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Costanzo Sforza

Medal
1475 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Enzola, Giovanni Francisco (Da Parma) (medallist)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This medal depicts the bust of Costanzo Sforza (1448-1483), Lord of Pesaro, 1468.

It is made by Gianfrancesco Enzola da Parma, who was working between 1456 and 1475 and died after 1512.

The Sforza of Pesaro were a branch of the family of rulers in Milan. Costanzo's father Alessandro was the first to be ruler over Pesaro.
Costanzo (1447-1483) was lord of Pesaro and its neighbourhood from 1473-1483. He was well educated, wrote poetry and had a huge library. He took part in some of the most important Italian wars of the second half of the 15th century. He was a knight and opportunist politician.


Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Arms & Armour
Sculpture
Object type
Medal
TitleCostanzo Sforza (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, bust of Costanzo Sforza, by Gianfrancesco Enzola of Parma, North Italy, dated 1475
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the left of Costanzo, in armour. Inscription. On the reverse is the Citadel of Pesaro. Inscription.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 8.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'CONSTANTIVS . SFORTIA . DE . ARAGONIA . DI . ALEXAN . SFOR . FIL . PISAVRENS . PRINCEPS . AETATIS . AN . XXVII . ' (on the obverse.)
  • 'INEXPVGNABILE . CASTELLVM . CONSTANTIVM . PISAVRENSE . SALVTI . PVBLICAE . MCCCCLXXV . ' [and signature incised] 'IO . FR . PARMEN' (on the reverse)
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Armour
Citadel
Sforza, Costanzo
Place depicted
Pesaro
Summary
This medal depicts the bust of Costanzo Sforza (1448-1483), Lord of Pesaro, 1468.

It is made by Gianfrancesco Enzola da Parma, who was working between 1456 and 1475 and died after 1512.

The Sforza of Pesaro were a branch of the family of rulers in Milan. Costanzo's father Alessandro was the first to be ruler over Pesaro.
Costanzo (1447-1483) was lord of Pesaro and its neighbourhood from 1473-1483. He was well educated, wrote poetry and had a huge library. He took part in some of the most important Italian wars of the second half of the 15th century. He was a knight and opportunist politician.
Bibliographic references
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, no. 299
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 21
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.184-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313541/costanzo-sforza-medal-enzola-giovanni-francisco/
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