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one of the city's most distinctivearchitecturallandmarks.Locatedjust a few stepsnorth of the Duomo, it has long earned
the attentionand admirationof visitorsfor its unusualfacade
decoratedwith a friezereliefshowingtwo lionsattackinga satyr
andespeciallyfor the six over-life-sizedbarbarian
prisonersand
two half-lengthcaryatidsflankingthe centralportal(Figs.i, 2).1
Imposingfiguresof this sortneverhadbeen seenon a houseor
JSAH XLIV:233-249.OCTOBERr985
LeoniSculpteur
dePhilippeII, Paris,1887,
QuintetPompeo
186-191,314-
ai monumentidi Lombardia),
Milano,1913;EugeneJ.
(Soprintendenza
ArchiJohnson,"Studieson the Use of Hermsin Sixteenth-Century
tecture,"M.A. thesis, New York University,Instituteof Fine Arts,
1963, 35ff.;Ugo Nebbia,La casadegliOmenoniin Milan,Milan,1963;
New York, 1976,
VirginiaBush, ColossalSculpture
of theCinquecento,
266-267;MariaSerenaTronca,"Lacollezioned'artedi LeoneLeoni,"
Tesidi Laurea,UniversitadegliStudidi Pisa,1976-1977;NikkiLeopold,
"The Artist'sHouse in the SixteenthCentury,"Ph.D. diss.,Johns
HopkinsUniversity,1979,7-8, 182-226; MichaelMezzatesta,"Imperial
Themes in the Sculptureof Leone Leoni,"Ph.D. diss., New York
University,1980,172-242, especially172-173for full bibliography.
2. Plon, Leoni,1873. Vasari-Milanesi,
vII,35; Plon, Leoni,i88.
233
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236
917
i',iL
...
di Milano,1737
Descrizione
of the Casadegli Omenoni,Milan.Engravingfrom Lattuada's
Fig. 3. FaCade
courtesyClubinoDaddi).
(photograph
mustdate,thatis,
It is fromthis periodthatthe reconstruction
and
betweenmid-1565 1566/1567As it standstoday, the facadeof the Casadegli Omenoni
remainsessentiallythe sameas it appearedin the i6th century.
DeComparisonswith engravingsof the facadein Lattuada's
scrizionedi Milanoof 1738 and MarcAntoniodal Re's Palazzi
Milaneseof 1745 do revealsome modifications(Figs. I, 3, 4).
Mostnoticeableis a thirdstoryabovethe cornice,a19th-century
addition.The groundfloorremainsunchangedwith the exception of the lateralniches,which havebeenmadeinto windows.
On the secondstory,seminudefemalehermsthat flankedthe
centralportalas well as the framingpedimentand stone balustradehave been removed.In addition,the windows of the
secondandsixthbayshavebeenmadeinto doorsopeningonto
narrowbalconieswith the consequentlossof the originalmoldings andpediments.1
Palazzo
The faqadebelongsto thetypeinitiatedbyBramante's
floor
as
in
Rome-a
rusticated
serving a base
ground
Caprini
7. Ibid.,44-45.
8. C. Dell'Acqua,"Del luogo di nascitadi LeoneLeonie del MonStorico
umentoMediceoda lui eseguitoin Milano,"Archivio
dell'Arte,
2
(1889),fasc. Ii, 78-81. He was also granteda pension,see C. Casati,
scultore
e Giov.PaoloLomazzo
LeoneLeonid'Arezzo
Milan,
pittoremilanese,
1884,64.
9. Casati,LeoneLeoni,27 n. i. For a completediscussionof the cirthe grantof the house,see Mezzatesta,"Imcumstancessurrounding
perialThemes,"174ff.
Io. Casati,LeoneLeoni,24-25.
MEZZATESTA:
FACADE OF LEONI'S
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tailingis quite distinctive,with sourcesrangingfrom the enframementson the ancientPortaBorsariin Veronato the chimeraeon GaleazzoAlessi'sVilla Cambiaso,Genoa(i548).15
AlthoughLeoni selectedhis architectural
vocabularyeclecthe
overall
tically,
impressionimpartedby the facadeis remarkablein its unity, order,and decorativerestraint.Yet one
238
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Fig. 5. Casadegli Omenoni,barbarian
prisoneron the faCade
andBaroqueSculpture,
i8. Pope-Hennessy,ItalianHigh Renaissance
London,1970, 86.
19. Ibid.
FACADEOF LEONI'SCASADEGLIOMENONI
MEZZATESTA:
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The use of herms on palace fagadeswas unusual.Around midcentury they had been employed only by Alessi on the Palazzo
Marino (i555) and in 1562 by Vincenzo Seregni at the Palazzo
dei Giureconsulti in Milan.20 Their abundantdisposition on the
Palazzo Marino represented the first appearance of herms in
20. Johnson, "Herms," 30ff. See this study on the use of herms in
the i6th century. The first tectonic use of herms in a Renaissancevilla
was by Giulio Romano in the courtyard of the Grotta of the Palazzo
del TU (c. 1530) and later at the Villa Giulia where they articulate the
area around the loggia and nympheum. Even as late as the 1570s the
use of herms was limited to only a few villas in and around Rome. In
Lombardy,however, they proliferated largely through the influence of
Alessi and Tibaldi; see Johnson, "Herms," 28-34.
Leoni undoubtedly knew the colossal Pan caryatids that decorated
the garden facade of the loggia of the Casino of Pius IV, for work was
far advancedby 1560; see Graham Smith, The CasinoofPius IV, Princeton, 1977, ioff.
The Palazzo di Giustizia in Mantua is decoratedwith 12 giant tritonhead herms on the upper story. This palace, long attributed to Giulio
Romano, is now dated to the x7th century and is given to Anton Maria
AuroraScotti in "Per un profilo dell'architetturamilanese (15351565)," Omaggioa Tiziano, Milan, 1977, 104, suggested that Alessi and
Marino may have been encouragedby Leoni to decoratePalazzo Marino
so richly.
22.
240
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figureflankingthe central
Fig.9. CasadegliOmenoni,half-length
portal(author).
onthefacade
barbarian
(author).
prisoner
Fig.io. CasadegliOmenoni,
241
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Fig.12. CasadegliOmenoni,barbarian
prisoneron the fagade
artisticand ethical values of ancient Rome had become a touchstone of contemporaryculture. The new intellectual criteriaof
Renaissance society placed a premium on the moral examples
supplied by the virtuous ancients. For those who had the resources, the decoration of their houses' facades was both an
aesthetic choice and a social statement, a declarationplacing the
owner in the forefront of the revival of Roman virtus.
Leoni, of course, was well aware of the artistic and social
prestige associatedwith the antique. In Rome in i56o he demonstrated his intense interest in ancient art by obtaining Pope
Paul IV's permission to make plaster casts of several important
ancient statues, among them the Capitoline equestrianportrait
of Marcus Aurelius; at great expense he had the statues laboriously transported by mule to Milan.28 Whether Leoni had
alreadybeen contemplating the restoration of his house at this
point is unknown. But, as we have seen, within a few years the
Marcus Aurelius statue had not only been installed as the cen-
242
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of
of the facadedecoration
archcreated
to greetPrincePhilipII on hisentry Fig.14. PolidorodaCaravaggio,
drawing
Fig.13.Triumphal
fromCornelius
La tresad- ahouseonPiazzideiCaprettari,
intoAntwerp,
Rome,I52os(Biblioteca
Reale,Torino).
Scribonius,
1549.Engraving
et triumphante
Prince
entriedu treshaultet trespvissant
mirable,tresmagnifique
urbisthat the
Gregoriusrelatedin the Narraciode mirabilibus
set
on
bronze
columns
beforethe
was
four
statueoriginally
gilt
altarof Jupiteron the CapitolineHill.31Leoni'sallusionto this
forits archaeological
won admiration
arrangement
undoubtedly
identification
by
Similarly,
accuracy.
inscriptionof the six prisonerson the fagadeas tribesconqueredby MarcusAurelius,an
associationevidentto those peoplefamiliarwith the life of the
Emperorin Julius Capitolinus'spopularHistoriaAugusta,was
aswellasa consideration
of thestatue's
31. Forthisearlytradition
duringtheMiddleAges,seePhilippFehl,"ThePlacement
placement
of theEquestrian
ofMarcus
intheMiddle
Statue
Aurelius
Ages,"Journal
andCourtauld
Institutes,
oftheWarburg
37 (x974),362-367,esp.366n.
29.
30.
21.
MEZZATESTA:
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FACADE OF LEONI'S
243
-?
41
IA
Verona,
fagadeof PalazzoBevilacqua,
Fig. 15. MicheleSanmicheli,
(Brogi).
1530S
244
CA -'P TIV
I.
cagione
gli
guardandoin quelloesempiodi virt-idellagloriasollevatialladifesa
la dovene i seguentiannimolti
dellaPatrias'eccitassero
grandemente,
cominciaroa porrele statuePersianeche sostenevanogli archi,& i
loro ornamenti,& indi trasseroargomentodi accrescerenell'opere
varietadi maniere,di simigliantiIstoriealtrene sono,
maravigliosa
delle qualibisognache L'Architettone sia ben informato.
245
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The monumentalsizeandtrophaicqualitysetLeoni'smenapart
and suggestone sourcein particular.
JacquesDuBroeucq,the
architectof MaryQueenof Hungary'spalaceat Binche,introducedtrophieson the windowwall of the greathall (c. 1545).4
In an anonymousdrawingof the x6th century,trophaeums
composedof a cuirass,shields,swords,and a helmet with a
mask-likeface are visible flanking each window (Fig. r7).
DuBroeucq'strophiesdiffersignificantlyfrom earlierRenaissanceexamples.They were isolatedfromthe overalldecorative
41. The palaceat BinchewasbuiltunderDuBroeucqbetweeni545
von
and 1549. For this project,see RobertHedicke,JacquesDuBroeucq
desitalienischen
Meister
ausderFruhzeit
Mons.Einniederlandischer
Einflusses,
Strasbourg,
1904,i6off. Forthe anonymousdrawing,seeAlbertVande
Put, "Two Drawingsof the Fetesat Binchefor CharlesV andPhilip
andCourtauld
II in 1549,"Journal
Institutes,
3 (1939-1940),
oftheWarburg
du
at
see alsoChristianeLoriaux,Jacques
For
the
Binche,
palace
49-55.
Broeucq
(1505-1584),Gembloux,197x,19ff.
246
Leoni,who visitedBinche late in 1549, must have been influenced by these unusual herms, particularly their dominant
setting, serial arrangement, huge scale, and fragmentary form.
In fact, Leoni combined these elements and their placement on
hermshaftswith the barbarian
prisonertypeof Vitruvius'sPersian Portico, although eliminating the latter's supportive role.
In so doing he created a new type: monumental, living, nontectonic, barbarianherm-trophaeums.
and their
Through the form of the barbarian-trophaeums
to
the
Persian
Leoni
a
Portico,
conveyed message.
relationship
As Vitruviuswrote, the PersianPorticowas erectedwith the
spoilsof victoryandstoodas a symbol"of the honorandof the
virtueof the citizens";the barbarians
represented"pridecastigated"anda warning"thatenemiesmight have reasonto fear
the effects of their [the Greeks']strength."42
As the Persian
were
a
of
andthe "glothe
"virtu"
prisoners
publicexpression
so
on
ria"of the Greeks, the captives the Casadegli Omenoni
expressedthe virtue and glory of Leoni no less than a mute
warningto his enemies. The downcastglancesand pathetic
signal their absolute
expressionsof the vanquishedbarbarians
a
mandated
the
defeat
defeat,
by
superior"virtu"of their adthe
versary.Similarly, half-lengthcaryatidsflankingthe central
portal,with theirlinksto triumphalarches,were equallyeffective in establishinga triumphanttone (see Figs. 8, 9, 13).
ThatLeonichosea militarymetaphorforthe programis itself
highly revealing.One cannothelp but sensein the martialand
admonitorytone of the facadea reflectionof Leoni'sview of
life asa continuousbattle.43
Indeed,throughouthis career,Leoni
was readilyproneto violence,his outburstsfueledby a chronic
insecurityengenderedby the povertyof his youth. Leoni'slife
is markedby numerousconflicts,the earliestof which can be
tracedto 1536 when, while workingin the mint at Ferrara,he
was accusedof counterfeitingandwas forcedto flee andto seek
the protectionof his influentialrelativePietroAretino.Two
yearslater,Leoniwasin Romeservingat the PapalCourtwhere
he andBenvenutoCellini developedinto bitterenemies,their
animosityfinallyexplodingin a publicshoutingmatchin the
CameraApostolica.The grudgereacheda climaxwhen Leoni
unsuccessfullyattemptedto poisonCellini while the latterwas
imprisonedin the Castel Sant'Angelo.New chargesof counterfeitingleveled againstLeoni in 1540 by the papaljeweler
Pellegrinodi Leuti resultedin Leoni attackingand horribly
disfiguringthe manwith a dagger,an attackfor which he was
sentencedto have his right handcut off. Only the last-minute
42. See n. 40 for the Italiantext.
43. Plon, Leoni,191.
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imperial grant, for the "half eagles" on each side of the chimera,
when read together, may be seen as an allusion to the doubleheaded Hapsburg eagle.51It has been observed that the wheel
of the frieze is the wheel of Fortune which the lions revolve.52
The identification is correct but the action is not. Rolling the
wheel would only hasten the moment when Leoni would be
cast down from his favored position. Medieval and Renaissance
illustrations of Fortune turning her wheel clearly depict the
neverending game she plays as the favored fall to be replaced
by someone new.53 In the frieze of the Casa degli Omenoni the
lion stops the wheel of Fortune and the movement of Fortuna's
globe just as the lions on Leoni's stemma hold it immobile (see
Fig. i8).
The facade of the Casa degli Omenoni was expensive and
permanent and, as such, was a declaration of social, political,
and economic security and self-confidence. The mere fact that
Leoni had created so lavish a facade was proof of his triumph
over Fortune. In placing its paw on the wheel, the lion-virtue
in the frieze of the Casa degli Omenoni has overcome Fortune's
vicissitudes, arresting its circular course at this the moment of
Leoni's greatest personal glory.
The facade of the Casa degli Omenoni provided the passing
pedestrianample evidence of Leoni's success.Were this observer
to walk into the cortile, he would see yet other indications,
more personal in tone, of Leoni's character.The courtyardprovided the setting for the plaster cast of the Marcus Aurelius
statue as well as for a plaster cast of Michelangelo's Pietd in St.
Peter's and casts of other unidentified statues which were displayed under the arcadeand in niches on the pianonobile.54These
The cortilewas adornedalsowith a seriesof decoratedmetopes of which only ten have survived.They representvarious
attributesof the arts,includingsculpture,goldsmithwork,architecture,andmusic,aswell asothermoreenigmaticemblems
referring,perhaps,to artisticinspirationandfortune.59Together, thesemetopesalludeto the worldof the artsandthe factors
essentialfor its sustenanceandprosperity.60
The acquisitionof a home in the center of Milan and its
subsequentlavishdecorationwere significantaccomplishments
for a manwho only a few yearsearlierhadbeen chainedto an
oarin a papalgalley.Leoni'sachievementswere madepossible
by his successasan artist.It is, therefore,interestingto compare
brieflythe Casadegli Omenonito other artists'homes in the
i6th century.61In almost every case where the artist-owner
51. Leopold,"Artist'sHouse,"197.
87.
HighRenaissance,
52. Pope-Hennessy,
of Fortunein the MiddleAges andRen53. Forthe representation
aissance,see A. Doren,"Fortunaim Mittelalterund der Renaissance,"
derBibliothek
Warburg,
Vortriige
I (1922-1923), 71-144,esp. 84ff.
ItwasPetrarchwho revivedtheclassicalconceptof virtueasananswer
of Fortune;see R. Wittkower,"Chance,Time,
to the unpredictability
andCourtauld
andVirtue,"Journal
Institutes,
oftheWarburg
I (1937-1938),
was a favoriteRenaissance
3x6. The oppositionof VirtueandFortune
theme,one thatpenetratedall levelsof society,a pointdiscussedby G.
Da Danteal
Paparelli,"Virtuie FortunadalMedioEvo al Machiavelli,"
Salerno,1977, 116.Numerousexamplesof the theme maybe
Seicento,
foundin the x5thandx6thcenturies.Leonihimselfdevelopedthe idea
on the reverseof a medal for BernardoSpinawhich depictsVirtue
mountedon horsebacktramplinga recumbentFortunawith the motto:
SVPERATOMNIA VIRTVS.Vasariutilizeda similarprogramfor a
paintedceilingin his houseat Arezzo.HereVirtuesubduesEnvyas she
seizesFortuneby the forelock,therebycontrollingheruncertaincourse;
Wittkower,"Chance,"320ff.
54. Vasarireferredto Leoni'scollectionof plastercastsnoting that
he had "formatedi gessoquant'opera
lodatedi sculturao di moderne
o antiche";Vasari-Milanesi,
vIII,541.As notedabove,Leonimadethe
castof the MarcusAureliuswhile in Rome in 1560,and accordingto
Malespinihe madea cast of Michelangelo'sMinervaChrist"et altre
diverserareet maraviglioseantichiti";C. Malespini,DucentoNovelle,
228ff.CarloTorre,in IIRitrattodi Milano,276, notedthe placementof
Michelangelo'sPietdin the courtyard,and Lomazzo,Trattato,
III, 84,
aristocracy.58
MEZZATESTA:
decorated the faqade-Giorgione's house in Venice, Giulio Romano's Casa Pippo in Mantua, and the projected faCadeof Vasari's house in Arezzo-reference was made to the arts and to
the owner's status as artist.62The fact that Leoni's profession is
arediscussed
in Mezzatesta,
62. All theseexamples
Themes,"
"Imperial
233ff.A notableexceptionis the facadethatLelioOrsidesignedfor his
house in ReggioEmilia;see Detlef Heikamp,"Florencela maisonde
Vasari,"L'Oeil, 137 (1966), 42.
FACADE
OF LEONI'S
249