Home World & Ancient Coins Forum

Renaissance Medal - Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta by Matteo de' Pasti

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta / Castel Sismondo in Rimini



by Matteo de' Pasti, c. 1450/1451



image

Bronze, 83.5 mm Ø, 258 g



Obverse: Bust of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta facing left, wearing cuirass and surcoat. Around, SIGISMONDVS · PANDVLFVS · DE · MALATESTIS · S · RO · ECLESIE · C · GENERALIS . A Malatesta rose separates the start and end of the inscription.



SIGISMONDUS PANDULFUS DE MALATESTIS SANCTAE ROMANAE ECLESIE CAPITANEUS GENERALIS

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Captain General of the Holy Roman Church



Reverse: View of the Castle of Rimini. Around, CASTELLVM · SISMONDVM · ARIMINENSE
· M · CCCC · XLVI . A Malatesta rose separates the start and end of the inscription.



CASTELLUM SISMONDUM ARIMINENSE XCCCXLVI

Castel Sismondo at Rimini, 1446



Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1417-1468) was an Italian condottiere, nobleman, and lord of Rimini. In 1433, he was knighted by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, and in honor of this distinction he changed his name from the Italian Gismondo to Sigismondo. Born as the illegitimate son of Pandolfo Malatesta, he sought to secure his position amongst the other hereditary princes of the Italian states. He achieved this through military prowess as a condottiere, the commander of a free army. On March 18, 1435, he was named captain general of the Church, a distinction bestowed by Pope Eugenius IV and noted on the obverse of this medal.



Castel Sismondo, the subject of this medal, was an impressive castle-palace conceived by Sigismondo as a way of further securing his position within Rimini. Connoisseur Stephen K. Scher notes that the imposing fortress broadcast by this medal could have several meanings, including demonstrating Sigismondo's skill as a soldier and military engineer, as well as standing for the city of Rimini and the ruler's control over his domain. The first stone was laid on March 20, 1437, though construction would continue in various phases for some fifteen years.



Eleanora Luciano notes that 1446 was an annus mirabilis for Sigismondo. It was in that year that he defeated Francesco Sforza at Gradara, the ceremonial inauguration of Castel Sismondo was held, and Sigismondo may have begun his notorious affair with Isotta degli Atti. While the inauguration of Castel Sismondo occurred in 1446, many different medals in addition to ones showing the castle, including pieces commemorating Isotta, contain that date, and it is generally accepted that the medals were created later. John Graham Pollard proposes a date of late 1450 to January 1451 for this medal based on excavation finds from the castle in 1624 and from the Tempio Malatestiano in 1948. However, Luciano notes that it is possible that some medals with the 1446 date were actually created in that year.



Several variants of this medal were created, with two major bust types. While this type shows Sigismondo in courtly dress, the other portrays him wearing armor. Sigismondo concealed a large quantity of medals within the Castel Sismondo and other castles and buildings within his territory in order to perpetuate his name in conjunction with his most important building projects. While some medals contain the artist's name, medals needed for foundation deposits lack it. The various Castel Sismondo medals form one of the most famous types of early Renaissance medals, and were created in great numbers, surely achieving the goal of perpetuating the name of Sigimondo Pandolfo Malatesta through the ages. These medals are also significant in art history in that they were the first to feature an architectural design as the reverse subject.



References: Hill (Corpus) no. 174; Pollard (NGA Collection) no. 27; Scher (Currency of Farme) no. 14; Luciano in "The Renaissance Portrait: From Donatello to Bellini" no. 118









Also, although I've posted it before, here's a somewhat related piece, also by Matteo de' Pasti, of Isotta degli Atti:



Isotta degli Atti / Closed Book



by Matteo de' Pasti, c. 1456-60



image

Bronze, 41.2 mm Ø, 33.3 g



Obverse: Bust of Isotta degli Atti facing right, hair over high frame, confined by a crossing band fastened on top with jewel, and falling in two pointed masses behind. Around, · D · ISOTTAE · / · ARIMINENSI · .



DOMINAE ISOTTAE ARIMINENSI

To the Lady Isotta of Rimini



Reverse: A closed book. Around, E L E G I A E · .



ELEGIAE

Elegies



Isotta degli Atti (c. 1432 - 1474) was born in Rimini, the daughter of Francesco degli Atti, a wealthy wool trader and banker. She became the mistress of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, after he noticed her while a guest of Francesco during restoration of his residence. They had a son, Giovanni, in 1447, though he lived only a few months. Their relationship became public in 1449, after the death of Sigismondo's second wife, and they married in 1456.



The reverse design of the medal, illustrating a book, refers to the three volumes of thirty elegies commissioned by Sigismondo in 1449-1451. The epic poem, Liber Isottaeus, was written by the Italian humanist Basinio Basini of Parma, who had moved to the Malatesta court in 1449.



The dating of the medal is based upon the finding of several similar medals (with a slightly different obverse design) in building foundations. Five specimens were found in the wall of the Rocca Malatestiana (Malatestian Fortress) at Fano in a portion of the building datable to 1454. Two other specimens were found nearby in Senigallia in an area that was part of Sigismondo's refortification of the town in 1459.



References: Hill (Corpus) 188; Pollard (NGA) 35; Vannel & Toderi (Bargello) 87-90; Börner 65

Comments

  • STLNATSSTLNATS Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭
    Those are absolute classic Renaissance pieces Joe. And great write ups. Congrats and thanks for sharing.



    edited to add: interesting that Isotta was just 15 (he was about 30) when their son was born altho Sigismondo waited almost a decade to marry her. And, based on the dates you shared, neither lived particularly long by today's standards.



    image
    Always interested in St Louis MO & IL metro area and Evansville IN national bank notes and Vatican/papal states coins and medals!
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great write up as always. Thanks for sharing.
  • AntonDeeAntonDee Posts: 11
    edited January 11, 2017 9:44AM


    Very nice Losephus. Thanks for posting. Here's a similar casting from private collection. diameter of 81.6 mm. The wear is considerably more. Likely an earlier casting (1446).

    111.jpg 437.9K
  • For those interested here's another interesting version of Isotta Degli Atti

    Personage
    Isotta Degli Atti
    Isotta Degli Atti, of Rimini, mistress and subsequent third wife of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, “Signore” of Rimini. Married Sigismondo in 1456 and died in 1470, three years after her husband.

    Artist
    Matteo Dei Pasti — Medalist, Sculptor, Painter. Verona (1405-1467)
    Matteo De’pasti lived mainly at the court of the Malatesta in Rimini.

    Description
    Obverse: D. ISOTTAE. ARIMINENSI (‘D’designates Diva or Domina). Bust facing right,
    hair over high frame, held by crossing band, fastened with jewels at top and falling in two-pointed masses at back.

    Reverse: Elephant facing right, in flowery meadow; on the bottom: MCCCCXLVI.
    Note: Other editions of this medal show a signature with roses at top right.

    Background
    Cast in 1446. There are several medals cast for Isotta by Matteo Dei Pasti, this medal was cast in three slightly different versions.

    Diameter: 82.2 mm. (Max. Diameter reported: 84 mm.); Bronze cast.

    Evaluation: Good patina; with only slight wear; Original cast.

    100.jpg 426.1K
  • IosephusIosephus Posts: 872 ✭✭✭

    A great couple of medals @AntonDee, thanks for posting them!

Sign In or Register to comment.