A Pre-Tarot Papessa in Padova?

Ross G Caldwell

I was looking for the source for the story that Francesco Sforza refused a triumphal car for his official entry into possession of Milan on March 25, 1450, in Burckhardt, when I literally chanced upon a picture of something else I've been collecting information on, the astrological cycle of frescoes in the Palazzo della Ragione (aka "Il Salone") in Padova (Padua), Italy.

salonepadova.jpg


Most English translations of Burckhardt on the internet don't have his copious annotations, nor illustrations, so you have to use a German edition - I found this one -
http://www.archive.org/details/diekulturderrena00burcuoft
This helped me find the quote I needed (from endnote 829). The edition is undated, but I would say it is around 1910.

padovapapessa1.jpg


The illustrations grouped together at the end of the book are partly photographs, and partly artists' impressions, as you can see. The one from the Salone (figure 185, page 532 in the book, and 544 in the PDF reader) is evidently a gouache interpretation of the section for Aries and Mars. Apparently each section is something like the Schifanoia months, with the Planets and Gods associated with each subsection, along with the 360 individual degrees as described by Pietro d'Abano (similar to Angelus's work where I found the Victor Belli). They were originally painted by Giotto, but the building was badly damaged by a fire in 1420, although it was immediately repainted. Amazingly, the whole cycle has survived to this day - equally amazingly, there does not seem to be a website which shows very many of the images. What might make this cycle interesting the large scheme of things is that it is perhaps the closest secular fresco cycle near to Tarot's invention, certainly in geographic proximity. Thus the artists will have used many of the same conventions for common subjects.

padovapapessa2.jpg


But what struck me in this image was what looks like a Papessa in the bottom left square. Since it is not a photograph, it is hard to use it scientifically, but if it accurately represents its subject, it does not appear to be a Pope. It should not be a god or mythological figure either because it is on the bottom, "human level" of the cycle.

Even though the facial features of the seated figure are vague, the two standing figures are clearly women in secular clothing. This alone should disqualify the figure from being a Pope in standard iconography. The figure appears to be holding an open book, but whether the left hand his holding anything I can't tell.

My first impression is that it is "The Church" or "The Faith (i.e. The Church)", or that these women may be the three theological virtues. We know Giotto already did one like this, but standing, and unaccompanied. But if it is what it seems to be, then it is the closest thing to the Tarot Papessa I've yet seen.

But, why would this figure be appropriate for Mars? Or, is it some kind of interpretation of unrelated to Mars, Aries or Spring directly, and just one of the Abano figures for the decans or degrees which, Christianized or Western-Europeanized, ultimately derive from Arabic astrology?

If anybody is going to Padova soon, please try to get a better picture.
 

Scion

Ross,

Many thanks for posting this. I didn't know this Giotto/Miretto cycle at all, so this is a delightful discovery for me. It IS evocative of La Papessa.

It isn't a decan image, nor is it a depiction of any of Abano's 30 degrees of Aries... In the 30 individual degrees the only women are either naked and "holding their secrets" or leading a horse or holding a distaff... No Papesses or even generic clerical allegories. But consider the following descriptions:
2nd Decan of Aries/Sun: (Picatrix) "The image of a woman wearing a red rope and a dress with one leg, probing diligently for dresses, jewelry, and children appears in the [next] phase of Aries."

3rd Decan of Aries/Venus: (Liber Hermetis) "The third decan of Aries has the face of Venus. Its name is Disornafais. It is like a woman erect, adorned with linen tied with gold strings tinted a dark rose color. She has a royal gold [crown] on her head. In the middle of her belly there are belly emeralds. She is holding a four headed serpent on the top of a staff. The two heads in the middle are to one side and the [other] two are to the opposite side. This rules the climate of the Lydians."

I just spent 20 minutes doing some digging and turned up some info on the Padova tourist board's site:

The cycle consists of 333 frescoes covering the four walls and it represents a rare example of medieval astrological cycle. The scenes were inspired by the famous man of letters and physician Pietro d'Abano. The frescoes can be divided into two sequences: the lower sequence is interrupted by windows and framed by an architectural motif of small painted arches. The upper level is divided into three rows one above the other. The frescoes in the three upper rows all contain the following sequence: an apostle, a month of the year, a sign of the zodiac, a planet and costellations around the sides. The lower section has no unified theme it depicts saints, bishops, doctors of the church, virtues and the arts.

Could we be looking at an apostle? If it is from Abano, I've got several guides to the premodern astrological degree according to the usual suspects. Let me dig and see what else I can find.

Ironically, I may be in northern Italy come April; if I am I promise I'll find out for you. :)

S
 

Ross G Caldwell

Scion said:
Ross,

Many thanks for posting this. I didn't know this Giotto/Miretto cycle at all, so this is a delightful discovery for me.

I just spent 20 minutes doing som edigging and turned up some info on the Padova tourist board's site:

(emphasis mine)

I agree that it is evocative of La Papessa, but if the above note is valid, then it was included as part of the one sequence in these 333 images that doesn't follow an identifiable schematic.

Ironically, I may be in northern Italy come April; if I am I promise I'll find out for you. :)

S

Great Scion, thanks! Padua is one city I haven't been to yet.

In addition to the Saints, Virtues etc. of the lower register, it looks like "Professions" might be part of it too. That's how I interpret the scene beside the "Papessa" anyway - a merchant and a customer.

If the scene is what it seems to be, then the "Papessa" might be Faith (the Church), accompanied by Hope and Charity. It looks like the two standing women are holding things, which would probably explain the picture.

Have a nice trip!

Ross
 

Scion

Ack! I edited as you were typing the above... My bad. :) I realized after I posted that the "lower" level WASN'T the third... but the fourth row beneath the astrologicals.

Going with your idea... since the Mother Church is founded at Easter in Aries, maybe we are looking at her "coronation" flanked by Hope and Charity...
 

Ross G Caldwell

Scion said:
It isn't a decan image, nor is it a depiction of any of Abano's 30 degrees of Aries... In the 30 individual degrees the only women are either naked and "holding their secrets" or leading a horse or holding a distaff... No Papesses or even generic clerical allegories. But consider the following descriptions:
2nd Decan of Aries/Sun: (Picatrix) "The image of a woman wearing a red rope and a dress with one leg, probing diligently for dresses, jewelry, and children appears in the [next] phase of Aries."

3rd Decan of Aries/Venus: (Liber Hermetis) "The third decan of Aries has the face of Venus. Its name is Disornafais. It is like a woman erect, adorned with linen tied with gold strings tinted a dark rose color. She has a royal gold [crown] on her head. In the middle of her belly there are belly emeralds. She is holding a four headed serpent on the top of a staff. The two heads in the middle are to one side and the [other] two are to the opposite side. This rules the climate of the Lydians."

S

Good stuff. There is an author, Daria Mueller, who has published a short book on the cycle, available on Lulu.

Uri Raz has posted all the degree images of the book "Astrolabium Planum" by Johannes Engels (1494), which I believe are derived from Abano. As I understand it (not very much, really), there are several choices sometimes given, so Engels made his choice.
http://www.tarot.org.il/Degrees/

There is nothing in the degrees for Aries which resembles this figure. But I like the Liber Hermetis 3rd degree of Aries description.

Ross
 

Ross G Caldwell

Scion said:
Going with your idea... since the Mother Church is founded at Easter in Aries, maybe we are looking at her "coronation" flanked by Hope and Charity...

That's as good an explanation as any for where it is (if it is the Church), at this preliminary stage of interpretation.

Ross
 

Scion

I'm going to go buy Mueller's book right now! Do you know of any other books on the Salone?

I have the Astrolabium Planum and the Abano degrees in a few other (older) books, I just need to dig a bit.
 

Ross G Caldwell

Scion said:
I'm going to go buy Mueller's book right now! Do you know of any other books on the Salone?

I have the Astrolabium Planum and the Abano degrees in a few other (older) books, I just need to dig a bit.

There seems to be a classic, published in 1924 by Antonio Barzon (Michael Hurst found this one for me). Mueller mentions him in her short article -
http://www.dariamueller.com/articoli/saloneastrologico.html

I already ordered this one (sorry!)

BARZON, ANTONIO GLI AFFRESCHI DEL SALONE IN PADOVA - guida illustrata.
Padova, Tipografia Seminario, 1924. 1a edizione. Brossura/paperback, 15,5cmx11cm, Buon esemplare.
Con un prospetto dei soggetti negli affreschi del Salone. 115 illustrazioni.

INDICE:
1). Cenni storici.
2). Segno dell'Ariete.
3). Segno del Toro,
4). Apostolo G. Giovanni.
5). Gruppo religioso.
6). Segno dei Gemini.
7). Segno del Leone.
8). S. Marco evangelista.
9). Segno della Vergine.
10). Segno della Libra.
11). Segno dello Scorpione.
12). Segno del Sagittario.
13). Segno del Capricorn.
14). Segno dell'Aquario.
15). Incornazione della Vergine.
16). Segno dei Pesci.
17). Affreschi della zona inferiore. 219 pag.

There is another one Michael found, published by Panda Edizioni -

AA.VV.
Il Salone - Palazzo della Ragione di Padova
Pagg. 156
Cm 24x30
Prezzo: 14 Euro
http://www.pandaedizioni.it/dett_libro.asp?id=11992

I ordered this one too! The postage is killer.

Ross
 

Scion

It's OK. :) LOL I'll probably spend the next month finding a copy that doesn't cost a kidney. Thrill of the hunt and all that.

We're both completists... :D