c« p»^'» .^ H A^i-'f *^i^Jl i^^' j>-*~; ""jfe*- *v^ \ a^i f^<- S*?' >i:^ ««>i ^ n. V i«j* ■ M<»« J-i ^f^ii fi^x f^ V' '.'"y^i ■ K , «fW^_ '^/■■Tf/yf 'I .ar^^f^ A- v^ ^ ^> m^^ 'y -; ^:< 'VM yy ^ y y y yy^f^y, yy , i ^* ^lE^ r« *»t "'4^ '/^^^/ -^•$£ir /// ^$^ .jSifJs ^T*:-! 'ffy /yy-y ■ fj/ b^% wm f^ m fcV A ■5i;a President White Library, CORNELL University. DG677.99:c:69 88^'" ""'"^ + The life of Bartolomeo Colleoni, of Ani Clin 3 1924 030 934 800 Overs The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030934800 THE life; OF bartolomeO goli:eoni, OF Anjou and BUR6uisrpY; BY OSeyVR BROWNING^ .PRINTED FOR.. THE ARUNDEL SOCIETY. .!^- '■'•,p, ' • ■ :. President White Library, Cornell Univer'sity. i; f\^^^a.st -^V'/y^ THE LIFE OF BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI. THE LIFE OF BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI, OF ANJOU AND BURGUNDY. BY OSCAR BROWNING. PRINTED FOR THE ARUNDEL SOCIETY. 1891. J\. L Co Z5 CHISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE. PREFACE. " I ^HE materials I have used for the present life of Bar- tolomeo Colleoni have been in the main the following. I have taken as a foundation the work of Spino, " Historia della vita et fatti dell' eccelentissimo Capitano di guerra Bartolomeo Coglione scritta per M. Pietro Spino, In Vinetia appresso Gratioso Percaccino mdlxix,," and the life of Colleoni in " II Castello di Cavernago ei Conti Martinengo Colleoni, memorie storiche dell' avvocato Giuseppe Maria Bonomi, Bergamo, FratelH Bolis 1884." Signor Bonomi has a large acquaintance with the archives of the Martinengo family, and has been instrumental in recovering the house of Colleoni in Bergamo for the municipality. The second edition of Spino, published at Bergamo, mdccxxxii, contains two funeral orations and some additional information. The life of Spino is founded on that by Cornazzano, a poet who lived with Colleoni at Malpaga. The life, written in Latin, is contained in the Thesaurus of Graevius. I have not found it of any great value. I am also indebted to a life of Colleoni by Professor Gabriele Rosa, kindly lent me by the vi Preface. author. He is well acquainted with the history of the time of which he treats. The "Annali d' Italia," by Muratori, have been constantly in my hands, as also the " Histoire des Republiques Italiennes," by Sismondi. There is some diffi- culty in correlating the personal history of Colleoni with the history of his time, because, his biographers and panegyrists attribute to him exploits which, in ordinary historians, are referred to other people. No one who attempts to write the life of Colleoni can dispense with the magnificently printed work, " Institutio Pii Loci Magnificae Pietatis Bergomi &c. Bergomi mdclv.," which contains, also, Colleoni's will, with its codicils. I found in the library at Bergamo abstracts of papers in the Venetian archives relating to Colleoni ; these I had copied, and I have used them in my book. I have paid several visits to Bergamo and its neighbourhood, and in the exploration of sites connected with Colleoni's life have been greatly assisted by Da Ponte's " Dizionario Odeporico " Ber- gamo, i8ig, an admirable work of its kind. The best authority for the visit of King Christian of Denmark to Italy I have found to be the " Holstein Chronicle," quoted by Hvitfeld in his History of Christian I., published in 1599. It has been translated for me from the black letter Danish by Mr. Bain of the British Museum, to whom the best thanks of the Arundel Society are due. I have been able to make some corrections from the German translation of the same chronicle in the British Museum. I am much obliged to Professor Henry Middleton and Mr. Preface. vii Edmund Oldfield for having looked through the proof sheets, and also to Mr. Charles Sayle, of St. John's College, Cambridge, for assisting me in preparing the index. It is -possible that many interesting details of Colleoni's life have escaped my research. In this case I shall be obliged to anyone who will communicate them to me. Oscar Browning. King's College, Cambridge, March i6th, 1891. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Head and Bust of Colleoni, from the Equestrian Statue at Venice, BY Verocchio. Portrait of Colleoni, from Spino's " Life of Colleoni." Medal of Colleoni, by M. Guidizzani. Equestrian Portrait of Colleoni, in his House at Bergamo. Armorial Bearings, from Spino's " Life of Colleoni." Portrait of Colleoni in the Franciscan Convent, founded by him AT Martinengo. The Castle of Malpaga, near Bergamo. Facsimile of Colleoni's Handwriting, from the Public Library at Bergamo. o w o u w H o > o o < w w o 1) M O 10 o s . 00 O o O H M PQ iJ . O to C " ni ■*-• ■ft ° 6^ u H and well proportioned. His complexion was rather dark, but full of life. He had black eyes, bright, penetrating, and terrible. His countenance represented a noble manliness, combined with kindliness and wisdom. The one fault his biographer admits was a weakness for the fair sex, which he excuses by his desire G 42 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. to leave male descendants. His wife, Tisbe Martinengo, bore him only one daughter, Caterina, whom he married to Gasparre Martinengo. The great event of Colleoni's later years was the visit which Christian I., King of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, paid him in 1474, of which a full account will be given in the explanation of the pictures which accompany this book. He suffered a severe blow in the death of his youngest daughter, Medea, in 1470, to whom he erected an exquisite marble monument in the little church of the Basella, which is now transferred to the Colleoni chapel at Bergamo. He died on Friday, November 3rd, 1475, in his castle of Malpaga, at the age of seventy-five. The night following his corpse was borne to the city, placed on a richly adorned catafalque before the altar of Santa Maria Maggiore, and exposed for three days to public view, surrounded by burning torches. His funeral took place on the 4th of January following. It is said that the soldiers of his band were kept together for fourteen years after his death by the authority of his name alone. THE CONNECTION OF COLLEONI WITH ART. The life of Colleoni which we have narrated is that of an honourable man — the last of the condottieri, but also the best, — one who did not seek to make himself a prince or duke, but who sought a comparatively modest patrimony as a reward for his labours, and studied to surround himself with the grateful participants of his beneficence and good fortune. The closer examination of his life will show that he is more intimately The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 43 connected with the art of his time than we should have imagined upon a casual observation. One of his principal acts of benevolence was the foundation of a luogo pip, a charitable institution in Bergamo, which still exists in a flourishing con- dition, and serves to endear his name to his townspeople. In 1465 he presented a large amount of property to found an institution for giving portions to marriageable girls, " with- the " idea of securing public morality by promoting marriages, " which are the basis of the family, the family being the stable " foundation of society." This was confirmed and enlarged by a solemn donation of many mortgages and other property for the purposes of the Pieta, as it was called. The institution was to be managed by five persons. Every year the income was to be distributed in giving dowries to damsels who were desirous to marry, and to two who wished to enter convents. There was a strong prohibition against using the money in any other way. To the ladies of the House of Colleoni were to be assigned a dowry of a hundred and fifty imperial pounds ; to those of the ancient and original families of the city, a hundred pounds ; and to those of the territory of Ber- gamo, forty pounds, supposing that they could not provide sufficient dowry for themselves. If there were not a sufficient number of eligible girls in the territory of Bergamo, the privi- lege was to "be extended to that of Brescia. The donation was confirmed by the Pope and by the Signory of Venice. The will of Bartolomeo Colleoni, executed on October 27th, 1475, a week before his death, with a codicil dated a few days later, is a most remarkable document. In it he disposes of all his numerous possessions in the territories of Bergamo 44 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. and Brescia, and in almost every case he imposes as a condi- tion a rent-charge of a certain amount, to be paid yearly to the Piet^. He leaves all his property in the city of Bergamo to the institution, and with this the house in which he used to live in the neighbourhood of Sant' Agata. This is to be the seat of the institution, and is to be entitled Domus Pietatis. It is never to be sold, or let, or mortgaged for any other use. Unfortunately, the Pieta has not observed this condition. Some time at the beginning of this century it sold the house, and purchased one of larger size in the lower part of the town. The original house is, however, still standing, and the visitor will have little difficulty in bringing it back in imagina- tion to its pristine condition. It is approached from the street through a narrow passage covered with an arbour of vines. The door bears the inscription, domus pietatis, and over the door is the window of a small sitting-room. The ground floor consists of two large rooms, the outer being a reception room, and the inner a dining-room. They have been covered with coarse wall-papers, the frescoes have been removed and sold, but they have now been restored by the efforts of Signor Bonomi, and can to some extent be deciphered. In the outer room, which is lighted by two win- dows looking out into a garden, there is a noble fresco of Colleoni on horseback, a copy of which will be found in the present work. The dining-room is approached through double doors. The little passage between them has on one side a small kitchen for warming dishes, and on the other a wine cellar, both useful for the purposes of the apartment. The dining-room is about thirty-six feet by eighteen, and is vaulted. The Life of Bavtolomeo Colleoni. 45 The door stands at the south side. On the west side there is a handsome fire-place between two windows. The subject of the pictures is mainly religious. In the centre of the ceiling is God the Father in the act of blessing. In the spring of the arches are the heads of nine apostles in lunettes. In other places are the heads of various members of the Colleoni family — his daughters and his sons-in-law, the Counts Marti- nengo. The pictures on the walls are, so far as they can be made out, as follows : on the left of the door, as one enters, is the figure of a female with a dog, possibly Madonna Tisbe, Colleoni's wife ; on the right is the Annunciation. Then fol- low along the east wall the cardinal virtues — Prudence with three heads, Fortitude with a sword and crown. Temperance with a wine-flask, and Justice with the roll of the law. The figures on the north wall should be Faith, Hope, and Charity, the three theological virtues. Charity is first represented with two children ; then, in the centre, the Virgin in Glory, which may represent Faith ; the third picture, which should represent Hope, cannot be made out. Other spaces on the walls are occupied by the various armorial bearings of the Colleoni family, of which it may be well to give here some account. The original shield of the Colleoni family is canting heraldry — party per fess gules and argent three coglioni (or cuori hearts, as they are called), arranged two and one, counterchanged. For this Bartolomeo substituted argent two bends gules issuing from two lion's heads or, some- times with, sometimes without the coglioni. When Colleoni received from the Dukes of Anjou and Burgundy the privi- lege of using their arms, he bore them in chief with his own, 46 The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni, the Anjou arms being azure semde of fleurs-de-lis or, and the Burgundy arms the same, with the addition of the old arms of Burgundy, or three bendlets azure. He apparently omitted the distinguishing borders which ought properly to form part of these arms. Besides this he bore in different ways the cognizance of the different powers whom he had served — the biscia of the Viscontis, the eagle of the Sforzas, the lion of St. Mark, and the keys of the Papacy, the mounted St. Ambrose of the Archbishopric of Milan. Further he invented a banner for his special use, of which the following account is given by Spino. He says that it was probably made expressly for the expedition of the Duke of Burgundy, and hung in Spino's time at the right hand of Colleoni's sepulchre in his chapel at Bergamo. " A man armed from head to foot nobly in the ancient manner, has on his helmet as a crest the figure of a lion rampant, with his legs raised in front of him. The armed man, with both his hands, which are clad in gauntlets, holds by the back hair, and forcibly draws towards him, a most beautiful lady's head. She, surrounded by rays, with wings full of eyes, rises breast high out of a cloud — if one may call a cloud what is a bundle of ribbons, indented like leaves, of different colours, waving round her heart. The standard above and below has two suns, one in each corner, which shine half covered by the same envelope. The warrior stands on a flowery meadow, surrounded by thirteen lion-heads, without tongues, turned towards him. All the rest of the standard is covered by rays and flakes of gold, which sparkle from the shining head of the lady. Some of the rays pierce that cloudy envelope." Spino declines to explain the device, but The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 47 says that the general idea was that it represented Colleoni as aiming at the duchy of Milan. Colleoni also restored the baths of Trescorre. They had been known since the eighth century, but had fallen into disrepair, and the place had been turned into a monastery of Benedictine nuns. Colleoni had the waters carefully examined by the best doctors, recalled them into use, transferred the nuns to San Stefano, repaired the springs, restored the baths, and made them fit for the reception of the sick. In 1469 the Signory of Venice at his request excused the place from taxes on the necessaries of life. Another important part of the beneficent activity of Colleoni was in his work of irrigation, which was the chief source of the prosperity of the Lombard plain. Numerous, rivers descend from the Alps to the Po, but they are violent and intermittent, sometimes rushing with a strong current, sometimes almost dry. They would be of little use to agriculture if they were not cut up into watercourses, which run in all directions, and are the pleasantest accompaniment to the traveller's carriage wheels as he drives along the flat roads. The work was begun in earnest after the defeat of the Barbarossa by the Lombard League in 1 1 76. The Naviglio Grande, taken from the Ticino, dates from 1 1 79. The Canale della Muzza, which gives fertility to the plains of Lodi, was made in 1222, and was for some time considered the finest canal in the world. The Roggia Seriola, made by the city of Bergamo, from the Serio, was completed before 1233. After this -many similar enterprises succeeded, which need not be recounted in this place. When Colleoni came into possession of Malpaga and the neighbouring 48 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. districts, he found that the old canal derived from the Serio was insufficient ; he therefore improved it and gave it the name of Colleonesca. He then, in 1473, made a new canal of large dimensions, furnished with mills, saw-mills and wine- presses, which, in memory of his newly-won honours, he called Borgogna. Before "this he had enlarged the, Roggia Montana on the right bank of the Serio, which was in its turn called the Colleonesca. He also had designs for drawing a canal from the Brembo, and another from the Cherio, but he was not able to put his plans into execution. We now pass to the more direct connection of Colleoni with the art of his time. On the right bank of the Serio just opposite to Malpaga, the battlements of which are visible from the tower of the church, lies the little sanctuary of the Basella, consisting now of a very pretty church and a parson- age house and farm, with a neglected but picturesque garden. The history of the place is interesting. On the night of April 7th, 1356, a heavy hoar frost covered the plains of Bergamo, doing a great deal of harm to the crops. On the following morning Marina, daughter of Pietro Leone, of Borgo di Urgnano, an ill-educated girl of fifteen, went into one of her father's fields .which was sown with flax. Seeing that it was entirely destroyed, she burst into tears and lamentations, and crieid out, "Whatis this, oh, Virgin Mary?" After this she passed, to another piece of land, not far off, to . gather straw, and here there appeared to her a very beautiful lady in a brilliant dress, with a little child holding her hand. When she saw the lady she began to pray. The lady said, " Do not fear ; why do you weep and lament ? " and Marina iifya^i./r/ ^ (:'.:u'/,/< -k;Ay/.^^v..- /^'^ i^'l/l/i^jCc-^f/j^'ticr'?. i>Z. L' ■- '• The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 49 answered, " Do you not see how much harm and destruction " this frost has done, so that the poor will have to die of " hunger ? " The Virgin comforted Marina, saying that the year would be more than usually abundant. Marina then asked her who she was, and she replied, " You will see me in " the same place within nine days, and then I will explain to " you who I am, with other matters which I now refrain " from telHng you." On the ninth day following Marina returned alone to the same place, and the same lady appeared to her in the same dress. She said, " Thou hast done well. " You must promise to keep yourself a virgin." The girl promised. Then she said, " Know that in this place there is " a church dedicated to me which has long been buried under "ground. Tell the men of Urgnano to dig here and they will " find it." Marina said, " They will not believe me." Then the lady placed three stones in order, and said, " Under these "stones they will find the altar, and when the church is " rebuilt tell them to procure a priest who has never yet said " mass, and let him celebrate here his first mass, and every " fortnight let a mass be celebrated for the souls of the dead " who are here buried." A good deal more was said which we need not repeat. The altar and the foundations of the ancient church were found as the Virgin had described. A new church was built and greatly frequented. Fourteen miracles were performed there. The church was visited with great pomp by Barnabo and by Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Barnabo presented to the church a cross with some of the holy thorns. Galeazzo gave a number of valuable offerings and was cured of his gout. He probably built H 50 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. the parsonage, the tower, and some portions of the present church. Colleoni frequently passed by this sanctuary on his way to Cologno and Urgnano. He enlarged the building, and placed in this convent Dominican fathers from the monastery of San Stefano in Bergamo. After this commencement he continued his favours, and a year before his death procured the separation of the convent from the monastery of San Stefano. He lengthened the church, and placed a rose window in the faQade, adorning the church with terra-cotta ornaments. Here also he buried his beloved daughter Medea, who died at a tender age. He confided the execution of her beautiful monument to the famous sculptor and architect Amidei, who was then engaged upon the lectern of Pavia. The tomb was sold by the proprietor in 1842, and removed to the Colleoni chapel at Bergamo, where it still remains. After Colleoni's death the Basella passed to the Martinenghi, who continued their protection to it. The steam tramway which passes close to Malpaga first reaches Martinengo, and then Romano, both intimately associated with the name of Colleoni. Opposite the western gate of Martinengo, at a little distance in the fields, stands the Franciscan convent, which was only licensed by Pope Sixtus IV. and dedicated to the Incoronata on September i8th, 1475, a short time before Colleoni's death. It was formed out of a refuge for pilgrims which he had begun to build as early as 1470. In the cloister of the Church of the Incoronata, in a room on the ground floor, is a fresco repre- senting Christ upon the Cross, with St. Francis on one side The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 51 and Colleoni on the other. The great Captain is kneeling with bare head, and holds his well-known red cap in his hand. It is supposed by some to be the best existing portrait of Colleoni, representing him as being advanced in years. A copy of it will be found in the present work. Below is an inscription commemorating the foundation of the monastery by Colleoni, as well as that of Santa Chiara in the town of Martinengo itself, in answer to the pious wishes of Madonna Tisbe. The inscription closes thus, " Obiit autem Nobilis et 111. supradictus Bartolom^us, 1475, die 3 Novembris et ideo die illo Fratres et moniales annuatim pro anima ejus celebrant officium ne ingratitudinis vitium incurrant." There is also in the fields a country church founded by Colleoni, in order that the labourers might have the opportunity of attending sacred ministrations. In Romano, which may be regarded as the capital of this rural district, Colleoni restored the church, increased the stipend of the priest, and in return received the alternate presentation to the benefice, which remains with his heirs to the present day. He also provided for the maintenance of a chaplain in the church of San Giovanni at Malpaga. The history of the castle of Malpaga, which contains the frescoes, copies of which are issued with this book by the Arundel Society, is imperfectly known. It came into the pos- session of the Venetian Republic in the year 1450, but we have no information either as to when it was built, or to whom it previously belonged. It was purchased by Colleoni in the year 1456 for a hundred ducats of gold. He received it in absolute property, free from all taxes and jurisdiction. It 52 The Life of Bavtolomeo Colleoni. was with Romano his favourite place of residence. It is situated a little distance from the high road, about seven miles from Bergamo, on the banks of the Serio. It was enlarged and remodelled by Colleoni, and still retains the form which he gave to it, except that the roof of the court- yard has been seriously curtailed, thus destroying the great fresco attributed to Giorgione, which represented Colleoni receiving the biton of commander from the Pope. It is one of the most perfect and interesting specimens of the feudal castle of the latter half of the fifteenth century, built not so much for purposes of war as for those of residence and of the chase. The dining room, which contains the well-known frescoes, is on the ground floor, but the whole castle was apparently full of similar decorations, which are now covered by white- wash, while the walls and floors are encumbered with Indian corn, silkworms, and other agricultural lumber. This is particularly noticeable in the bedroom, in which Colleoni made his will, and in which he died. It is a pity that the Conte Roncalli, the present possessor, does not at least clean out the building from these unsightly and ruinous encum- brances. It is quite possible that treasures of mediaeval art may be concealed in it. The walls are battlemented, and in that wide plain are conspicuous for a long distance. The little tower is surmounted by a bell which announced the coming guest, and which tolled for Colleoni's death. We have already mentioned Colleoni's funeral. The order of the procession which accompanied it is still preserved. It opened with a long row of clergy, regular and secular, the Disciplines, the Servi, the Carmini, the Franciscans, the The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 53 Austin Friars, the Umiliati, the Celestines, the friars of San Spirito and San Leonardo, the Dominicans, the parish priests, the chapters of the cathedral and that of St. Alessandro, the chaplains of Santa Maria. These were followed by six trumpeters on horseback, with black pennons over their shoulders ; a hundred horses with housings, the men covered with large mourning cloaks [capiront), their targets on their backs, their lances reversed over their shoulders trailing on the ground, a hundred men on foot with mourning cloaks behind the horses. Then came a man on horseback clad in mourning with the great standard of Colleoni over his shoulder trailing on the ground, then his shield, arms, and helmet. Next a horse with red housings and Colleoni's device, ridden by a man-at-arms in mourning with the banner of St. Mark. He was followed by Colleoni's own charger, led by a man in mourning, the horse covered with fine black cloth down to the ground, charged with the device of Colleoni in gold, and by a trophy of the Captain's arms arranged in the ancient manner, with a sword on one side and a staff on the other. The culminating point of the procession was the effigy of Colleoni himself, stretched upon a bier covered with black cloth down to the ground. Twelve men were ranged around it carrying torches with armorial bearings, of whom four were captains of squadrons, and the other eight were knights or doctors. The effigy was preceded and followed by two hundred torches. The procession was closed by the nearest relatives, with the Bishop, the Rector, and the Proveditori, and by the servants and retainers of the house, according to their several ranks. 54 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. The funeral sermon was preached by Guglielmo Paiello, "a most eloquent historian," and was printed in Latin at Vicenza on January 28th, 1476. He made touching allusions to the trailing standards, the sorrowful war-horse, the weeping family, and especially the faithful Don Abbondio, now deserted by his master. Don Abbondio of Como was Colleoni's intendant, and is described by Cornazzano as being the chief depositary of his secrets. The closing days, of winter he says will not permit him to be long. He passed lightly over the events of Colleoni's early life, which seem to have been matters of general notoriety, with copious references to Scripture. He describes him in his youth as handsome, strong, and temperate. He attributes to him the chief glory of the capture of Brescia at the age of twenty-six. He compares him to Hannibal in the manner in which he crossed the Alps and launched his galleys on the lake of Garda. " He was by far the first of " warriors either on horse or foot, he was the first to enter " battle, the last to leave it. No general was more completely " trusted by his soldiers." He was the only leader found worthy to conduct the campaign against the Turks. He records his imprisonment at Monza, the invitations addressed to him by numerous kings and potentates, and the strong desire of Charles the Bold of Burgundy to adopt him as master in the art of war. He commemorates his services to art and to religion, in restoring or founding the castles of Malpaga and Romano, the churches of the Basella, of Mar- tinengo, of St. Peter, of Romano, and the Colleoni Chapel at Padua. He then passes to the foundation of the Pieta, " Jacet ante oculos," he proceeds, " Bartholomeus a Coleo : The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 55 " jacet Patriae Pater, Patriae Splendor, Patriae Salus, Italiae " Pacis auctor et conservator : animus ille imperiosus qui vix " orbis ambitu capi poterat, brevissimo lectulo clausus est ; silet " ilia lingua, . quae toties armatos phalanges ad dimicandum " exhortata est, toties victis pepercit, toties pacem inter dis- " sidentes Principatus composuit, toties frementi prselio paucis " cum copiis majores hostiles turmas sapientia et magnani- " mitate superavit ; jacet Bartolomeus ante oculos exanguis " et concivium aut militum querelas audire non potest." The oration then passes to long panegyrics of Bergamo replete with historic lore. After some further allusions to the events of Colleoni's life and his happy and peaceful death, he ad- dresses him in person, and enumerates the mourners : Niccolo Coreggio, his son-in-law, Gerardo Martinengo, Gasparre, of the same family, and Bernardo Ladrone. Let them take example by the life and by the death of the great Captain, who feeling his end approaching confessed his sins and re- ceived the Sacrament, then signed his will, keeping an even mind in the chill and fever of exhausting ague, and at last called his friends around him, and" leaning upon his elbow, made them a dying speech. Colleoni, by the codicil of his will, left to the Venetian Republic a hundred thousand ducats of gold, for the purpose of conducting the war against the Turks ; he also remitted all the arrears of pay which they owed him. He further gave them the ten thousand ducats of gold which were due to him- self from the Marquis of Ferrara. In the fourth section of the codicil Colleoni most devoutly requests the most illustrious senate of Venice to deign to have made a statue of himself 56 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. on a bronze horse, and to place it in the square of St. Mark, in.perpetualr-memory of the testator. The first care of the ;iVenetian -signbry was to receive the legacies given to the -Republic .by nominating three Provvisori in Malpaga to ascer- tain and- to send to. Venice the money belonging to Colleoni. JThe Council "bf.TIeri. determined that the hundred thousand ducats could. hot be used for .any .iother purpose except the .'Turkish, war, and should. be, sent. t,b Venice in three batches at -three, days'' interval. The nipney fpund in CoUeoni's different palaces far. surpassed the amount of the legacies, so that by Noveinber(35th, 147.5, .three weeks after his death, two hun- dred and ...sixteen.; thousand ducats, had: entered dinto the coffers '. of ;.the State.. These, were 'placed;in an iron chest, to be kdpt -in a secret and secure place where the treasjire pf . St. Mark .was stored. Of these diacats a. hundred and ninety vthousand"were--to be reserved "for the war. against the. Turks, or some otlrer great: necessity of State; the -other twenty-six thpus3.nd;were to be kept for. t;he payment of legacies. This money was despatched in sealed sacks, consigned to the head of-theCouncil.of .Ten, containing about ten thousand ducats each, in the coins -of various mints — Venice, Hungary, Flo- rence, Alfonso of Naples,' and others. • Notwithstanding the- generous manner in which Colleoni had treated- the- -Republic, and its appropriation of ninety thousand ducats which did not belong to it, and which ought to -have gone, to the Pieta of Bergamo, the signory behaved badly to 'him in other ways. The lands of Romano, Marti- nengb, Cologrio, Calcihata, Ghisalba, Mornico, and Palusco had been assigned to Colleoni, first as fiefs, afterwards as free The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 57 and absolute dominions, with power to dispose of them either in his lifetime, or by his last will. This latter power he had made use of. But on the pretence of the exigencies and the security of the State the Republic, by a decree of December, 1475, determined that these fortified territories should return to the dominion of the Pope. His heirs were left only with Cavernago and Malpaga, the canals of irrigation, and those lands which were the private property of Colleoni in the terri- tory of Brescia. This was a manifest injustice, for these domains had been given to Colleoni in payment of money legally due to him, and they ought not to have been confis- cated without proper compensation. Venice did, however, show a sense of gratitude by erecting a statue to the great com- mander, not, indeed, in the square of St. Mark, for no statue was allowed to be erected there, but in the square of San Giovanni e Paolo, close by the Guild-house of St. Mark. The wax model of the horse and the rider was completed by Ver- rocchio, the master of Leonardo da Vinci, and the casting was done by Leopardi. It bears the inscription: " bartholoivieo COLLEONO, BERGOMENSI, OB MILITARE IMPERIUM OPTIME GESTUM," and is, perhaps, the most enduring monument of his fame. The Visit of King Christian I. or Denmark to Bartolomeo Colleoni at Malpaga. It only remains for us to give an account of the visit of Christian, King of Denmark, to Colleoni, at Malpaga, which is the immediate subject of the frescoes which accompany this work. Christian I., Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, Count 58 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, King of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, was a remarkable man. He was born in 1426, and was therefore at the time of his visit to Colleoni forty- eight years of age. He died in 148 1. He was son of Count Dietrich, of Oldenburg, and Heiling, sister of Adolf VHI., Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein. He succeeded to the throne of Denmark in 1448, marrying the widow of the former King Christof. In 1450 he was recognized as King of Norway, which was then indissolubly bound to Denmark. He received the crown of Sweden by the defeat of Karl Knudson in 1457. On the death of his uncle Adolf in 1459, he laid claim to the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein, and in March he concluded the celebrated Handfeste, a compact by which the two provinces were never to be divided, which became of great importance four centuries later. He lost the Swedish crown in 1467, which passed first to Karl Knudson and then to Sten Sture. His daughter, Margaret, married James, King of Scotland, in 1468, and brought with her as a dowry the Orkney and Shetland Islands. An account of King Christian's famous pilgrimage to Rome in 1474, has been transcribed from a Holstein chronicle by Hvitfeld in his historical account of Christian I., printed at Copenhagen in 1599. The narrative, obviously written by an eye-witness, is so naive and picturesque that it has been thought worth while to give the whole of it in this place. "In the year 1474, King Christian went to Rome, of his " great piety, pilgrimwise, to visit -the church of St. Peter and " St. Paul as was the custom in those days. " And that it may be known how such journey went off. The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 59 " I have here shortly introduced from the Holstein chronicle " the particulars of the said journey. " In 1474 on the Sunday next after the Epiphany, which " was January 8th, King Christian travelled from Segeberg " to Reinfeld, and from thence Romewards. "He took with him from his realms and principality " prelates, knights and their servants, together with 1 50 horses " besides the following princes and prelates, his Highness " Duke John of Saxony and Lauenburg, with sixteen horses, " the most noble Borckard, Count of Millingen and Barby " with eight horses ; the most noble Louis, Count of Heiffen- " steen, with five horses ; three doctors, to wit. Dr. Henry " Sanckensted, Dr. Herman Reinsberg, and Dr. John Hessen, " with ten horses. Also two heralds there and back. " The King and his suite, as well as the other lords and " prelates had all put on black, and had caused to be embroi- " dered thereon white pilgrims' staves. Great honour was " shown to them on the journey by many princes, prelates, " and towns. " The King, with the before-named lords and princes, " arrived on February 8th at Rothenburg on the Tauber, to the " marches whereof the Emperor Frederick sent to meet them, "his son Maximilian, with electors and other princes, he, " the Prince, had with him about five hundred horses, and " received the King of Denmark with imperial pomp. " There he remained with the Emperor seven days, and " spoke with him of divers matters. Among other things the " King said to the Emperor that there was a people in the " Roman realms hard by his own domains, called the Dit- 6o The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. " marchers, who were most noxious to all their neighbours " round about and would submit to none, and he desired " the Emperor, of his imperial authority, to give unto him " this same people inasmuch as it was not good that this " people should live without court or prince, and he desired " moreover that his imperial majesty would graciously make " a duchy of the three lands, Holstein, Stormarch, and " Ditmarch. " The Emperor made no difficulty about it, gave him " Ditmarch in fief, made of the three counties a duchy, and " invested the King with it as is proved by the golden bull, " and other duly sealed electoral letters of endowment which " were given to him. " On February 24th, King Christian came to Innsbruck, " whither Duke Sigismund of Austria sent his consort, the " Scotch king's daughter, to meet him with three gilded " carriages, filled with dames and damsels, and five dames and " damsels on horseback. And he himself came to meet him " with 300 horses. " And he let three pair of them run tilts before him on the " turf before he led him to his inn. " The Duke showed him great honour, and the King " stayed with him three days and three nights. " On March i ith, the King came to Brixia, and there met " him there the Venetian Governor with much people, both " on horse and on foot, and they led him into a palace in the " town with great pomp. " On March 12th the King came to Malapago in Venetian " territory, and the Lord of Hoya came out to meet hini with The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 6i " 500 horses, and led him into his castle. The next day he " gave the King an escort to the bounds of his domains with " loud war-cries of ' Hoya, Hoya ! ' " March 13th the King came to Tarvisium, where he " entered the territory of Duke Galeatzo of Milan, who sent " to meet him at his boundaries, 500 drengs on foot clad in " white, each one of whom had a little banner in his hand " upon a pole, and on one side was painted the King's " escutcheon, and on the other side the Duke's, they were to " receive the King with all pomp and loud war-cries. First " they all cried ' Christiano, Christiano de Dania,' and then " ' Galeatzo, Galeatzo,' and last of all ' Duca, Duca.' So they " kept on crying one after the other, till they came to " the town. " And the Duke sent to meet him far beyond his borders, " his brother and his senate, and much people on horse and " foot. Last of all the Duke himself met him with much " people, knights, and squires ; the common people came " running out of Milan, and would see the King while he was " yet a good five miles off, and stood on both sides of the way " along which the King rode, so that one saw nothing but " people, and they all cried out, as has before been said of " the drengs. " When he came to the town all the clergy were in proces- " sion at the gates, with mighty fine chants, and all the bells " were ringing, and the people of the city stood at their doors " dressed most gorgeously. All the streets through which the " King must ride were overhung with the arms of the King " ^nd the Duke, and were draped above and below, and 62 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. " bestrewn with may and sweet herbs. So magnificently " was the King received by the Duke. " The Duke gave the King 5,000 ducats and two mules " with gilded saddles, together with many pieces of gold and " silken stuffs. And the Duke caused to be borne before him "the keys of all his castles and towns whithersoever he came, " and paid all his tavern expenses. And he went with him by " ship to Pavia, and there he gave the King a necklace with a " sapphire as good as 1,000 ducats. " They lay that night at Pavia, and the King dubbed two " of the Duke's lords knights. " Thence the Duke made his people convey him by ship " to the marquisate of Mantua, Vedian, or Vitteliana ; but the " horses went overland. " All this honour and largesse the Duke displayed to the " King, to the end that he might on his return journey recon- " cile him with the Emperor, in whose disfavour he was, which " thing also happened. " March 20th the King came to Vedian, thither the Mar- " quis Louis of Mantua sent his son and his senate with many " horsemen to meet him, and welcomed him honourably. " The next day the King rode from Vedian, when the Marquis " came to the boundary to meet him with his consort Barbara, " the daughter of Queen Dorothy of Denmark's own sister, " and with much people, and received him right, bravely. " And he stayed with the Marquis two nights. " April 3rd the King rode to Aquapendent ; thither sent ". Pope Sixtus IV. two cardinals to meet him, who received " him there, and escorted him to Rome. There the Pope The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 63 " sent to meet the King all the cardinals, bishops, and pre- " lates who were at Rome, besides the senate, the nobility, " and the common folk, both on horse and foot. " They brought the King through Rome to the Pope's " palace, where he received him and his lords honourably, and " gave his hand to the King, and the princes and prelates who " were with him, and let them kiss his foot. This took place " on the Wednesday before Easter, which was the 6th April. " The King stayed at the Pope's palace, with twenty " persons and twenty horses, for twenty-one days. And the " rest of his people remained at the inns in the town. " When the Pope perceived that the King knew no Latin " he was much amazed that such a goodly lord had not " studied. " On Maundy Thursday the Pope, in honour of his royal " guest, gave his benediction to all who were personally pre- " sent, as well as indulgence, remission of all their sins, and " release from torments and purgatory. " On Easter Day the Pope with his own hand adminis- " tered the blessed sacrament to the King and his suite. " On Monday the Pope placed in the King's hand the " hallowed and consecrated rose for St. Peter's Monastery, " and he carried it openly through the city of the Romans to " the palace of the Cardinal ad vincula Petri, who had begged " the King to be his guest, and all the cardinals, bishops, " prelates, and the whole Court followed him on horse and foot. " The Pope gave the King great gifts— to wit, a beautiful " girdle, hose, and bonnet of cloth of gold ; a mule with a " gilded saddle ; a gold stick, as good as 700 ducats, some 64 The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. " gold crosses, and an agnus dei ; a piece of the wood of the " holy cross, and manifold relics, indulgences, consecrated " neckerchiefs, handkerchiefs, and privileges and concessions " which he had demanded. " The Pope also held the King free, both within and " beyond Rome, so far as his territories extended. " The King brought with him to Rome three sorts of gifts " from his realm — to wit, dried herring, dried cod, and ermine, " whereof he beseemingly distributed to the Pope and the " cardinals. " Cardinal Francis of Mantua sent to the King three " mules, each with two golden panniers and its own muleteer. " Wednesday after Misericordias Domini, which was April " 27th, the King left Rome again, and the Pope sent two " cardinals to escort him over the border. " May 3rd the King came to Florence, where he dubbed " two Florentines knights. " May 6th he came to Bononia, where, in the King's " honour, Mag. Herman Reinsberger in the cathedral in the " daytime, and Mag. Johan Hessen at the King's inn in the " evening, at the King's request, were advanced to the degree " of Doctores, by the four chief doctors in the University there. " May 9th he rode to Mantua, where he rested six nights. " The Marquis paid the King great honour. In particular he " held a tournament in his presence, which lasted two days, " whereat many were thrown, and over 100 spears broken. " The King there knighted two noblemen, and gave the " Marquis the Order of the Elephant. " May 23rd he came to Lacus Cumanus, where the Duke The Life of Bartolomeo Colkoni. 65 " of Milan made ready ships to convey the King across the " Lake of dbmo, which is twelve miles long, and half a mile " broad. " The King in particular had a beautiful ship, with a brave " and lofty tent therein. " With the King were four singers and other musicians and " of provisions no lack. " There were twelve other ships with soldiers therein, as " also the Duke's major-domo, with song and music and great " pomp. " The soldiers escorting the King sailed in front and " behind as well as on both sides of his ships, and made great " pastime with their war-cries. " And from many places along the lake came dames and " damsels who boarded the King's ship, sang songs in his " honour, and presented him with wheat bread and wine. " June 3rd the King came to Augsburg, where were the " Emperor with the Electors and many other princes, who " were there for the King's sake and for divers other reasons, " requesting various things, among whom were many princes " desiring his counsel and good offices, wherefore also the " papal legate had come thither, there the King remained " with them seven and ten days. "At that time there was a quarrel between Archbishop " Rupert of Cologne and the Chapter of the same city, " for which reason the Bishop had sought the protection of " Duke Charles of Burgundy, who was getting together great " armaments with the intent of besieging and sacking the " town of Nus which belonged to the Chapter. K 66 The Life of Bavtolomeo Colleoni. " To prevent this the Emperor and the Electors, with the " royal and the papal legate, sent a stately legation to Duke " Charles, and diligently urged him to forbear from his intent " and let the matter be amicably arranged. " Henry, Bishop of Munster, and Administrator of Bremen, " had at that time, in violation of the compact he had made " with the King before he set out for Rome, attacked his " brother. Count Gert of Oldenburg. For which cause the " King complained to the Emperor and the Electors, who " wrote to the Bishop, that he should recall his troops from " Oldenburg (failing which he should lose his fief) and abide " by the compact he had made with the King until he came " back again. " The King composed the difference between the Emperor " and the Duke of Milan, as he had promised. "July I St, the King travelled with Margrave Albert from " Augsburg and came on July 3rd to Quoldsbach, where the " King remained with the Margrave seventeen nights. The " Margrave showed him great honour with tourneys, dancing, " singing, games and the chase. "There the King received tidings that Bishop Henry " of Munster, in obedience to the Emperor s mandate, had " withdrawn his men from Oldenburg. " Aug. 28th he came to Brunswick, and found there those " whom he had sent from Augsburg to the Duke of Burgundy. " They told him that he had besieged Nus. " The King also reconciled Duke William's sons, William " and Frederick, Dukes of Brunswick, with Duke Magnus of " Mecklenburg, and with the Diocese of Hildesheim, who were The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 67 " all friends, but for a long time had had differences with each " other. There he lay five nights. " On St. Bartholomew's Day the King came again to his " own abbey, Reinfeld, in Vagerland, safe and sound with all " his suite. " On this journey, both going and coming, great honour " had been shown to the King by many princes, lords, " prelates, and towns. In many places he had free quarters, " yet he spent on this journey 2,500 Rhenish Gulden." It will be seen from this account that the King arrived at Brescia on March i ith, reached Malpaga on the 12th, and left it for Milan on the next day. The German version of the chronicle says that he was received at Malpaga by the " Lord " of Koya," and that when he left he was saluted by cries of " Koya, Koya." It is difficult to explain this, but as Colleoni was called Coleo by his contemporaries, the word may have been a representation of what the shout sounded to uneducated ears. The chronicler goes on to say that the " Lord of Hoya " gave King Christian an escort to the bounds of his dominions. This would have been probably to Covo and Antegnate which belonged to Colleoni :—" On March 13th the King came " to Tarviscium, where he entered territory of Duke Galeatzo " of Milan." Tarvisium is properly the ancient name of Treviso, but the King cannot have gone to Treviso, which was far out of his way, and which is not near the boundaries of Milan, Treviglio must be meant, which was in those times called Trevi. Indeed the German version has Trivigli. After leaving Milan the King went to Pavia where he took ship on 68 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. the river Po as far as " Vedian," now called Viadana in the territory of Guastalla. He reached Rome on April 6th and left it on April 27th. He came to Florence on May 3rd, and to Bologna, having crossed the Apennines on May 6th. On May 9th he rode to Mantua, rather more, one would think, than a day's journey, and stayed there six nights. The Marchioness of Mantua was Christian's sister, not his niece, and is rightly so called in the German version of the chronicle. We may presume that he left it on May 17th or i8th, and reached the lake of Como on May 23rd. This would allow time for a few days' visit to Malpaga, which is scarcely more than a days' ride from Lecco, passing Solza on the way. If this second visit took place it is a pity that no account of it has been preserved by the chronicler. It will be seen also that Spino especially mentions that this visit was paid " in " the summer season " and there would be a great difference in the climate of Bergamo in the second week of March and the third week of May. Spino gives the following account of the visit of King Chris- tian to Malpaga : — " Christian, King of Dacia, returning from his " pilgrimage to Rome wished to see Colleoni, and to visit him " at Malpaga before he departed from Italy. Bartolomeo re- " ceived him there with great and sumptuous preparations, " and entertained him with banquets, in tournaments, in hunts, " and other royal sports, that great King marvelling, that in " an almost solitary spot there should be so much magnificence " and splendour and a plentiful supply of all the choicest " things. But what appeared to Christian the most novel and " most delightful spectacle was the greeting which Barto- The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 69 " lomeo gave him. In order to leave the whole of his castle " at liberty for the King and his suite, it was very numerous " (and it was in the summer season), and to present at the " same time the foreign king a specimen of the arms and mili- " tary discipline of Italy, he formed at a little distance from " Malpaga, in a plain by the side of the road by which the " King travelled, the appearance of a real encampment with " tents, ditches, and stockades. When the King approached, " Bartolomeo came to meet him, mounted on a large courser, " thoroughly equipped for war, as was Colleoni himself, fully " armed like a general except his head, two squires following " him, who carried his helmet and lance, and at a short interval " his whole band of six hundred horses in battle array with " his condottieri and captains of squadrons, all in the flower " of their age, and most nobly armed and mounted, with " banners flying to the bray of trumpets, as if he was really " leading them to battle, a sight truly proud and marvellous. " Christian had amongst his followers a Dacian, a man of re- " markable and monstrous size. Few there were who dared, " none was there who was able to overcome him in wrestling. " The King took pleasure in exhibiting by him the ferocity " and robustness of his nation. One day, when the King and " Bartolomeo were present, this man had played with and " conquered several opponents who had come to the unequal " trial of strength with more courage than judgment. When " everyone now declined the conflict, it came to pass that out- " side the circle, amongst those who were looking at the sport " was a mountaineer of our country, who on that day brought " charcoal for the court. He was a young man five-and- yo The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. ' twenty years old, with a body very solid and squarely made. ' He observed that although the Dacian had the advantage ' in size and bodily strength, yet he was wanting in mastery ' and dexterity in the sport. Not being able to suffer that a ' barbarian should vaunt himself with so much contempt for ' his own countrymen, he said to himself, ' if he had to do ' ' with me perhaps he would not conquer me.' This was ' heard by someone who reported it to Bartolomeo Colleoni, ' who then called him aside, examined him from head to foot, ' and judged him capable of doing what he promised. He ' had him stripped, cleaned up, and clothed nobly in military ' dress. ' Go with courage,' he said, ' and if you bear yourself ' ' valiantly these clothes shall be yours.' The charcoal ' burner descended into the lists and engaged with the ' Dacian. He parried for some time his extraordinary ' strength with skilful feints, and suddenly seizing a good ' opportunity he curved his head and his back and rushed at ' his adversary. He then seized him under the haunches, ' lifted him up and set him on the ground with his head down ' and his feet in the air to the joyful shouting and applause of ' all the bystanders. They laughed with still greater merri- ' ment when Bartolomeo caused his dirty clothes to be ' returned to the champion, who made a bundle of them, and ' threw them round his neck and went off as if he were carry- ' ing a noble trophy of his victory. Bartolomeo gave to the ' King at his departure one of his suits of armour, a fine ' and precious work, and he gave to all the King's servants ' new garments of red and white which was his livery." The pictures which accompany this volume give a repre- The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 71 sentation of this memorable visit, and they may be considered as, to a great extent, historically accurate, and certainly as representing the costumes of the time when they were painted. The first of the series is that which is called " The Arrival of King Christian at Malpaga." We see the drawbridge of the castle much as it exists at the present day; over the doorway are the arms of Colleoni, and beneath them the lions of Denmark. Round the castle are the tents of which Spino speaks. Colleoni, clad in coat of mail, with a rich surcoat charged with his own bearings, wearing a cap on his head instead of a helmet, receives the King of Denmark. Close by are a body of men-at-arms, a troop of Colleoni's, with two banners bearing his well-known devices. It is impossible to identify the various figures, but we may suppose that the horseman with the plumed cap in Colleoni's colours was one of his principal Condottieri, or perhaps a Martinengo, one of his sons-in-law. Behind him a mailed figure riding a prancing steed bears aloft the banner of Denmark, and the figure still further to the left, mounted on a white horse with a fur coat over his suit of mail, and a staff in his hand, may be the Duke of Lauenburg, who was Christian's principal companion on his pilgrimage. The little boy on a white charger to the right of the picture is probably one of Colleoni's grandchildren. The whole scene is full of vigour and animation. It is impossible to say in what order the events connected with King Christian's stay at Malpaga took place. We will, however, next describe the scene of the tournament. The lists are obviously arranged just outside the castle of 72 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. Malpaga. There is a view of Bergamo in the distance easily recognizable by anyone who knows it in its present condition. The lists are composed of two narrow gangway^jjarallel to each other, divided by a strong barrier of planks, so that the contending knights might reach each other with their spears without the horses colliding. The hills in the distance are still apparently covered with snow. It is impossible to say who all the people represented are. The two knights charging in the lists both bear the Colleoni badge. At the side of the lists is a small tribune for the judges, five in number ; from this tribune, suspended on a pole, hangs a handsome piece of gold brocade, the customary prize of those days. The King of Denmark surveys the scene from a loggia at the back, Colleoni seated by his side. The ladies occupy one half of the tribune, and the men the other. Another incident is represented by the Hunt, a chromo- lithograph of which has been published by the Society. It takes place on the banks of a river, either the Serio or the Cherio, or perhaps the Adda, in the neighbourhood of Solza. The various forms of the chase are represented at the same time. A little dog is starting some wild fowl to be pursued by a hawk, which a mounted attendant holds on his wrist. In the sky a hawk is seen striking its prey. In one part of the meadow the deer hounds have run down a stag, which men are preparing to despatch with their spears. In another part greyhounds are coursing a hare. Two squires in Colleoni's livery hold a greyhound in slip. King Christian is repre- sented as a noble figure riding on a black horse, he has a grey beard, and looks older than his forty-eight years. i 5> < /' <.„ ^^? Si ■ >v COPY OF THE LETTER IN COLLEONI'S AUTOGRAPH. WITH ABBREVIATIONS. Vicario de Valle de Calepio. Sul, compt-ito novaint facto fate allogiare in quella Valle Fiordo da Castello firo homo darme. p cavalli quattro, et fatelo allogiare nel locho de Tayu. latri poi eft manderemo li farete allogiare con piu comodita de li' homej et ancho Achonzo de' soldati, facendogli pvedere de stantia- como, stande strame legrip , > massaritie et herbe so lordine de la fi. S,S. et noa mari'ctt. >> Dar Rumanj die p°. maij 1458. Bartholameus Golionus Capits gnalis. WITHOUT ABBREVIATIONS. Vicario de Valle de Calepio. Sul compartito nova- mente facto fate allogiare in quella valle Fiordo da Castello., nostro homo d'arme per cavalli quattro, et fatelo allogiare nel locho de Tayu {Tagliuno). L'altri poi che man- deremo li farete allogiare con piu comodita de l'altri homeni et ancho Aconzo de soldati, facendogli provedere de stantia comoda, stantie strame legne massaritie' et herbe secondo I'hohiine de la nostra S.S. et non man- cherete. Datum Rumanj die primo Matij 14^8. " BaRTHOLOMEUS CoLIONCfS Capitaneus Generalis. The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 73 He justifies the expression used towards him by Pope Sixtus IV., "Pulchra bestia si non careret loquela," referring to his ignorance of the Latin language. Colleoni rides by his side. It may be mentioned that in this picture Colleoni's attendants wear a parti^coloured uniform, one half of the dress being striped with blue and white. This may have reference to the arms of Burgundy, which Colleoni was entitled to assume by special license. The Burgundy colours are, how- ever, blue and gold. Another interesting scene is the banquet, held in the very room in which these frescoes are now extant. The King sits alone at the head of the table, the other guests being placed with Colleoni himself, below the triangular salt-cellar. By his side stands the grey-bearded seneschal, whose name we know — Alberto dei Quarenghi — with a napkin over his shoulder, carving a bird. Colleoni is represented in profile — a striking likeness. The lady opposite, dressed in the Colleoni colours, is one of his daughters, married to a Martinengo. The digni- fied figure in the plumed hat is, perhaps, the Duke of Lauen- burg. The little boy seated on his mother's knee is one of Colleoni's grandchildren. Behind, three men are blowing shawms, and one a bagpipe ; this is probably to announce the arrival of a new course, which is being brought in by liveried servants, preceded by the butler with a staff. The walls are covered with tapestry, in alternate stripes of blue and white. Three bottles of wine in picturesque decanters stand before the King. Another scene represents the distribution of liveries to the King's attendants, as described by Spino. This took place in 74 The Life of Bartolomeo Colleoni. the courtyard of the castle, probably on the morning of the King's departure. Colleoni is seated by a table on which the liveries are displayed, and is represented as giving one to a man who is taking off his hat in acknowledgment. At the other end of the picture the liveries are being packed up in readiness for the journey. The King of Denmark is not pre- sent. It was a lucky circumstance that CoUeoni's own colours were the same as those of Denmark — red and white. A con- spicuous figure in the central group is the King's trumpeter. From his trumpet, which is suspended over his shoulders, hangs the blazon of the Danish arms. The floor is composed of red brick, as is customary in Italian houses. Two stair- cases lead up from the courtyard, and could doubtless be identified at the present day. The last picture of the series is the Departure of King Christian from Malpaga. A noble company of men-at-arms in full martial equipment rides along the hollow road. The King's trumpeter, with the three lions of Denmark, is a con- spicuous object, on a white horse. Behind him two of Col- leoni's trumpeters are sounding a fanfare ; we know the name of one of them — Lorenzo della Scarperia. King Christian and his host ride side by side. A Dane in fur mantle and cap is crossing the drawbridge, while another company of men-at- arms is waiting to close the procession. Another picture, representing the wrestling match between the Danish giant and the Bergamasque charcoal burner, decorates the walls of the banqueting hall at Malpaga ; but it is so much defaced that it could not be copied. These pictures, whatever may be their artistic merit, are The Life of Bartolomeo CoUeoni. 75 extremely interesting, as showing the manners and customs of the time ; and we cannot but feel that an age which could have crowded into so short a space so many scenes replete with life and colour, with dignity and magnificence, must be worthy of our study, and in many respects of our imitation. Romanino, the reputed author of the frescoes, was born ten years after the events which they portray. He must, there- fore, have worked from the family records of what occurred, although in his own age the life of chivalry was not altogether dead. It is more probable, however, that they were executed by one of his pupils, and in any case they have been since injudiciously repainted and restored. THE END. INDEX. ABBONDIO, DON Aborte (Jacopo) Acciaiuoli (Angelo) Acciaiuoli family Adda . Adige . Adolf VIII. . Adorno Alan, Cardinal of Avignon Albert (Margrave) Alessandria . Alfonso, King of Aragon. Alfonzo of Naples ■ — coin of Alps . Ambrosian Republic Amidei Anghiari Anjou . arms Duke of Rend of. See Rene. Antegnate . Antoniazzo . Apennines . Aquapendente Aquila . Aragon King of (1452) .2,8; , 10, 18, I 9. 24, ^9. PAGE • 54 22 • 36 ■ 36 27, 28, 33 II, 12 ■ 57 IS. 17 • 39 . 66 23, 28, 29 • 14' 5. 6, 9 26, 28 • 56 1.47 18, 23, 25 • 5° • 17 9, 38, 40 . 46 ■ 45 14, 20, 67 20 21, 68 . 62 ■ 6,7 5, 9, 38 • 25 78 Index. Arcelli (Filippo) . Asso . Asti . Attendolo (Micheletto) Attendolo (Sforza) Augsburg Augustinians Austria Aversa . Avignon Bagniara Bagpipes Baiedo . Bandiera Bar . Barbara Marchesa of Mantua Barbavara (Francesco) of Novara Barbarossa .... Barbiano (Alberico da), CoMnt Barby. See Millingen. Basella Bellano Bells . Benedictine nuns . Benzone (Giorgio) PAGE 4 . 24 19, 29 . 20 : 5.6 65,66 ■ 53 . 60 • s 38. 39 37 73 3° 38 62 3 47 3 35. 42, 54 • 24 . 61 • -.,• 47 ■ 4 Bergamo 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, 30, 31, 32, 35, 37, 43, 44, 47, 48, 52, 55> 68 Colleoni Chapel 42. 5° tomb Pietk at . Sant' Agata San Stefano Biscia . Bolgare Bologna Bonomi Bordelano Borgo . Borgo San Martino Borgogna . 46 • 56 • 44 • 5° . 46 . 10 16. 37. 64 • 32. . 8 II . 29 ■ 49 Index. 79 PAGE Borgomanero 22 Borso (Duke) 37 Bosco 19 battle of 29 Braccio 41 Braccio, Count of Montone 5-7 Brembo 3S> 48 Bremen, Administrator of. See Henry, bishop of Munster. Breno 30 Brescia 4, 8, 11, 13, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 43, 44, 54, 57, 60 Brianza . 18, 24 Brivio 18, 24, 30 Brixia. See Brescia. Bruges 39 Brunswick -. . . . . . . . . . . .66 (William, Duke of) 66 his sons, William and Frederick 66 Bubano 37 Bucentaurs 33) 34 Burgundy 39) 4° Arms 46) 73 Duke of 45) 46 Byron, Lord 33 Calcinata 33j 35) S^ Caldora (Giovanni Antonio) 7 (Jacopo) 5-7 Calepio 10 Calusco 2 Camonica, Val 9 Campi (Giulio) 13 Canale delle Muzza 47 Candia 12 Capironi 53 Caporale ^ Capriana, the peace of 13 Capua S Caravaggio 20, 21 Carmagnola i) 7) 8, 32 Carmini, the S* Carpi 37 8o Index. PAGE Carpignano 22 Casciano . . 18 Cassano 18 Cavalcabb (Ugo) 3 Cavalcabo (Ugolino) his son 8 CavalH 8, 26, 33 Celendo (Jacopo) 22 Celestines 53 Cereto 28 Chants 61 Charles VII. of France 22 of Anjou . . . • 5, 9 the Bold of Burgundy 23,39,54,65 Cherio 10, 23, 48 Chignolo 3 Christian I., King of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway . 42, 58-66, 68, 72-3 Christof, King of Denmark 58 Cignano ............ 13 Clergy . 61 Clusone . 30 Coglione (Coglioni). See under CoUeoni. Coleo. See Colleoni. Colleonesca . 48 Colleoni, family of 43) 45 birthplace 2 sustain the Guelf cause 2 origin of the name 2 genealogy, . 2-3, and /a^/ 23> 54 , Lago di 24,64-5,68 Compeys (John of), lord of Torrens 22 Condottieri S> 42, 69, 71 Constantinople 3' Coreggio (Niccolo) 55 Corna (Antonello dalle) 35 Cornazzano 54 Cornazzano (Antonio) 4° Corsica • • 3° Corvaria . . ■ • ■ ■ • • • • • • n Covo 14, 20. 27, 30, 67 Covo (Pietro and Giovanni, counts of) 14 Crema 3,4,18,21,23 Cremona 3, 7, 8, 13, 16, 23, 26, 27, 28 ■ fortress of San Luca 7 San Sigismondo ^3 Dacians ^9 Dandolo (Gherardo) ^5 Delraenhorst 5° Denmark 42, 58, 62 Dietrich (Count) of Oldenburg 5 8 Disciplines, the S2 Ditraarch ° Ditmarchers 59, 6° 84 Index. PAGE Dominicans 5°) 53 Domus Pietatis • • • 44 Dorothy, Queen of Denmark 62 Dovadola 37 Drengs . • .61 Dudresnay (Rinaldo de) i9> 29 Elephant, Order of the 64 Este (Borco d'), duke 36 (Ercole d') 36, 37 Eugene IV., Pope 9 Faenza 37 (Astore da) .......... 19 Ferdinand, king of Naples 38 Ferrara 37 treaty of 8 Marquis of 55 second peace of 9 "Field of Fear," the • .... 10 Florence 10, 14, 18, 29, 38, 64 coin of . 56 exiles from 35j 3^ Folcaquiero 38 Fontanella 8 Forli 36. 37 Foscari 32 France . . . . 9, 26, 39 army of . 22, 30 Francis (Cardinal) of Mantua . 64 Francis (St.) 50 Franciscans . . . . 5°) 52 Frederick II. ........... 3 Frederick III 37, 59 Frescoes 44,45,50,57,71-4 Gaeta g Galeazzo, Duke of Milan 61, 66, 67 Index. 85 PAGE Garda 12, 13, 54 Garibaldi ............ 24 Gattamelata. See Stephano da Narni. Gattamelata . 11, 12, 13, 25 Genoa . . . . . . . . . ... 9) 17 Genoese fleet 9 Ghede 29 Ghiara d'Adda 18, 21, 27, 32 Ghibellines 2 Ghisalba 35) 56 Giorgione ............ 52 Golden Ball, the 35 Golden Book 35 Gonzaga (Carlo), Marquis of Mantua . . . . . . -19 Gonzaga (Francesco), lord of Mantua 3 Gonzaga (Gian Francesco) . 9 Gonzaga (Ludovico) . . . . . . . 10, 11, 12, 26, 29 Gorzone . . . . 11 Guastalla 68 Guelfs 2, 3, 16 Guerriero (Nicolo) 17 Guns 15 Hannibal 54 Heiffensteen (Louis, Count of) 59 Heiling 58 Henry VI. of England 9 Heraldry 6, 45-6, 61 Heralds 59 Hessen (John) 59. ^4 Hildesheim 66 Holstein 57-8, 60 Hoya, Lord of 60, 67 Hungary, coin of 56 Hvitfeld 58 Idro " Innsbruck . . ; 60 Irrigation 47 Iseo 30 86 Index. PAGE Isola 2 Isola della Scala 25 James, king of Scotland ......... S^ Jerusalem 38 Joanna II., queen of Naples • 5j 7) 9 John, king of Navarre .......... 9 Knudson (Karl) 58 Koya. See Hoya. Ladrone (Bernardo) 55 Lambro .3 Landriano . . 19 Lauenburg. See Saxony. Lauenburg (the duke of) 73 Lecco . . . . . . . . . . 2, 9, 18, 19, 24, 68 Ledro, Valdi . . . 11 Leone (Marina) 48-9 (Pietro) 48 Leopardi 57 Lionessa (Gentile della) 25, 28, 29, 32 Lodi 3,18,20,21,23,28,32,47 Lombard league 2, 47 Lombardy i, 2, 21, 47 Lorraine • ■ 5 Louis, Duke of Savoy 22 Louis III. of Anjou 5 Louis XL of France 23,39 Lugo (Mocenigo da) 8 Lupo (Diotesalvi) 10, 15 Maffei (Fermo) 26 Mahomet II. ..... 31 Majorcas 38 Malapago. See Malpaga. Malateste (Pandolfo) 3 Malatesta (Sigismundo) . . . . . . . 24, 25, 32 Malghera 33 Index. 87 PAGE Malipiero (Niccolb) 35 Malipiero (Pasquale) 33 Malpaga . . 10, 33, 36, 40, 42, 47, 48, 50, 51, 54, 56, 57, 60, 63-9 San Giovanni . . . . . . . . .51 St. Alessandro? 53 Santa Maria 53 Santa Maria Maggiore 42 Malvezzi (Ludovico) 30 Manerbio 29 Manfredi (Astorre dei), lord of Faenza 37 Mantua . 3, 9, 19, 25, 62, 64, 68 (Louis, Marquis of) 62 Marches, the 13 Marignano 3 Martin V., Pope 5, 7 Martinenghi family . . -So Martinengo 13. 21. 3°. 5°. 54. S6, 71 (Cesare) . . . . . . . . . . .12 Franciscan Convent . . . . . . ' . • 5°) S i (Gasparre) 37. 42, 55 (Gherardo di) 26, 37, 58 (Jacopo) 37 (Orsina) ........... 26 Santa Chiara . . . . . . . . . '51 , (Tisbe). See Tisbe Colleoni. Margaret, daughter of Christian I. of Sweden, wife of James of Scotland 58 Margaret of Anjou, Queen of England 9 Mary, Virgin, vision of 48-9 Mary of Savoy . . . .21 Maximilian 59 Mecklenburg (Magnus, Duke of) 66 Medici family 36. 37 (Cosimo de') 18, 26, 36 (Piero de') 36 Milan . . . 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 47, 61 arms 46 Santa Maria della Scala 24 Millingen (Borckard, Count of) and Barby 59 Miracles 49 Mirandola 37 88 Index. PAGE Molinella 37 Mont'Ulmo ^6 Montechiaro 2-5 Monte Lamp ^^ Montferrat, Duke of 26,28,29 Monticelli 10 Montone .....•• 5 Monza 16, 18, 54 Mordano 37 Mornico 33> 3S> 5^ Munster (Henry, Bishop of) 66 Muratori 27 Naples 5. 7. 9, 38 Naples, King of? 36 Napoleon I. 28 Narni (Stefano da) 9 Navarre . 9 Naviglio Grande . . . 47 Nembro . . . . . . . . . ' . . -30 Nicolas v., Pope z, 5, 31 Norway 42, 58 Novara 3, 22, 23 Nus 65, 66 Oglio 8, 10, 13, 20, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33 Oldenburg 58 Oldenburg (Count Gert of) '. . . .66 Ordelaffi (Pino degli) Lord of Forli 36 Order of the Elephant 64 Orkney Islands . 58 Orleans, Duke of. See C. Visconti. Padua 13, 35 Paiello (Guglielmo) 54 Palseologus (Constantine) . . . . . . . . .31 Palazzuolo lo, 30 Palosco -33 Palusco .56 Panigarda (Enrico) 23 Index. 89 PAGE Papacy, arms ^5 territory ,_ Pa™a j8, 21, 23 Paul' II., Pope . . . , 37, 38 ^^^^^ IS. 17. 18, 19, 23, 29, 50, 62 Pellina, Val .0 Penetre ji Pesaro ,5 Pescara 6 Peschiera . . ..... ... . . 12 Piacenza 4, 17, 18, 19, 23, 40 Piatta ............. 8 Picardy archers 22 Piccinino 9, 14, 16, 39 Piccinino (Franc.) . ... . . . . . . 16, 19 (Jacobo) 19-24, 25, 28, 29 (Niccolo) 16 -^ his son .16 Pico (Galeotto), lord of Mirandola 37 Piedmont 22, 38 Piet&, the 43, 44, 54, S6 Pii (Marco and Lionello de'), lords of Carpi 36 Pisa 18 Pistols 15 Pitti 36 Po I, 17, 47 Poma (Giorgetto) 19 Pontevicino 30 Ponte Vico . . . . . . . . . . . -13 Pontevico . . . . . . . . . . 26, 27, 29 Pontida 2, 3 Pontoglio 10, 13, 27 Porcelli 27 Porta Zobbia 18 Porzano 28 Posta 8 Poza 9 Pregadi 36 Processions ^^ Provedditore ....■■••••• ^S, 53 Provence .....-•■••• 9> 38 N 90 Index. PAGE Quarenghi (Alberto dei) 73 Quoldsbach 66 Ragazzo ........... 6, 8 Ravenna . . . -37 Reinfeld S9j 67 Reinsberg, or Reinsberger (Herman) 59, 64 Rdne, Count of Provence and Duke of Anjou 9 Rend of Anjou, titular King of Naples .29,38 Rivalta . 27 Rivola 2 Roggia Montana 48 Roggia Seriola ........... 47 Romagna 37 Romanengo ........... 8 Romanino 75 Romano . 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 26, 30, 32, 35, 41, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56 Rome • • 37 See Papacy, etc. Roncalli, Conte -52 Rose, The 63 Rothenburg 59 Rovato ............ 30 Rusca (Franchino) 3 Saignini (Ricardona Valvasori dei) 3 San Leonardo, friars of. . . . . . . . . .53 San Martino .20 San Spirito, friars of -53 Sanckensted (Henry) , . . . . . . . . -59 Santo Eusebio n Sanuto 14, 15, 26 Sarca ............. n Sardinia 38 Savoy 22 Saxony (John, Duke of) and Lauenburg . . . . . .59 Scarperia (Lorenzo della) y^ Schleswig ^y.8 Scotland eg Segeberg ^^ Index. 9 1 PAGE Serio 3°. 35, 47, 48, 52 Servi, the 52 Sesia ............. 22 Sforza (Alessandro) lord of Pesaro 36 (Bianca) . . . . . 16 (Constanzo) 36 (Francesco) . . 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 41 (Ludovico) 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 39 arms of . 26, 46 Shawms . . ......... 73 Shetland Islands * . .58 Sicily . 9, 38 Siena . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Sigismund (Duke) of Austria . 60 Simoneto (Cecco) 41 Sinigaglia . .16 Sivardus (Olric) 2 Sixtus IV. (Pope) 50,62,63,73 Soderini ...... ..... 36 Soldo II Solza 2, 3, 4, 33, 36, 68 Soneino . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 27, 30 Sorbolo (Niccolb) 12 Spino (Pietro) . . .8, 10, 12, 17, 24, 25, 30, 32, 37, 38, 39, 46, 68 Statuary 57 Stromarch 60 Strozzi (Gian Francesco) 36 (Palla) 36 Sture (Sten) 58 Suardi 2 Sulmona 5 Sweden 42, 58 Tarvisium 61, 67 Tauber 59 Tenna 12 Ticino 47 Torbole ", " Torrens ^^ Tortona 19, 23, 29 Tournaments 34, 60, 64, 66, 71 92 Index. PAGE Trescerre • • • 47 Trescerre, San Stefano 47 Trevi. See Treviglio. Treviglio ^7 Treviso for Treviglio 67 Trezzo i> 4 Trivigli. See Treviglio. Trusando (Count) 10, 1 6, 24 Turks 31, 38, 54, 55, 56 Tuscany 13 Umiliati, The 53 Urban V. ............ 2 Urbino (Count Antonio of) 3 Urgnano 3°. 35. 48, 49. 5° Vagerland ............ 67 Val Camonica . . . 9, 11, 30 Val di Ledro 11 Val Lagarnia 11 — Pellina . 9 — ^ San Martino 9, 24 — ^ Sassina . . 9, 24, 30 — ' Seriano ........... 30 Valencia Straits 38 Valois, House of 5 Valpergo (Louis) 39 V9,resino (Gaspare) 22 Vpdian. See Viadana. Venice 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 51, 55, 56, 57 arms of ........... 46 Council of Ten 8,14,23,32,33,56 Golden Ball 35 Golden Book 35 Gian Consiglio 35 Piazetta . 8, 34 San Giovanni e San Paolo . . . . . . .57 San Marco ••••...... 34 Venice, Signory 43, 47 Venieri (Leonardo) . . . . 25 Index. 93 PAGE Verme (Jacobo del) 3 Verme (Ludovico dal) 1 1 Verocchio 57 Verona 11, 12, 25, 29 Verona, Castel Vecchio 12 San Felice 12 Viadana 62,67-8 Vicenza 54 Vigevano ' 22, 23 Villa Franca 37 Vimercate (Gasparre) 37 Vinci, Leonardo da . . 57 Visconti (Ambrogio) 3 (Barnabo) ij 3) 49 (Bianca Maria) 13 (Charles), Duke of Orleans . . . . . . -19 Filippo Maria) . . . . . . 4,9,10,13,14-17,18 his wife . . . 21 (Giari Galeazzo) ........ 3, 49 (Gian Maria) 3, 4 (Ludovico Sforza) 22 (Maria) 25 (Mary of Savoy, widow of Filippo Maria) . . . . .21 Sacramoro) 12 (Valentino) 19 Visconti family 8, 0, 2 1 arms 46 VitteUana 62 CHISWICK PRESS: — C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE.