Action will take place over six days at the Sport and Business Center SPENS.

Italy finished on top of the medals table with four gold medals at last year's continental event in Georgian capital Tbilisi.

They secured four gold, three silver and four bronze medals to finish one victory clear of Russia and France.

Daniele Garozzo is expected to start as one Italian favourite as he begins as reigning Olympic and European champion in the men's foil.

But he only claimed bronze at the World Championships in Leipzig last year as Russia's Dmitry Zherebchenko took the top position.

This battle could be key as both Russia and Italy have won exactly 66 gold medals since the European Championships was first held in 1981.

Arianna Errigo will also seek a third successive individual title in the women's foil event while also seeking to add to her eight team successes.

Another defending champion will be Germany's sabre star Max Hartung, also the head of an Athletes' Commission currently challenging the way sporting bodies including the International Olympic Committee support athletes across the world.

Competition will begin tomorrow with the men's foil and women's sabre individual events.

It will continue on Sunday (June 17) with men's épée and women's foil before the men's sabre and women's épée on Monday (June 18).

Three days of team competitions will then follow.