Cerulean said:
Thomas Tuohy in Herculean Ferrarra names Giovanni Aurispa in 1427 as a tutor for Meliaduse; Paolo Toscanella in 1431 as tutor to Borso, and Guarina Guarini in 1429 as tutor for Leonello. The reference Thomas Tuohy uses in Herculean Ferarra on page 7 of the "D'Este of Ferarra chapter is the Edmund G. Gardner 1904 text of Dukes and Poets of Ferarra, p.26-66, and 'for the reference to P.C. Decembrio, p. 85
Fascinating, all this...it will take me some time to digest. I may have some information about Ercole's enjoyment of Caesers in coinage or usage in decoration...but let me look again at all this to see if anything I have is relevant.
Best wishes and hope to return soon,
Cerulean Mari
Hm ... we have as the largest glory of Caesar in the renaissance the work of Mantegna, said to have started 1484 and ended in 1492, in Mantova. And the painting started just in the year 1484, when Ercole had just survived the two-years-attack of papal-venetian forces. And Mantova got as the prize the older daughter Isabella d'Este of Ferrara for it. Ferrara suffered in the war, but it was helped and found some solidarity from his neighbours against the attack.
Also we've the debate in the 1430's at the Ferrarese court (and elsewhere), if Scipio or Caesar would be the greater hero. Leonello and Guarino were involved.
And we've the unpleasant fact, that during Ercole'sd lifetime another Cesare (Borgia) organized with rude methodes those greater changes, which perhaps Ercole had wished to do himself in his warrior career. Ferrara had to agree in the humilating act, that the heir had to marry the pope-daughter. As this was Lucretia's third marriage and her name was connected to strange occurances ... the feelings were splitted in this activity, but Lucretia proved finally as a good choice.
Scipio also appeared in Boiardo's great-men-collection (as husband of a great women), also Pompeius as Caesar's foe.
Caesar and Hippolita were in the Saluzza-program. The choice for Caesar might have come from Ercole's interest, the choice for Hippolita from ??? ... we've the fact, that Ippolita Sforza, very-well-educated daughter of Francesco Sforza, entered in 1465 with great pomp the court of Naples by marriage to the heir of the kingdom. After this she was by function the "elder sister" to all those young princesses, who married in series in the 70's of 15th century great princes: Eleanore 1473 to Ferrara, one to Pesaro in 1475, another as queen to Hungary 1476 and there were some more, as not only the daughters of Ferrante must be considered, but also the daughters of his sister (one sister stayed childless in Ferrara with Leonello).
So Ippolita was important for Eleanor ... and so the choice of the amazon Hippolita (of the Saluzzo-program) in Boiardo's poem makes sense. And points us to the acceptance, that Boiardo's poem was written after 1473, likely as a (minor) present to Eleanor's and Ercole's wedding.
The series:
August 1471: Ercole becomes duke of Ferrara, militaric decisions against Niccolo d'Este
1472 ... the Saluzzo-mother arrives
July 1473 ... the wedding in Ferrara
September 1473 ... the Saluzzo-condottiero as guest in Ferrara with 400 horses
1474 ... the Saluzzo-mother dies
seems to indicate, that Boiardo might have had opportunity to orientate himself to the Saluzzo-picture-program with 18 persons.
The series:
1473: Likely Ercole becomes knight to the Naples knight order of the Ermine
1474: Ercole as guest to the wedding in Burgund
Nov. 1475: Ercole accepted as member of the Golden Fleece (order of Burgund)
1476: Ercole makes activities to become member of the garter (realised 1480)
shows Ercole's interest to become a sort of super-knight (let's all it "Caesar's dream" - which determines Boiardo's theme "Orlando", which starts in 1476)
Leonello had Caesar's dream ... but became peacemaker and cultural maecenas
Borso made Borso's bible and playing cards and loved peace, after in his youth he made a very bad experience as leading condittiero in Soncino (heavy losses, Borso captured)
Ercole really trained his knightly engagements, participated in tournaments and wars, had successful commissions and income as condottiero - he was definitely differently oriented as his elder brothers.
Boiardo's Orlando took the knightly activities in a serious manner.
Pulci (before), based on a republican Florentian world view, focussed more on humorous aspects (Boiardo was based on nobility ideals). Although Lorenzo and Giulio Medici also had "their tournaments" in 1469 and 1475 - generally Florence had more for other cultural activities.
Ariost clearly judged, that Borso's style reignment was more successful than that of Ercole. And his Orlando became more funny than that of Boiardo.
...???
...????
I'm confused about a specific detail: Generally Ludovico "the Turk" of Mantova died at ...
"Ludovico III "il Turco", Marchese di Mantova (1444-78), *Mantova 5.6.1414, +Goito 12.6.1478; m.Mantova 12.11.1433 Barbara von Hohenzollern (*1423 +7.11.1481)"
... June 1478. But condotiieridiventura.it, usually with more knowledge about details etc. generally knows him as living (with many details) in 1479. There he died in the year 1480 in the same city (Goito) for the same reason (peste ... just two years later)
http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/g/0797 LUDOVICO GONZAGA Marchese di Mantova.htm
Curious. How could that happen?