In the 16th and 17th centuries, The Mediterranean was plagued by pirates. Barbary pirates raided shipping and coastal towns. Their primary objective was the capture of Europeans for the slave trade. It is estimated that over one million Europeans were sold into slavery between the 16th and 19th centuries. As well, Spanish, French and Italian pirates roamed the sea, pillaging and taking captives for ransom. Genoa, with its tradition of seafaring, was one of the primary staging areas for Italian pirates. This is the sword of an Italian pirate, of short sword or cutlass form as was the preference in Italy. The 19 ¼” curved wedge section blade has both a clipped point and false edge. The wire inlaid horn grip is typical of daggers and short swords of the period.  The recurved finger stall guard is typically Genoese.  The sword would serve equally well on deck or in the treacherous Genoa back streets and alleys.