15thc perception on swallowtail merlons?

[Jorge_Stolfi]

Looks more like hanging "lungs and trachea" to me versus "animal hearts".

I had assumed that they were pork legs turned into ham. From the guy cutting out a slice fora snack. No?

All the best, --stolfi

[MarcoP]

Looks more like hanging "lungs and trachea" to me versus "animal hearts".

Regards,
Dana Scott

The heading in Latin and German certainly says "hearts". Maybe sliced in half and hung up to let the blood out? No idea.

I agree, the text is clear. 
EDIT: but Italian "coratella" refers to entrails in general, therefore I am not 100% sure that lungs can be excluded. There are individual chapters for liver, spleen and intestine; my opinion is that this illustration is specifically about hearts indeed.


I read the image as couples of hearts with their arteries intertwined so that a spike can go between them for hanging (AI image to illustrate what I mean).

   

[Koen G]

Thanks, Marco, that makes sense.

I was hopeful to see a depiction of livers as well, but they go with chicken livers in that chapter, presumably because the text says they're the best. It does refer to goat liver for its medicinal properties against night blindness. But this is the liver of female goats, or goats in general at best.

[JustAnotherTheory]

Here's a castle with swallowtail merlons that looks like the Voynich castle, and is not on our You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. It's located in Drena, Northern Italy:

   

As you can see it looks like the VMS castle:

   

Here's a link to more pictures of the site: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

Of particluar note is the surrounding area outside the castle, which contains dinosaur remains and footprints: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

[Koen G]

Added, that's a new dot indeed (though in an area where we had a few already).

[Pierre Dumont Himself]

What about this one? Castello Inferiore di Marostica, built in the 14th century.
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[JustAnotherTheory]

@KoenG Here are some more castles to put on the list.

• Schloss Ried: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
  
• Castel Schlandersberg: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
  
• Castel Fontana (Brunnenburg): You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
  
• Churburg: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
  

[Pierre Dumont Himself]

A few more: 
Castello di Drugollo
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Castello Scagliero
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Castello Scaligero di Malcesine
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Burg Hocheppan
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Surviving gates of Riva del Garda
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Palazzo della Ragione
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On late medieval castle drawings:
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More castles here, with some paintings and attempted datings of swallowtail merlons:
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A nice drawing of Arco Castle by Dürer, confirming the merlons
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I would also like to note that the Rocca di Vignola also has incorporated merlons, not just frescoes. [size=1]Rocca di Vignola[/size]
A few more examples of these roofed castles:
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Soncino, Monticelli d’Ongina, Pandino, Spilamberto, etc.
  

[Pierre Dumont Himself]

I think I've found one in Austria, though the article claims the merlons are more recent:
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[Pierre Dumont Himself]

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I've also stumbled upon this article, which makes three interesting claims:
1. That the merlons of the Prato Castle are probably original
2. That the merlons on the the Churburg Castle tower date back to the 13th century
3. That to the author's knowledge, no one had yet presented an overview of swallowtail merlons when the article was published (2019)

EDIT: found Codex with seventeenth century drawings of castles in Tirol

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