Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni

If you decided to walk around the field St. Giovanni e Paolo and heard the neighing of a horse, you would know very well that it is of Bartolomeo Colleoni horse. The most sensitive believe that it’s the horse ghost that every March 21 at midnight to let their voice.

It's certain that behind the bronze sculpture there is a curse that hit one of the two sculptors work attributed to Andrea del Verrocchio. The master Leonardo da Vinci was the one who started the work of the equestrian statue and once modeled was struck by a mysterious illness. Believing he has now reached its end, Verrocchio made his will and decided that would be Lorenzo di Credi, the student closer to his manner, his pupil and maybe his lover, to complete the work. The Senate of the Republic of Venice didn’t perform the last will of Verrocchio considering Lorenzo di Credi too young and inexperienced. The exponents of the Serenissima chose and entrusted the task to Alessandro Leopardi. The sudden death of Andrea del Verrocchio, the will is not respected by the Senate and the sketch unfinished scared very much Leopardi. The sculptor was convinced  that the eye of the horse to look at him reproachfully, and that the commander of the appearance was that of Verrocchio angry for his work. As the work took shape the health of the increasingly worse sculptor. Alessandro Leopardi died on the opening day of the equestrian bronze statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni 21 March 1496.

 The Venetians are handed down from generation to generation this legend. No one ever dared to boast or tempting fate, but reverently look and coexist with sculpture.

[#colleoni#]Souvenirs d'Italie[#/collezione#]