Marzocco
Encyclopedia
The Marzocco is the heraldic lion
, best known in the rendition sculpted by Donatello
in 1418–20, that is a symbol of Florence
.
Donatello's Marzocco was commissioned by the Republic of Florence for the apartment of Pope Martin V
at Santa Maria Novella, where this traditional insegna of communal republican defense stood guard atop a column at the foot of the stairs that led to the sale del papa ("Papal apartments") in the convent. The Pope lingered at Florence after leaving the Council of Constance
during the Western Schism
. The Donatello Marzocco was moved to its present location in Piazza della Signoria
in 1812, the ancient original that had stood since 1377 in this spot at the end of the bench called the ringhiera, upon which speakers traditionally harangued the crowd, having weathered with time to an unrecognizable mass of stone. The ringhiera, once a platform from which the Signoria addressed the people, then a focus for popular tumult, was removed at the same time.
The obscure name Marzocco, unfathomable to some scholars, would by others derive from Marte (Mars
), whose Roman statue, noted by Dante and carried away by a flood of the Arno
in 1333, had previously been Florence’s emblem. The lion is seated and with one paw supports the coat-of-arms of Florence, the fleur de lys
called il giglio, the lily. Marzocco was` invoked in the Florentine battle cry
and figures in Gentile Aretino's poem "Alla battaglia":
The Marzocco was such a powerful symbol of the Florentine Republic
that the republican Florentine troops in the Siege of Florence (1529–1530) were known as marzoccheschi, "sons of the Marzocco", and pro-Medici besiegers of the city in 1530 held a funeral and ritually buried a representation of it, with bells tolling. At Anghiari
, subject to Florence from 1385, the 15th-century Palazzo del Marzocco faces the church; at Montepulciano
stands the Marzocco column; at Volterra
the Marzocco stands against the Palazzo dei Priori, seat of government; at Livorno
the 15th-century Torre del Marzocco (illustration, right) guards the harbor entrance; and at Pietrasanta
there are a 16th-century Marzocco fountain and the Marzocco column, erected in 1513 when Pope Leo X
awarded the commune to Florence.
In the subjected territory of Pisa, when Charles VIII of France
entered Sarzana in 1494, the Pisans took the Marzocco, emblem of their subjugation to Florence, and cast it into the Arno. Live lions were kept at the commune's expense from the Middle Ages until they were banished in 1771.
At times the Marzocco would be crowned according to a motto by the writer of novelle
Franco Sacchetti
:
The crown, emphasizing the sovereign independence of Tuscany
, appears on the Marzocco in Tuscany's first issue of postage stamps
, 1851.
A richly sculptural socle
with double baluster
-like motifs at the corners was provided for the Marzocco about 1460.
Donatello’s original, sculpted in the fine-grained gray sandstone of Tuscany called pietra serena, has been conserved in the Bargello
since 1855. The version still exposed to weather in Piazza della Signoria
is a copy.
Il Marzocco was adopted for the name of a progressive weekly literary review in broadsheet format published in Florence in 1896–1932.
Lion (heraldry)
The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
, best known in the rendition sculpted by Donatello
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi , also known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence...
in 1418–20, that is a symbol of Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Donatello's Marzocco was commissioned by the Republic of Florence for the apartment of Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
at Santa Maria Novella, where this traditional insegna of communal republican defense stood guard atop a column at the foot of the stairs that led to the sale del papa ("Papal apartments") in the convent. The Pope lingered at Florence after leaving the Council of Constance
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...
during the Western Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
. The Donatello Marzocco was moved to its present location in Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio....
in 1812, the ancient original that had stood since 1377 in this spot at the end of the bench called the ringhiera, upon which speakers traditionally harangued the crowd, having weathered with time to an unrecognizable mass of stone. The ringhiera, once a platform from which the Signoria addressed the people, then a focus for popular tumult, was removed at the same time.
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
), whose Roman statue, noted by Dante and carried away by a flood of the Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
in 1333, had previously been Florence’s emblem. The lion is seated and with one paw supports the coat-of-arms of Florence, the fleur de lys
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
called il giglio, the lily. Marzocco was` invoked in the Florentine battle cry
Battle cry
A battle cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same military unit.Battle cries are not necessarily articulate, although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment....
and figures in Gentile Aretino's poem "Alla battaglia":
"San GiorgioSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
, Marzoccho Marzoccho
suona percuoti, forbocta rintoccho
Palle palle, Marzoccho Marzoccho
legagli strecti e pon lor buona taglia!"
The Marzocco was such a powerful symbol of the Florentine Republic
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
that the republican Florentine troops in the Siege of Florence (1529–1530) were known as marzoccheschi, "sons of the Marzocco", and pro-Medici besiegers of the city in 1530 held a funeral and ritually buried a representation of it, with bells tolling. At Anghiari
Anghiari
-History:Anghiari is famous for the Battle of Anghiari between Florence and Milan which took place there on June 29, 1440. The battle inspired a fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio by Leonardo da Vinci...
, subject to Florence from 1385, the 15th-century Palazzo del Marzocco faces the church; at Montepulciano
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany, in Italy. Montepulciano, with an elevation of 605 m, sits on a high limestone ridge. By car it is 13 km E of Pienza; 70 km SE of Siena, 124 km SE of Florence, and...
stands the Marzocco column; at Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
the Marzocco stands against the Palazzo dei Priori, seat of government; at Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
the 15th-century Torre del Marzocco (illustration, right) guards the harbor entrance; and at Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a town and comune on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about 32 km north of Pisa...
there are a 16th-century Marzocco fountain and the Marzocco column, erected in 1513 when Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
awarded the commune to Florence.
In the subjected territory of Pisa, when Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
entered Sarzana in 1494, the Pisans took the Marzocco, emblem of their subjugation to Florence, and cast it into the Arno. Live lions were kept at the commune's expense from the Middle Ages until they were banished in 1771.
At times the Marzocco would be crowned according to a motto by the writer of novelle
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
Franco Sacchetti
Franco Sacchetti
Franco Sacchetti , was an Italian poet and novelist.-Biography:Born in Florence or in Ragusa , he was the son of Benci di Uguccione, surnamed "Buono", Florentine merchant of the noble and ancient family of the Sacchetti...
:
"Corona porto, per la patria degna,
Acciochè libertà ciascun mantegna."
The crown, emphasizing the sovereign independence of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, appears on the Marzocco in Tuscany's first issue of postage stamps
Postage stamps and postal history of Tuscany
Between 1851 and 1860, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, an independent Italian state until 1859 when it joined the United Provinces of Central Italy, produced two postage stamp issues which are among the most prized classic stamp issues of the world, and include the most valuable Italian stamp.-Tuscany's...
, 1851.
A richly sculptural socle
Socle
Socle may refer to:* Socle * Socle...
with double baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
-like motifs at the corners was provided for the Marzocco about 1460.
Donatello’s original, sculpted in the fine-grained gray sandstone of Tuscany called pietra serena, has been conserved in the Bargello
Bargello
The Bargello, also known as the Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo is a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy.-Terminology:...
since 1855. The version still exposed to weather in Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio....
is a copy.
Il Marzocco was adopted for the name of a progressive weekly literary review in broadsheet format published in Florence in 1896–1932.
Sources
- McHam, Sarah Blake, Looking at Italian Renaissance Sculpture, ch. "Public Sculpture in Renaissance Florence" (Cambridge University Press, 1998; paperback edition, 2000)