The monument dedicated to Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice is located in Campo San Zanipolo, near the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. The monument,an equestrian statue in bronze, was inaugurated on March 21 1496. Is the second equestrian statue of the Renaissance, after the monument to Gattamelata by Donatello ,in Padua, (1446-1453, height 395 cm without base).
The sculpture ,modeled in wax 1481 by Andrea di Francesco di Cione, known as Verrocchio,and especially known as the master of Leonardo da Vinci, and disciple of Donatello.

Verrocchio was the first who succeed to do the monument to stay on only three legs, despite the weight of the bronze statue.
The statue was  carved later by Alessandro Leopardi (1482-1522).
“The horse seems to going, seems live ; the leader has a dynamic position, with the torso rotated, his eyes pointed towards the enemy and legs spread. The armor and the saddle give the feeling of lightness, and the horizontal lines of the back of the neck of the horse, amplify the dynamic effect. ”

During the First World War ,the monument ,was brought safely to Rome and relocated to headquarters in 1919.
During the Second World War it was kept in the Palazzo Ducale to the end of the conflict.

Bartolomeo Colleoni was commander at the orders of the lordship of Venice first, then to Milan,and then ,back to Venice, where he finished his career. Start under the command of Carmagnola, of which he was lieutenant, finishing as overall commander and becoming rich.

The head of carmagnola:   http://dipoco.altervista.org/venice-red-porphyry/

He participated actively in the war between Venice and Milan ,but Venice begin to abuse, him by reducing  constantly the pay for the troops. He joined so Filippo Maria Visconti,duke of Milan, that gives him as gift the Adorno castle .
The battles of Bosco Marengo, Romagnano and Borgomanero found him in service of the new borned Ambrosian Republic,(created in Milan in 1447 by a group of nobles and jurists of the University of Pavia and that ended three years later),called by Francesco Sforza, duke of Milan.These fights, gave him a great international reputation. Now was part of the greatest leaders, so important that Charles the Bold of Burgundy tried to hire him to his services.

The return to Venice with which relations, held by his wife, had not completely broken off,made the Milaneses, not without reason,to accuse him of betrayal.

Bartolomeo Colleoni, in Venice gained great political recognition . For the first time
the Council of Ten was involved in the negotiations.

But on May 15, 1475 Bartolomeo Colleoni returned to the Serenissima the baton of the commander and began to demobilize its troops. The main reason was the fact that Venice was not paid him the money and therefore had no means to support the troops. Venice, aware of the approaching end of the leader, rejected his resignation.

In his will there was his ultimate wish to Venice: the elevation of a monument in his honor
“in front of San Marco,” clearly referring to the basilica. Careful to avoid the cult of personality of its leaders, Venice honored only a part of this desire. Considered excessive as a request, it was decided to bury and commemorate him close to St. Mark’s School, now the site of the Civil Hospital of Venice.

Bartolomeo Colleoni bequeath to Venice the majority of its assets: diverse real estate
and a cash sum of 300,000 ducats.

 

The legend of the Bartolomeo Colleoni…
Who knows this legend….. and is a bit more suggestible, swears that the face of the knight
looks so impressive like that of Verrocchio … but most importantly is the curse of the statue, who is renewed in each spring equinox, … A heartbreaking, mysterious nitrite echoing through the narrow streets …

 http://www.pensierospensierato.net/2011/05/bartolomeo-colleoni-una-statua-maledetta/

 

 

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