154 research outputs found
Lettere diplomatiche e lettere familiari: alle origini dell’epistolario di Baldassarre Castiglione
No full textBaldassarre Castiglione (1478-1529), uno dei letterati cinquecenteschi più noti della penisola come autore del Libro del Cortegiano, ricoprì numerosi incarichi diplomatici: oratore dei marchesi di Mantova e poi dei duchi d’Urbino, infine nunzio in Spagna presso l’imperatore Carlo V tra il 1524 e il 1529, anno della sua morte. Nell’arco della sua vita e in virtù del suo ruolo di ambasciatore, Castiglione produsse un’ingente quantità di lettere che abbracciava un arco cronologico di oltre trent’anni (1497-1529). Si tratta di una fonte straordinaria, che costituisce una miniera di informazioni, di natura sia pubblica sia privata, e segue pressoché l’intera parabola biografica e professionale di un personaggio che attraversò, con ruoli da protagonista in ambito politico, culturale, artistico, alcuni decenni cruciali della storia dell’Italia e dell’Europa moderna.Questo articolo si propone di ricostruire la vicenda travagliata del progetto di pubblicazione dell’epistolario di Castiglione negli anni ’70-’80 del XVI secolo e di indagare le diverse ragioni del suo esito fallimentare tra interessi privati, esigenze morali e censure di Stato.Baldassarre Castiglione (1478-1529), one of the 16th-century best known man of letters and author of the Book of the Courtier, held many diplomatic posts: orator of the marquises of Mantua and later of the dukes of Urbino, and finally, nuntius in Spain to Emperor Charles V between 1524 and 1529, the year of his death. During his life and by virtue of his role as ambassador, Castiglione produced an enormous quantity of letters that spanned more than thirty years (1497-1529). This is an extraordinary source, a mine for both public and private information covering nearly the entire personal and professional trajectory of a figure who played a leading role in the fields of politics, culture and art during several decades in the history of Italy and modern Europe.The article aims to reconstruct the complicated story of the project to publish Castiglione’s correspondence during the 1570s and 1580s and the reasons why it failed, which included private interests, moral expectations and State censorship
Medieval jewelry at the “Palace Center – East” site in Pliska
No full textThis paper presents jewelry falling into two categories, divided by their material composition – a group of metal items, and a group made from glass. They were found during archaeological excavations of the “Palace Center – East” site in Pliska. The metal jewelry group comprises seven rings, one earring, two pendants, three bracelets, two metal buttons, and one fibula. The second large group of jewelry is comprised of glass bracelets, where 24 fragments are presented, illustrating their typological diversity.
The systematization of the stratigraphic data allowed us to group the finds into three chronological periods. In the earliest stratigraphic horizon, horizon I (ca. 900 – 976), a small number of metal jewelry items were found, and the absence of glass bracelets is noticeable. The largest number of finds are from stratigraphic horizons II (970 – 1030/35) and III (1030/35 – ca. 1064), the peak being in horizon II.
A quantitative analysis of the materials by stratigraphic levels complements the picture of life during different periods from the development of post-metropolitan Pliska. The results show that in horizon I, defined as the “Bulgarian” post-metropolitan period, the number of finds is relatively small. The most significant increase in the quantity of jewelry is in horizon II, defined as the “Byzantine” period of Pliska – this is the time of the most significant demographic growth of the city. The number of finds in the last horizon, III, is also relatively high, and it is defined as “post-Byzantine” or “Pecheneg” period in Pliska, but it should be noted here that the majority of the finds were probably crafted in the earlier period and used in the following two-three decades
Ножче със сребърен обков от Плиска: Knife with silver casing from Pliska
No full textThis report presents a luxury knife with silver. It was found in 2014 during the archaeological campaign in ‘Palace centre – east’ in the inner town of Pliska. The casing has been decorated with various motifs. A major component of this decoration is the image of a lion. The casing is made of silver sheet and the surface of the side depicting the lion is gilded. According to its stratigraphic position the knife derives from the ‘Byzantine’ period of Pliska and its latest date of use is around 1030-40s. The decorative motifs and especially the lion figure put the knife in the cultural context of the Byzantine metal artwork
PARTS OF ARMS AND ACCOUTREMENTS FROM THE “PALACE CENTER – EAST” SITE AT PLISKA
No full textThis paper presents parts of arms and accoutrements discovered during archaeological excavations of the “Palace Center – East” site at Pliska. The site is located in the immediate vicinity of the monumental palace complexes and reflects the dynamics of life in the heart of the medieval city. Various parts of arms and accoutrements were found during the excavations: arrowheads, а saber guard, a plate from chain armor, a bit shank, a triple distributor, and a bone ball from a flail, which evidence the presence of soldiers at Pliska from the 10th up to the mid-11th c. The finds originate from well-dated stratigraphic contexts, which allows the development of a clearer chronology of use for the site and the discernment of a final date of use for the weapons before they found their place in a cultural layer. Artifacts are most numerous in Horizon III, which indicates increased military activity in the city around and after the 1030s/1040s. These dates correspond to the results of other archaeological studies that have documented numerous traces of fires on and repairs to Pliska’s fortress walls and gates. This dating is also corroborated by historical sources that describe the tense military and political situation in the region in the period from the late 1020s to the end of the 1040s
Накити в България и Великоморавия от IX–X в. (византийски културни влияния): Jewellery in Bulgaria and Great Moravia from 9th–10th c. (Byzantine Cultural Influences)
No full textThe study explores jewellery from the so-called “Byzantine–Oriental” group, distributed in Bulgaria and Great Moravia in the 9th–10th c. The analysis offered is aimed at showing the close link between the political context in both countries and the penetration of Byzantine production and cultural influences in the middle of the 9th c.
The increased number of findings from the early and mid- 9th c. marks a new phase. It is characterized by the introduction of mass production of “Byzantine” – like jewellery in Bulgaria. One of the factors influencing jewellery production in Bulgaria may be associated with the resettlement of tens of thousands of prisoners into the country after the massive military offensive of the Bulgarian troops in Eastern Thrace in 812.
Jewellery production flourished in Bulgaria in the second third of the 9th and the 10th c. (fig. 8). An important factor for this is, undoubtedly, the political transformation that occurred after the conversion of the ruler and the whole Bulgarian population in 865–866. In the context of the Byzantine cultural influence in Eastern Europe, Cyril and Methodius’s mission played a very important role in 863–868, and marked the culmination of the Byzantine political, cultural and economic influence in Great Moravia.
Exploring the topic of jewellery in Bulgaria and Great Moravia in the 9th–10th c. helps clarify some issues of the cultural and historical development of both countries. The common processes of Christianization placed Bulgaria and Great Moravia under the direct influence of Byzantium, which had a strong impact both on the spiritual life and the material culture. As a result, “Byzantine” type of jewellery got broadly spread in both countries in the middle of the 9th c
Francesco Sansovino
No full textAs part of a larger project on the history of relations between Christians and Muslims in the modern age, this essay aims to shed light on the figure and work of Francesco Sansovino (Rome 1521- Venice 1583), writer, translator and curator of texts as well as founder of print shop which over a period of roughly twenty years published more than fifty works. Sansovino was author of two texts (Historia universale, 1560-61 and Annali turcheschi 1571) which deal with the history, customs, culture and religion of the Ottoman civilization and which enjoyed a wide circulation. The essay aims to show how within the panorama contemporary publications these works of Sansovino’s were intended, above all, to disseminate knowledge about the Ottoman Turks: an approach that was quite unlike that of ideological confrontation against the infidels following the footsteps of Paolo Giovio’s Commentario de le cose de’ Turchi , a work dedicated to emperor Charles V and published in 1531 and which served as Sansovino’s main source and model
Глинени антропоморфни фигурки от неолитното селище до гр. Върбица, област Шумен: Anthropomorphic clay figurines from the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa, Shumen district
No full textThe paper discusses ten anthropomorphic figurines that were found during the archaeological investigation of a multilayer site near the town of Varbitsa in 2015 (fig.1). They were found in stratigraphic layers associated with phases Karanovo II-III (cat. nos. 1–7) and Кaranovo II (cat. nos. 9–10) and predominantly represent strongly stylized female bodies. This style is characteristic for the entire Early Neolithic Balkan-Anatolian cultural block. An attempt to render some individualization is visible at one of the figurines whose body is made in a dynamic ‘dancing’ pose and the face expresses a strong emotion (figs. 3.4, 4.4). The typological characteristics of these Neolithic figurines link them to the Ovcharovo culture in Northeast Bulgaria and its variant Samovodene in Central North Bulgaria
Глинени масички от неолитното селище до град Върбица, област Шумен: Clay miniature tables from the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa, Shumen district
No full textThis report presents 16 fragments of clay miniature tables found in the Neolithic settlement near the town of Varbitsa. They derive from different stratigraphic levels. Nine fall in the period Karanovo II-III (№1-9), six are found in layers that are associated with Karanovo II (№10-15) and one originates from a stratigraphic level that represents the boundary between Karanovo I and Karanovo II (№16). Only six of the finds have an indication for their shape– five are triangular and one is rectangular. Three examples give some information about the height of the artefacts – between 6,2 and 7,7 cm, while the reconstructed length of the walls is around 15 cm. The clay tables have several techniques and motifs of decoration. The technological, formal and decorational characteristic of the miniature clay tables from Varbitsa are very similar to the multiple finds of the same kind from other Neolithic settlements at the Balkans
Химико-технологично изследване на монета (фалшификат на златна номизма тетартерон) от Плиска: Chemical and technological study of a coin (fake gold nomisma tetarteron) from Pliska
No full textA fake coin found during excavations in Pliska was analyzed in the Laboratory for analyses, conservation and restoration in NIAM-BAS, Sofia in order to establish its chemical content. The coin was discovered within the levelling stratum that overlays a building burnt in the 30s - 40s of XI century.The coin is a fake of a nomisma tetarteron of Basil II (976-1025) – Constantinople, type F (1005-1025). Chemical technological analysis shows that the coin has a copper-tin core, an intermediate silver-lead layer and a gold-plated upper layer. The core alloy consists of at least two major components – copper (Cu) – around or above 75% and tin (Sn) – not more than 12%, as well as eventually silver (Ag) – up to 15%. The silver-lead layer has several percents of lead. The gold in the upper layer is at least 60% on the obverse and at least 78% on reverse. The amount of mercury is 4% on the obverse and 8% on the reverse and it is a clear indication for ‘mercury gilding’.The difference in the quantity of gold and the accompanying elements in the two sides of the foil suggests that the gilding took place in stages and at separate episodes for the two sides, resulting in different thickness of the upper layer
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