Renaissance Medal - Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta by Matteo de' Pasti

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta / Castel Sismondo in Rimini

by Matteo de' Pasti, c. 1450/1451


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 believe 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


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

 

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You always post such interesting and beautiful medals!

 

what S86 said! lovely!

 

Very appealing and well executed medal, and great write-up as always. Congrats on the new pickup