05-01-2021, 10:21 PM
Even though Trivia Day was yesterday...
One of Voynich's book shops was in Florence. I learned about its location from the research of Rich Santacoloma. When I saw where it was, I realised that I had stood in front of it just a few years earlier, and paused to take a picture of the street, with the building in view. At the time I did not even know Voynich had a book store in Florence.
Not long after that, I found out that Voynich's main book shop in London, at Shaftesbury's Avenue, is now a Chinese restaurant. Nick Pelling had figured that out before, and in fact I learned from him that he had eaten there a few times without knowing it was the location of Voynich's earlier book store.
These are facts, and they are probably just odd coincidences.
Now comes the speculation.
The first time I met Nick was in Frascati, at a small square in front of a hotel / ice cream parlour where we were part of a group having a first get together before the Mondragone conference. This group included also Rich, Klaus Schmeh, Rafal Prinke and Philip Neal, among others.
I have strong reasons to believe that the Voynich MS was not kept in Villa Mondragone, but in another place in or near Frascati. One candidate is a building that is immediately adjacent to the square where the whole group of us met.
Coincidence?
One of Voynich's book shops was in Florence. I learned about its location from the research of Rich Santacoloma. When I saw where it was, I realised that I had stood in front of it just a few years earlier, and paused to take a picture of the street, with the building in view. At the time I did not even know Voynich had a book store in Florence.
Not long after that, I found out that Voynich's main book shop in London, at Shaftesbury's Avenue, is now a Chinese restaurant. Nick Pelling had figured that out before, and in fact I learned from him that he had eaten there a few times without knowing it was the location of Voynich's earlier book store.
These are facts, and they are probably just odd coincidences.
Now comes the speculation.
The first time I met Nick was in Frascati, at a small square in front of a hotel / ice cream parlour where we were part of a group having a first get together before the Mondragone conference. This group included also Rich, Klaus Schmeh, Rafal Prinke and Philip Neal, among others.
I have strong reasons to believe that the Voynich MS was not kept in Villa Mondragone, but in another place in or near Frascati. One candidate is a building that is immediately adjacent to the square where the whole group of us met.
Coincidence?