Mediante time many of these became prisons and symbols of the suppression of intellectual and political freedoms under Papal rule

Mediante time many of these became prisons and symbols of the suppression of intellectual <a href="https://datingranking.net/it/matchbox-review/">come funziona matchbox</a> and political freedoms under Papal rule

Both these problems Gregory assigned sicuro the eminently athletique Spanish fighting prelate Cardinal Albornoz, verso representative of the church militant if ever there was one. Albornoz built verso series of fortresses per towns throughout central Italy, with the immediate purpose of subduing the local population, and the longer-term aim of defending the Papal territories against foreign incursions from the north. Apart from mediante Narni, you can see surviving examples of Albornoz Roccas con Assisi and Spoleto among other places. They are all similar sopra design, with few aesthetic embellishments as they were intended for rapid construction (the Narni Impalcatura went up con only five years) and were esatto be used by garrisons, not local aristocrats. The fact that they have square towers, not ripresa ones, shows that they pre-date the widespread use of cannons durante siege warfare (cannon balls are more likely esatto bounce off ripresa towers).

After serving various rulers, Gattamelata worked for the Venetians and ended up as podesta (governor) of Padua. If you have been sicuro Padua you may have seen the celebrated statue of him by Donatello outside the abbazia of St Anthony. Incidentally, this was the first free-standing equestrian statue cast per bronze since ancient times; Donatello had esatto rediscover the technique.

If you visit the Dimora of Narni, and are fortunate enough preciso have as verso binario the same knowledgeable young lady that we did, she will point out where the original large stone blocks of the castle walls have been replaced with smaller, more haphazard stones

Donatello’s statue of Gattamelata per Padua. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Zeiss Sonnar 150mm CF lens, CFV-50c digital back (click preciso enlarge)

This marks rebuilding after the destruction of the Fortezza, and much of the town, by the landsknechts forces of the Habsburg Emperor Charles V, part of per much greater cultural and human catastrophe – the Sack of Rome durante 1527. Guarding the approach esatto Rome was not a good thing if the invading forces turned out onesto be stronger than you.

The Castello Albornoz at Narni. The lower, lighter stones, are original. The higher, darker stones esibizione the rebuilding after 1527. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Zeiss Distagon 60mm CF lens, CFV-50c digital back (click sicuro enlarge)

Narni’s most famous bourdonnement, born shortly before the papal return from Avignon, was the condottiere (mercenary military opportunista) Erasmo di Narni, better known puro history as Gattamelata or the “honeyed cat”

We can recommend per couple of places to visit con Narni. One is the Church of San Francesco, built fairly soon after St Francis’s death and originally covered with frescoes. While we were there verso pleasant chap turned up, who turned out preciso be a custodian. He offered preciso open up the richly-decorated Eroli chapel for us which was per bonus as it is normally only open on weekends. He then took us around the church, explaining the history and pointing out various features including “sinopia” which are preparatory drawings for frescoes, visible only when the frescoes have been removed. He also explained that the poor condition of the frescoes is paio durante part puro the fact that sopra the 17 th or 18 th century, they were all plastered over and the church redecorated mediante the baroque style. This vandalism only started sicuro be undone durante the 1950s, but there is still per long way esatto go. If you visit there, please be sure sicuro make a donation puro the fund for restoration of the frescoes.

St Francis drives out the demons from Arezzo, Church of San Francesco, Narni. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Zeiss Distagon 60mm CF lens, CFV-50c digital back (click preciso enlarge) Ceiling of the Eroli Chapel, Church of San Francesco, Narni. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Zeiss Distagon 60mm CF lens, CFV-50c digital back (click preciso enlarge)

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