Re: Sforza / Borgia / da Vinci / Imola...?

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

There's not a great deal of stuff on Imola's history in English out there 
(though loads in Italian, of course), but there's still enough to get the 
point across that, as I guessed, Cesare Borgia did indeed destroy much of 
the standalone rivellin (tower) first, before attacking the weak parts of 
the garrison walls from the east, thanks to insider information he received.

	http://www.stai.it/rocche/Imola_oggi_en.html

I can find no sign at all of that rivellin having been rebuilt after 1499, 
so my date of 1499 (or before) for the picture in the VMS still stands. Of 
course, this only gives the probable latest date that the original picture 
was made - copies could have been made at any time since (right up to 1912, 
in theory). :-)

If you're going to visit Imola, the museum there has quite a nice 
collection of arms and maiolica, much of it unearthed in excavations since 
1975. There's even a mysterious set of 18 graffitoed tableware dating to 
around 1500, all destroyed at the same time for no obvious reason... 
interesting. :-)

	http://www.comune.imola.bo.it/visitare/scoprire/storia/en_rocca.html

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....