I have recently discovered this castle:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view.
I haven't seen this name being mentioned on these forums.
For me it is somehow similar to the well known Rosettes castle ( You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view. )
Of course it was more complete in the early 1400s
It is also located on some mountain ridge and Rosettes page may be interpreted as having some fortified ridges as well.
How do you think, similar or not?
[
attachment=15774]
In my opinion, this is a really great find. Of course, there’s a rectangular tower in the center; I looked into it, but I couldn’t find any older illustrations or drawings—maybe it was built later on. But I think the castle clearly shows that the VMS drawing could depict an actual castle. It’s quite impressive.
I don't think it's particularly similar, but it's one of my favourite castles, so thank you mentioning it.
For me it seems similar but to be honest I don't believe it may lead us anywhere.
The Voynich Manuscript illustrator almost for sure worked with other manuscripts and not reality.
He didn't travel to Abruzzo region to see this castle. He probably drew the Rosette castle by using some reference like De Machinis of Taccola, took some castle from there and changed details. And the castle in the original source, even if inspired by some real castle, was already altered by the artist who drew it.
So Voynich castle may be originally inspired by some Italian castle (or several castles) but changed so much that trying to identify it would be wild goose chase.
But I agree, Rocca Calascio is cool
(26-05-2026, 10:42 AM)Rafal Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.So Voynich castle may be originally inspired by some Italian castle (or several castles) but changed so much that trying to identify it would be wild goose chase.
Or it may be based on a castle which was destroyed and so no longer survives like the Castello di Porta di Giovia in Milan which was on the site of the now Castello Sforzesco and was destroyed in 1447 and on which I believe the illustration was based.
This one might be just a tad late:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view.
Quote:When King Ferdinand granted the keep to Antonio Todeschini Piccolomini in the mid-15th century, the building expanded: a cobblestone wall rose all around, four towers sloped toward the valley, the drawbridge now replaced by high steps, and the battlements.
The addition of the four towers, outer walls and battlements must thus have been
after 1463, which is when Piccolomini became the owner.
It is a superb castle though!
I could see the basic idea of this castle being involved, as I read it was strictly for military use. The vms version loses two of its corners and replaces the far ones with standalone square towers, but with artistic licence, I could see drawing it that way, delete the parts that obscured the view, and draw what you thought you saw in behind. There are pics of the back side, it doesn't look the same without the merlons.
Or, maybe it is meant to be border patrol, so only one side is unfriendly, the other side gains a door?
Quote:And the castle in the original source, even if inspired by some real castle, was already altered by the artist who drew it.
Slightly offtopic, let me show you some pictures from De Balneis Puteolanis. They present the same scene coming from 4 different (but related) manuscripts:
[
attachment=15788]
Notice how the building in the top right corner changes between the versions.
I would say medieval artists weren't very keen on accuracy. They rather felt free to change the details just because.
And of course it makes problems for modern researchers when they try to identify something.
(27-05-2026, 03:11 PM)Rafal Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Quote:And the castle in the original source, even if inspired by some real castle, was already altered by the artist who drew it.
Slightly offtopic, let me show you some pictures from De Balneis Puteolanis. They present the same scene coming from 4 different (but related) manuscripts:
Notice how the building in the top right corner changes between the versions.
I would say medieval artists weren't very keen on accuracy. They rather felt free to change the details just because.
And of course it makes problems for modern researchers when they try to identify something.
I love this.. also because every time someone tells me there's no naked women bathing in medieval Manuscripts, this comes out..