Leonardo e la Rocca di Imola
Leonardo and the Fortress of Imola
ENGLISH
I saw the Rocca of Imola (fortress of Imola) for the first time in September 1502, when I arrived in the city, led by Cesare Borgia, duke of Valentinois and lord of Romagna, thanks to God and his army.
The duke defeated the fearless Caterina Sforza, and, in his triumphant parade across the conquered territories, he wanted me by his side as “Military engineer and architect”: I must control all conquered cities, verify the status of the city walls and fortresses, which must withstand bombard attacks from enemies. And Cesare Borgia has plenty of enemies!
To go through all conquered territories, I carry a letter in which the duke ordered his men to give me, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, architect, engineer, scientist, painter, and many other things “the exemption from any public payment (for himself) and the territory, and to let me see, measure and assess for as much as it is needed”.
Doors of fortified cities, military strongholds, fortresses opened to me, which I see, measure, draw…
For me “to see and draw” are the same thing, for this reason I carry with me a notepad in which I jot down everything I see.
But now, cross the bridge over the moat, enter this fortress, of which I know every stone, and I will tell you what has been said to me, what I know, see, and do in this city of Romagna.
ITALIANO
Ho visto per la prima volta la Rocca di Imola nel settembre del 1502, quando sono arrivato in città al seguito di Cesare Borgia, duca Valentino e signore della Romagna, per grazia di Dio e del suo esercito. Il duca aveva sconfitto l’intrepida Caterina Sforza e nel suo viaggio trionfante nei territori conquistati, mi ha voluto con sé come “Ingegnero e Architetto militare”: devo controllare tutte le città conquistate, verificarne le mura e le fortezze che hanno da resistere agli attacchi delle bombarde nemiche. E Cesare Borgia ne ha tanti di nemici!
Per attraversare tutti i territori conquistati, ho con me una lettera con cui il duca ordina ai suoi uomini Di dare a me, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, architetto, ingegnere, scienziato, pittore e molte altre cose ancora “il passo libero da qualunque pubblico pagamento per sé, et li soi (…) et lassarli vedere, mesurare, et bene extimare quanto vorrà”.
Mi si aprono così porte di città fortificate, piazzaforti militari, rocche ed io vedo, misuro, disegno…
Per me “vedere e disegnare” sono la stessa cosa, per questo porto con me un taccuino da tasca nel quale annoto tutto ciò che vedo. Ma adesso passate il ponte sul fossato, entrate in questa fortezza che conosco pietra per pietra e vi racconto di ciò mi viene detto, di quanto conosco, vedo e faccio in questa città della Romagna.
This palace was one of the places I was always happy to come back to and I was spellbound every time I entered it. We of the Serristori Tozzoni family lived in Florence and for Easter and in September we came to Imola to visit uncle Francesco and aunt Vittoria. My father Umberto was very close to his brother. Aunt and uncle had no children, so when they died this ancient residence passed on to my father and finally me. The Tozzoni lived there from the late fifteenth century. Ah … but it was not exactly like this then! They were only two houses side by side on Via della Fortezza, which is now called Via Garibaldi. In 1726, when our fortune as landowners had become consolidated, Count Francesco commissioned two architects – Alfonso Torreggiani from Bologna and Domenico Trifogli from Ticino – to turn the two houses into one building. On completion of work, in 1738, the result was what you see: a palace with an elegant ground floor loggia, a large courtyard and a grand staircase to reach the main floor. I realise that I have not presented myself: my name is Sofia Serristori Tozzoni and in 1975 I donated this house and everything in it to the city of Imola so that my palace could be seen by everyone. It is now a house-museum and there you will find furniture, furnishings, paintings and even everyday objects, so you can see with your own eyes how my ancestors lived. I wanted to keep everything as I had received it because, as I wrote to my Imola administrator: “I want to change as little as possible; I would like to keep to the old in every way”.