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The relief
Triumph of Alfonso in Naples refers to the Trionfi as a memorial to a real Triumphal
procession. When Alfonso of Aragon finally did win the throne of Naples against the interests
of Rene d'Anjou in 1442, he sponsored in 1443 festivities in until then unknown dimensions.
It is said, that parts of the city walls were destroyed to have enough place for the chariots
to drive in the city.
A triumphal arch was builded. Alfonso was seven years before (1435) the prisoner of Filippo Visconti and played cards with him. Astonishingly Filippo showed himself at this opportunity from his best side and finally released Alfonso without any condition - which was a dangerous act and heavily paid, cause the important Genua, Filippos ally, was totally displeased and stopped cooperation with Milano for many years. It is unclear, with which deck was played, also it is unclear, if card playing played a deciding role for the sympathy between Alfonso and Filippo and it is unclear, if eventually Trionfi-cards in the possession of Filippo raised the idea in Alfonso to win the Italian hearts with triumphal processions with figures, which look like the motives of playing cards. Alfonso might have been played the role of an initiator for the following Trionfi-faible in Italia (Trionfi as triumphal procession, not as a card play). Although it is said, that Filippo Visconti already after a victorious time had a triumphal procession already in 1425 and although it seems, that already Cola die Rienzo around 1345 revived the old Roman tradition, this special cultural seems to have reached with Alfonso a new climax. This coincidence in time (Trionfi cards first mentioned in February 1442 in Ferrara, Alfonsos triumphal procession in 1443 in Naples) is curious and one has doubts, to interprete it as "accidently". The theme "Trionfi" must be en vogue at that time. Jacob Burckhardt describes: "We now and then read of the actual triumphal entrance of a victorious general, which was organized as far as possible on the ancient pattern, even against the will of the hero himself. Francesco Sforza had the courage (1450) to refuse the triumphal chariot which had been prepared for his return to Milan, on the ground that such things were monarchial superstitions. Alfonso the Great, on his entrance into Naples (1443), declined the wreath of laurel, which Napoleon did not disdain to wear at his coronation in Notre-Dame. For the rest, lfonso's procession, which passed by a breach in the wall through the city to the cathedral, was a strange mixture of antique, allegorical, and purely comic elements. The car, drawn by four white horses, on which he sat enthroned, was lofty and covered with gilding; twenty patricians carried the poles of the canopy of cloth of gold which shaded his head. The part of the procession which the Florentines then present in Naples had undertaken was composed of elegant young cavaliers, skillfully brandishing their lances, of a chariot with the figure of Fortune, and of seven Virtues on horseback. The goddess herself, in accordance with the inexorable logic of allegory to which even the painters at that time conformed, wore hair only on the front part of her head, while the back part was bald, and the genius who sat on the lower steps of the car, and who symbolized the fugitive character of fortune, had his feet immersed in a basin of water Then followed, equipped by the same Florentines, a troop of horsemen in the costumes of various nations, dressed as foreign princes and nobles, and then, crowned with laurel and standing above a revolving globe, a Julius Caesar, who explained to the king in Italian verse the meaning of the allegories, and then took his place in the procession. Sixty Florentines, all in purple and scarlet, closed this splendid display of what their home could achieve. Then a band of Catalans advanced on foot, with lay figures of horses fastened on to them before and behind, and engaged in a mock combat with a body of Turks, as though in derision of the Florentine sentimentalism. Last of all came a gigantic tower, the door guarded by an angel with a drawn sword; on it stood four Virtues, who each addressed the king with a song. The rest of the show had nothing specially characteristic about it." In the article Festivities by Burckhardt you do find more about Trionfi and festivities in renaissance. The whole book, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy by Jacob Burckhardt, you can see by clicking and also the German original . Extracts from the chronology of Storia di Milano: YEAR 1435 (Alfonso of Aragon becomes prisoner of Filippo Visconti; it is reported, that during that time both played cards with each other. ): 5 agosto: Battaglia navale di Ponza. Vengono fatti prigionieri Alfonso V d'Aragona, suo fratello Giovanni re di Navarra e l'infante don Enrico. La flotta genovese-viscontea è guidata dal notaio genovese Biagio Assereto. 15 settembre: I prigionieri aragonesi arrivano a Milano dove vengono ospitati nel Castello e nel palazzo Borromeo da Vitaliano. Il 21 settembre Filippo Maria Visconti firma un trattato con i rappresentanti di Renato d'Angiò per fornirgli un sostegno militare a Napoli. Nel frattempo però il duca tratta con gli Aragonesi. 10 dicembre: Dopo varie trattative, gli aragonesi vengono liberati all'insaputa dei genovesi. Il trattato, che conservava alcune parti segrete, verrà ratificato il 15 settembre 1442. 27 dicembre: I genovesi si ribellano contro il duca di Milano. Viene linciato il commissario visconteo Opizzino d'Alzate e bandito Biagio Assereto. YEAR 1450 (Francesco Sforzas triumphal procession in Milan): 25 marzo: Festa dell'Annunciazione. Francesco Sforza entra in Milano da Porta Ticinese, rifiutando l'onore del carro trionfale con il baldacchino col drappo d'oro bianco; raccoglie con l'acclamazione popolare la successione dei Visconti. Si stabilisce nella Corte Vecchia dov'era il governo repubblicano. Gian Galeazzo è nominato conte di Pavia secondo la tradizione viscontea. Luigi Bossi rientra a Milano e diventa consigliere ducale. Il governo è costituito dal Vicario di Provvisione con i 12 consiglieri addetti alla Sanità, Ordine Pubblico, Commercio, Dazio e Rendite; dal Podestà per la giustizia civile e dal Capitano di Giustizia per quella penale. F. Sforza chiama a Milano Angelo Simonetta come Segretario ducale. Cicco, Andrea e Giovanni Simonetta arrivano a Milano e diventano cittadini milanesi. |