ferarra for its dance schools, and nearly every city had a fencing academy. Sporting events, such as the gondola regatta in Venice, the horse races in Siena and ball games in Florence drew big crowds.
The exhibition also shows some of the culture of sport in Hungary during the Renaissance. Visitors will learn that members of the Black Guard of King Matthias, Hungary's "Renaissance king", had a daily regimen of training exercises, including swimming, riding, jumping, running, fencing, wrestling and chariot driving.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
