Milan emprises - wip

[franceso sbarile]

In the XVth century Sforza family took place of Visconti as dukes of Milan. Francesco Sforza was a condottiere who, after a quite long service under Visconti, married the daughter of last of them Filippo Maria. As dukes of Milan Sforza maintain the heraldry from Visconti , the Viper eating a man, as well as some of Visconti emprises. Just two words about emrpises. Since the XIIIth century knights felt the needings to have also a personal badge togheter with the family heraldry, sometingh that can express the idea or the willings of the owner. So the personal emprises took place up to became, in some cases, part of the family heraldry. Now I would represent the Sforza army, after 1450, starting from a palvese shield with the Viper and two round shields called "rotelle" with the emprises of the "radia magna" and the "ondato", sometingh like waves tipical of Sforza heraldry. The Radia Magna was an emprise designed by Francesco Petrarca to Gian Galeazzo Visconti.
The shields and a couple of sforzeschi militiamen, one infantryman and one crossbowman. 54mm, hope you enjoy them.
Francesco

 

[Oda]

Love your choice of subject and scale.

 

[billyturnip]

Lovely work Francesco and very interesting background information.

 

[peedee]

Very nice

Paul.

 

[franceso sbarile]

Hi guys, I've just finish my little scene with "sforzeschi" men at arms. Before to show the images just a couple of words about the figures and the heralrdy chosen. Both infantrymen are stright from the box, AMIS production, as well as the round shields and the palvise. The horsemen comes from an old box out of production representing a figure from Paolo Uccello paintings. The head of the horse has been changed by a spare from an old Airfix collector series, the armour harness on horse back has been sculpted by several layer of putty according to the tipical shape of the era. The head of the knight has been sobstituded by a spare with an more reliable helmet and the feathers have been added according to the already mentioned painting of Paolo Uccello.
About heraldry I would just add a couple of pictures from churchs in Milan showing the chosen emprises

at least the pictures of the finished work

 

[peedee]

Very impressive.

Paul.

 

[franceso sbarile]

Very impressive.

Paul.

Thank so much Paul

 

[vincenzo]

Grande Francesco! Solito ottimo lavoro, sia di ricerca che di pittura. Ti direi solo di ricercare un pò più di pulizia nell'esecuzione dell'araldica... ma ho il tuo stesso identico problema! : ))))