14-04-2026, 09:50 PM
*Does the reader know the armorial insignia of the pope who initiated the tradition of the cardinal's red galero?* That is the question posed by the VMs artist in the White Aries illustration. Does the reader know the necessary details of heraldry and history that are relevant to this potential identification? So far, the reader is mum. Chasing pareidolia.
The construction of the blue-striped tubs on VMs White Aries is a clear example of dualistic interpretation between radial and non-radial perspectives. The heraldic connection to the insignia of the Fieschi popes is supported by three factors: pattern (dexter diagonal stripes from the non-radial perspective), color (blue), and the tubs are paired.
In the era of the VMs, popes only had coats-of-arms if they were actually 'armorial'. The Fieschi were descendants of the Counts of Lavagna. Several centuries later, the church gave all popes coats-of-arms to fill in retroactively.
The first three factors come from armorial heraldry; the fourth factor comes from ecclesiastical heraldry. That is the red galero - or more generally the use of colored hats to designate rank [red for cardinals] and order [white for Premonstratensians] within the church. Premonstratensians were big for a while, included women, but mostly faded in Western Europe before VMs C-14.
It was Sinibaldo Fieschi as Pope Innocent IV, who started the tradition of the red galero. In 1251 he also made his nephew Ottobuono Fieschi a cardinal. Ottobuono was later elected as Pope Adrian V. but died before being installed.
Heraldry also needs to be seen in detail. The Fieschi blazon is, Bendy, argent et azure. Diagonal blue and white stripes. But how many? And which stripe is blue or white? The bendy pattern has certain complications which result in different representations. The standard design, called a bendy of six parts, (three white lines and three blue lines) is a modern designation well after VMS C-14. So, there was no specified number of stripes, and with tubs being three dimensional, the stripes would alternate all the way around.
Another problem occurs because the structure of modern representations of the bendy pattern often has three stripes descending from the top line. This creates a conflict with how the colors are placed. The top of the dexter corner should be the primary color. There are representations colored both ways. A modified version to split the difference has three and a half stripes on the top line. However, the real solution, as seen on the tomb of Pope Adrian V, is to divide the top line by four, with somewhat steeper diagonals.
These are some of the details supporting the Genoese Gambit.
The construction of the blue-striped tubs on VMs White Aries is a clear example of dualistic interpretation between radial and non-radial perspectives. The heraldic connection to the insignia of the Fieschi popes is supported by three factors: pattern (dexter diagonal stripes from the non-radial perspective), color (blue), and the tubs are paired.
In the era of the VMs, popes only had coats-of-arms if they were actually 'armorial'. The Fieschi were descendants of the Counts of Lavagna. Several centuries later, the church gave all popes coats-of-arms to fill in retroactively.
The first three factors come from armorial heraldry; the fourth factor comes from ecclesiastical heraldry. That is the red galero - or more generally the use of colored hats to designate rank [red for cardinals] and order [white for Premonstratensians] within the church. Premonstratensians were big for a while, included women, but mostly faded in Western Europe before VMs C-14.
It was Sinibaldo Fieschi as Pope Innocent IV, who started the tradition of the red galero. In 1251 he also made his nephew Ottobuono Fieschi a cardinal. Ottobuono was later elected as Pope Adrian V. but died before being installed.
Heraldry also needs to be seen in detail. The Fieschi blazon is, Bendy, argent et azure. Diagonal blue and white stripes. But how many? And which stripe is blue or white? The bendy pattern has certain complications which result in different representations. The standard design, called a bendy of six parts, (three white lines and three blue lines) is a modern designation well after VMS C-14. So, there was no specified number of stripes, and with tubs being three dimensional, the stripes would alternate all the way around.
Another problem occurs because the structure of modern representations of the bendy pattern often has three stripes descending from the top line. This creates a conflict with how the colors are placed. The top of the dexter corner should be the primary color. There are representations colored both ways. A modified version to split the difference has three and a half stripes on the top line. However, the real solution, as seen on the tomb of Pope Adrian V, is to divide the top line by four, with somewhat steeper diagonals.
These are some of the details supporting the Genoese Gambit.