Donato Milesi....Welcome!

     Hello archers,

      This post is dedicated to introducing Donato Milesi to you, here in America and around the world.  He will explain his connection in archery in his words below and following is some photos he sent me.  I look forward to sharing insights he has in regards to building and shooting the Hill style ASL longbow as he learned it from a great longbow master:

     Welcome Donato!

A shared tradition across continents: building the ASL Longbow as it was taught to me

My name is Donato Milesi. I am an archer and ASL longbow bowyer from Italy, and for more than thirty years traditional archery has been part of my daily life. I had the privilege of studying under Jean Marie Coche at La Voie Médiane, heir to the lineage of Howard Hill and John Schulz.

Everything I build—and everything I shoot—comes from those teachings.

As an Italian bowyer rooted in a long European tradition, I feel a deep connection to the craft that still shapes Howard Hill–style longbows today. For me, and for La Via di Mezzo, this work is much more than technique: it is heritage, responsibility, and dedication.

The roots of my work come directly from the teachings of Jean Marie Coche, one of the most respected traditional bowyers in Europe.

In the beginning, at his school, I learned archery from him.
After nine years, he entrusted me—his student—with the school and with the knowledge needed to build a Bow in the proper way: with correct gestures, giving value to every decision, and following a sound ethic.

In doing so, he passed on to me the spirit and essence of compagnonnage: respect for the rules of the craft, respect for the material, and humility expressed through precision in every stage of the work.

Building an ASL Longbow the traditional way

My approach to the American Semi-Longbow is rooted in these principles. For me, building a bow does not mean simply reproducing a shape—it means honoring a functional philosophy: simplicity, efficiency, and harmony between archer, bow, and arrow.

Like the bowyers of old, I:

• Select each piece of wood personally, evaluating every log for its natural harmony.
  
  

• Season it naturally, stacked with spacers in a shaded, well-ventilated place for a minimum of six years. I avoid forced or steam drying, which weakens the cellular structure of the wood.
  
  

• I work without using planes or invasive machinery, which do not keep the wood’s cellular structure strong and compact.
  
  

• Shoot every bow myself, because the test is not complete until I can truly feel its character.
  
  

This craft requires many years of practice. Discipline is essential: it allows you to apply—on every single bow—decisive gestures, the right principles, a proper step-by-step working method, the fine touches and the appropriate choices.

As Jean Marie once told me in his atelier: “Build one type of bow, and build that bow the way God intends.”

A shared language, from Italy to America

Discovering communities like yours—and your blog, Nate—reminds me that thousands of miles away there are other craftsmen and archers who speak the same archery language, grounded in Hill’s philosophy and passed down by masters like John Schulz, whose teachings you often share.

This post is the first in a small series about my way of building the ASL longbow, following the tradition that was entrusted to me and that I, in turn, try to keep alive.

For those who wish to dive deeper into our building process, I invite you to visit:

👉 https://laviadimezzo.org/arcieria/la-costruzione/

Warm greetings from Italy,

Donato Milesi – La Via di Mezzo, Arcieri Natura