15thc perception on swallowtail merlons?

[MichelleL11]

With a date of "early 14th century", this could be our earliest manuscript. I haven't read anything about where it was actually made though.

Original German

RIEDMANN J,  Ein heraldisches Zeugnis aus der  frϋhen Habsburgerzeit in Oberitalien?  Eine Annäherung  – aber keine sichere Losung,  in  “Semper ad fontes” Festschrift für Christian Lackner zum 60. Geburtstag,  Wien 2020, p. 233-245 [Sul cod. 74]
Google Translate
RIEDMANN J, A heraldic testimony from the early Habsburg era in Northern Italy? An approximation - but not a safe solution, in “Semper ad fontes” Festschrift for Christian Lackner on his 60th birthday, Vienna 2020, p. 233-245 [Sul cod. 74]

This is what Riedmann had to say:

There is no dedication or indication of past owners in the text or binding of BSV Cod. 74.  It was obtained by the BSV when the full book collection of Count Alfonso Alvarotti was bought from his estate in 1720, the year of his death.  This collection is the foundation of the BSV's medieval manuscript collection.  Alvarotti was born in Ferrarra and died in Padua.  I did a bit of research as to where it was known he got his books, but nothing made sense for Cod. 74.

Cod. 74 is, based on handwriting and art historian analysis, believed to have been produced in Venice in 1310.  This is based on work done by Prof. Giordana Canova Mariani, the head of Department of History of Visual Art and Music at the University of Padua -- if anyone wants the full cite, let me know and I can provide.  She is an expert at medieval manuscript illustrations and specializes in the Veneto area.

Mariani found a manuscript by Marino Sanuto (sometimes Sanudo; sometimes adds Torsello, also called "The Elder" to distinguish from a later Marino Sanuto, see You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.) titled Conditiones terrae sancta that is located in the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice that she believes is in the same hand as Cod. 74.  This manuscript does not seem to be digitized, so I haven't seen it but I found that library's search function challenging so it might be there.  It is also about the Crusades, specifically documentation about how a new Crusade should be mounted.  More is known about the Sanuto manuscript's history -- and that is how Mariani was able to get the possible/probable date and location for Cod. 74.

Like the maps provided by Marco through Rene, Sanuto utilized swallowtail merlons on Holy Land city walls in his maps.  This one is from MS Tanner 190 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the Bodleian (date 1321-1324) and is of the city of Acre.  This manuscript is another set of Crusade propaganda (Secreta fideluim Crucis). The swallowtails were not always copied (see screenshots below).  Note that it is believed that these maps were probably made by a Genoese map maker working in Venice, Pietro Vesconte (see You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.) but Sanuto wasn't much for credits.

           

This was an interesting bit of work -- but now I really am not going farther on this -- unless something pops up while I'm looking at other things.  I am not sure how applicable these Holy Land swallowtails are to the VM, but I guess that depends on how you're interpreting the rosettes.  If it weren't for the pretty clear visual parallels (e.g. swallowtails on surrounding city wall and the "pointedness") in my opinion I don't think this would be as interesting.  But I do observe that it is entirely possible that this set of early 1300 use of swallowtails in the Holy Land portrayals is completely separate from other possible reasons for the use of swallowtail merlons (e.g. Ghibelline vs. Guelph merlons or merely lots of swallowtails nearby where the VM was created) much discussed previously.  We don't know why they were used in the VM.