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+--- Thread: Voynich Authorship (/thread-3858.html)
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
As to a key to the page. I have taken the blue and white wavy lines to represent sea, lakes or rivers. This means all of the causeway have been drawn bounded by water.
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
I tried to determine the geographical locations corresponding to the different parts of the page on the basis of their relative location and visual appearance.
I have left many comments on Nick Pelling's ciphermysteries.com blog regarding aspects of my map analysis, so that should help to explain some things about it.
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
Members of the Barbavara family:
Francesco Barbavara and brother Manfredi Barbavara
Their nephews: (father Giacomo Barbavara)
Ducal Secretary, Francesco Barbavara
Ambassador to Rome, Marcolino Barbavara
Abbot, Antonio Barbavara
Bishop, Giovanni Barbavara
Apostolic Protonotary, Pietro Barbavara
Mayor, Nicolino Barbavara
Son of Marcolino Barbavara:
Sciphone Barbavara
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
Francesco(I) Barbavara, Francesco(II) Barbavara and Marcolino Barbavara were experts in ciphers.
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
The attached illustrations may help to explain my interpretation.
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
How do I add a link below the comments to my photos of the Abbey thread?
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 07-11-2023
The most crucial step in my process was identifying the location corresponding to the bottom right Rosette.
This started from my identifications for:
1) Bellinzona Centre of causeway between bottom left and bottom centre
2) Certosa di Pavia Centre of causeway between Centre right and top right
From this and the bearings it implied the location of the bottom right Rosette to be:
1) South West of Bellinzona
2) North West of Certosa di Pavia
3) Aerial view like bottom right rosette
This lead me to Abbey Saints Nazarro and Celso. I could find no other location which fit these criteria as neatly.(If anyone else can I welcome their suggestion.)
Abbot Antonio Barbavara was Abbot from 1428.
[Bellinzona was identified based on its famous long wall the murata and its rough location relative to other identified locations.
Certosa di Pavia was identified by Nick Pelling.]
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 08-11-2023
Key examples of early 15th century Milanese ciphers:
1397 from Giovanni Sercambi in Chronicles of Lucca
1400 in Gonzaga cipher ledger in Mantova State Archives
1424 Dieci di Balia 7 and Crittografia Fiorentina in Florence State Archives
1447 in Archivio Sforzesco in BNF
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 08-11-2023
So what does it mean for decipherment if my Authorship hypothesis is correct?
It means that collecting more records of early 15th Milanese ciphers will illuminate the methods used. Due to the 1447 fire in Milan few records survive there. However intercepted enciphered letters could be found in other archives.
It means collecting more information on the Barbavara family. This is likely to be found in the Milan Archives and possibly other archives in Lombardy. Given that Antonio, was religious there may well be records of him in the Vatican Archives.
It means looking for documents in archives from the geographical areas suggested by the theory and not otherwise. Lombardy and Northern Italy as well as Basel and Switzerland and adjacent regions.
It means examining existing Milanese ciphers for commonality with Voynichese.
Of course decipherment can be investigated independently of knowing Authorship.
RE: Voynich Authorship - Mark Knowles - 08-11-2023
Doing the follow up research I suggest is of course not easy. I offered a financial reward for some ciphers which nobody has accepted. I must confess I have spent relatively little time researching the Barbavara family that would be much easier on the ground in Milan.