I just learned about this myself but it appears the practice of culturing vines on trees was used in Italy from Etruscan times to the 20th century. It's not exclusively medieval at all. Mostly on elms. Only the spread of the Dutch Elm disease ended this practice when all the elms died. But it is not exclusively Italian either and was practiced in the entire mediterranean region from Greece over France to Spain.
It appears there were 2 popular works contemporary with the VM that dealt with culturing vines on trees - the already mentioned
Opus ruralium commodorum by Pietro di Crescenzi, which was only illustrated around 1493, and the
Tacuinum sanitatis which was produced in several beautifully illustrated copies around 1400 for Northern Italian nobility.
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attachment=9569]
Many other works are from 16th century or even younger.
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The oldest book mentioning growing vines on trees appears to be Pliny’s Natural History (Book. XIV). I have not looked for illustrations yet.
So far none of the illustrations I found apart from Peter Drach's woodcut from 1493 show the vine penetrating the tree. Which would not make sense from an agricultural point so it might be a figure of speech. Pliny speaks of 'marrying the vine to a tree' so the artist might have taken that literally.
Quote:In Campania they attach (lit. 'marry') the vine to the poplar: embracing the tree to which it is thus wedded, the vine grasps the branches with its amorous arms, and as it climbs, holds on with its knotted trunk, till it has reached the very summit; the height being sometimes so stupendous that the vintager when hired is wont to stipulate for his funeral pile and a grave at the owner's expense. The vine keeps continually on the increase, and it is quite impossible to separate the two, or rather, I may say, to tear them asunder.
On the other hand, Pietro de' Crescenzi's work seems rather down to earth and not poetic at all.
So no idea what to make of this. I'm not good at reading medieval texts, maybe someone can translate what Pietro de' Crescenzi has to say about vines and if there is any reference in the text that warrants the image of the vine penetrating the tree.
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There is a clear connection between Elm&Vine and Oak&Ivy, both symbolizing a male-female dichotomy. I would not rule out that the VM plant is a strange chimera of both. In any case it would help to find imagery or texts about a vine penetrating a tree.
I believe, that there is double meaning with the piercing of the vine through the other carrier.
This may be a hint for the distillation process of the grapes to create "Aqua vitae", considered to be the quintessence of the Elixir.
Refer the attachment and the subconscious similarity-
Opus ruralium commodorum ("book of rural benefits") includes 34 pages about vines, wine etc. There are 46 titled chapters, usually with a woodblock illustration. The tree-and-vine engraving appears at Chapters 3, 6 and 19.
Chapter titles in Latin:
Liber Quartus De vitibus et cultu earum, at natura et utilitate fructus ipsarum.
1 De vite quid ipsa sit, et virtute foliorum eius et lachryma eius.
2 De vinearum diversitate.
3 De diversitate generum vitis. *
4 De diversis specibus vitium.
5 De aere qui vitibus convenit et de situ vinearum.
6 De terra qua vitibus apta est. *
7 De pastinatione et dispositione terrae in qua vinea plantanda est.
8 Quomodo et quando debent colligi plantae et qualiter servari et ad partes remotas portari.
9 Quando et qualiter vinee et vites plantande sunt.
10 De propagatione et renovatione vitium et vinearum.
11 De insitione vitis.
12 De putatione vitis et arborum vitiferarum.
13 De vitis et vinearum et arborum vitiferarum formatione.
14 Quomodo tempore vinee relevande sunt et vitee levande,
15 De fumatione vinearum et radicum inutilium amputatione.
16 De vineis ligonizandis.
17 De nocumentis quae vitibus accidunt et circa ipsarum.
18 De conservatione uvarum recentium et siccarum.
19 De virtute uvarum. *
20 De apparatu vindemiae.
21 De tempore vindemiae.
22 Qualiter vindemiandum sit.
23 Qualiter debent uvae calcari et e eis vinum fieri possit.
24 De his quae ex uvis fieri possint.
25 De purgatione vini facti ex uvis acerbis et corruptis.
26 De curatione vini a pluvia agitati.
27 Qualiter vinum mittendum sit in doliis.
28 Qualiter mustum per totum annum haberi possit.
29 De cognitione si mustum vel vinum habeat aquam et qualiter separabitur ex ea.
30 De mustum cito expurgetur.
31 Qualiter vinum non semper ebulliat.
32 Quo loco debeat stare vinum ut duret.
33 De transvasatione vini et apertione doliorum.
34 De tempore et modo gustandi vinum.
35 De signis cognoscendi vinum durabile.
36 De nocumentis quae vino accidunt.
37 Quibus temporibus vinum faciliter versetur et corrumpitur.
38 Qualiter possit provideri ne vinum versetur.
39 Qualiter vinum versatum liberetur et clarificetur.
40 Qualiter vinum album denigretur et in alium colorem transmutetur.
41 Qualiter vinum de uno sapore mutetur in alium.
42 Qualiter vinum et vasa liberentur a muffa.
43 Qualiter providetur ne vinum fiat acetum et qualiter ab acetositate liberetur.
44 Qualiter fiat acetum.
45 De virtutibus aceti.
46 De vino et virtutibus eius.
ChatGPT translation:
Book Four: On Vines and Their Cultivation, and the Nature and Usefulness of Their Fruit
1. On what a vine is, and the virtues of its leaves and sap.
2. On the diversity of vineyards.
3. On the diversity of vine varieties. *
4. On the different species of vines.
5. On the climate suitable for vines and the location of vineyards.
6. On the soil that is suitable for vines. *
7. On the preparation and arrangement of the soil where vineyards are to be planted.
8. How and when plants should be gathered, how they should be stored, and transported to distant places.
9. When and how vineyards and vines should be planted.
10. On the propagation and renewal of vines and vineyards.
11. On the grafting of vines.
12. On the pruning of vines and vine-bearing trees.
13. On the formation of vines, vineyards, and vine-bearing trees.
14. How vineyards should be supported and vines lifted at the right time.
15. On the fumigation of vineyards and the removal of useless roots.
16. On digging around vineyards.
17. On the harms that affect vines and their surroundings.
18. On the preservation of fresh and dried grapes.
19. On the virtues of grapes. *
20. On the preparation for harvesting.
21. On the time of harvesting.
22. How harvesting should be carried out.
23. How grapes should be pressed and wine made from them.
24. On the things that can be made from grapes.
25. On the purification of wine made from sour and spoiled grapes.
26. On the treatment of wine disturbed by rain.
27. How wine should be placed in casks.
28. How must can be preserved throughout the year.
29. On determining whether must or wine contains water and how to separate it.
30. How must can be quickly clarified.
31. How wine can be prevented from fermenting excessively.
32. Where wine should be kept to ensure its durability.
33. On the transfer of wine and the opening of casks.
34. On the time and method of tasting wine.
35. On the signs of recognizing durable wine.
36. On the harms that affect wine.
37. On the times when wine is more prone to spoil and become corrupted.
38. How to prevent wine from spoiling.
39. How spoiled wine can be restored and clarified.
40. How white wine can be darkened and its color changed.
41. How the flavor of wine can be altered.
42. How wine and vessels can be freed from mold.
43. How to prevent wine from turning into vinegar and how to free it from acidity.
44. How vinegar is made.
45. On the virtues of vinegar.
46. On wine and its virtues.
Google Gemini can transcribe the Latin from an image and then translate it. It makes a number of errors in the transcription, but fixes most of them in the translation, which however is probably not perfect. This is chapter 2, which is the only place I spotted where vines-on-trees are discussed:
"Types of Vineyards"
There are diverse types of vineyards. Indeed, the customs of different regions vary widely. Some are arranged with the help of stakes and small branches in rows. This is done in two ways: in one, each stake supports a single vine, as is common in many parts of Lombardy and Romagna. In this way, in poor soil, they are planted three feet apart, while in rich soil four, and in moderately fertile soil three and a half. In another way, a single vine is extended over many stakes and branches, as is done in many parts of the March of Ancona. In this way, they are planted at distances determined by the richness or poverty of the soil, so that the entire space can be adequately covered. These are usually cultivated only with hoes, unless they are very tall or widely spaced.
Again, some are planted in the provincial style of a shrubbery, which can stand without the help of stakes. These are either planted in rows so far apart that they can be plowed and sown with different seeds, or they are equally distant on all sides so that they cannot be plowed. In this way, they are usually three feet apart, or more or less, depending on whether the soil is fertile or poor. These are also planted in rows with stakes and branches, or in a more regular, smaller pattern, with the base of the trunk depressed and the top elevated. This method is used by some in Modena and in many other places, especially in the East and in open spaces.
Some vineyards have shrubs planted beside them, forming hedges. These are more or less equally distant, depending on whether the landowner prefers more wine or more grain. A moderate distance, however, is considered to be sixteen or twenty feet. A trellis method is most common in Milan and its surroundings. Some are planted on the banks of ditches when they are made or near large trees, so that they may cover and bear fruit on the land or in the ditches. This method is most common in parts of Italy. And again, in the aforementioned vineyards that are arranged in rows, some have stakes and branches placed, while others have only stakes or small stakes in their place. The branches are extended on four or two stakes and tied. This method is especially common in Tortona, Cremona, and Pistoia. And some are simply allowed to lie on the ground without supports, which is done only out of necessity or due to the conditions of the province. This method can be tolerated in very arid mountains, where the vines do not rot when lying on the ground but are preserved from the excessive heat of the sun.
(11-06-2021, 01:26 PM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.By coincidence I came across this woodcut, where the vine very explicitly passes right through a hole in the tree.
Unfortunately it is without any reference, and I have not been able to find a source by image searching. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
ATIS Wine Label:
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Marriage of Wine vine to tree:
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