Visconti Strength card, what are they looking at?

Abrac said:

Sherryl that's so true. It's hard to keep track; one day they're fighting for one side and the next day another then back again.

I said it's possible that the lion symbolizes Venice, but I'm not 100% convinced. On the King of Swords, there's a lion with a halo on the King's shield, a clear symbol of St. Mark. But the lion on Force has neither a halo nor wings, so that leaves one to wonder. I'm sure the man is Francesco, but the lion still has a question mark for me. It might just be suggestive, as in "Francesco has the strength of a lion," or some such thing.

Ross G. Cadwell pointed out in another thread, there's a very similar image from the Astrolabum Planum that could have provided inspiration for the Force card. It's the 26th degree of Libra.

http://www.tarot.org.il/Degrees/Libra.html

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=124225

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kwaw said:

Sforza identified themselves with Hercules (ecole) - on virtue, hercules and the ideal city of Sforzinda see for example:

http://etudesanciennes.revues.org/334

Sforza means 'strength' 'fortidude' - the lion and hercules are emblems of such - his identification with them represents his 'manly virtue' and what he was facing was the immediate trials and tribulations and tasks (as of Hercules) towards the establishment of the ultimate goal - the ideal city (the world, new jerusalem, platonic republic, the virtuous city - 'Sforzinda'). It is artistic/cultural 'propoganda'.

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