The Rosettes Page - March 2024

[pjburkshire]

To clarify, to be precise, I think the whole Rosettes foldout is a map of a circular journey taken by Abbot Antonio Barbavara brother of Marcolino Barbavara and Francesco Barbavara from the Abbey of Saints Nazzaro and Celso in the Duchy of Milan to the Papal Council of Basel and back. I don't think the whole manuscript is about his travels. I suspect that some of the alpine plants he found on his journey are contained in the herbal section of the manuscript. I also suspect that the pages with a Germanic influence such as the astronomical pages of the Voynich were copied from or influenced by manuscripts the author saw in Basel, whilst there for the Council; as the author would have spent a significant amount of time in Basel.

I welcome suggestions as to errors I have made.

There are a few labels you have there that I agree with but for the general theme of a travel memoir, I don't see it.

- I call the center circle God or Heaven. You call it the Pope. I'm not sure if the people of Europe in the early 15th century made a distinction between God and Pope.

- I first thought the things in the middle were onion-domed buildings but the people here convinced me that they are chalices or ciboriums/ciboria.

- From the top, bottom, and sides of the center circle you have "Rays of the light of God" and I agree with this. I do not agree with "Snows of the Alps".

- In the lower right you have "Herb Garden near the Abbey". I can see a garden there but I think it is generic or symbolic and not a specific place.

- I do not see the pipes/tubes as cannons but as communication between the physical world and the spiritual world.

- I see the two suns in the corners meaning the parchment is to be rotated.


I can't see people going to so much trouble to make a nostalgic travel memoir. I think it is more likely they would go to that much trouble to illustrate something from their religious teachings or for finding a vitally needed ingredient for a medicinal treatment. If it is pointing to where to find the important plant, I don't see it.

But all is not lost, it might make a fun board game. It reminds me of the old Talisman board game originally by Games Workshop.

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