LITTLE DOCTOR
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We must specify that Gualandi told the legend of the water temple to Lionardo not knowing that Lionardo already knew this story in part since it was told by Piero Martelli during his stays at the Martelli house. On that occasion, the story was told after lunch and Lionardo kept the small Braccio Martelli, son of Piero, on his knees. The small Braccio Martelli had a silk dressing gown and moved on Lionardo's legs who felt very upset by those movements, almost excited ... But this is a story that I will never and ever tell !!!
Now I report what was written by chroniclers of the early 1700s on the discovery of the site in question during the construction of the church of Valle Benedetta. "... nel proseguo dei lavori, mentre facevano gli scassi per impiantare una vigna e degli ulivi nel progettato orto del monastero. Gli operai scoprirono in profondità una gran' urna di finissima terra cotta, la quale, il Colombino Bassi, fece rompere da una parte per vedere che cosa dentro vi fusse, ma appunto trovarsi un bellissimo morione di bronzo, ed una palla pure del medesimo metallo sopra il cimiero, spada, sproni, con molta cenere dentro, le quali cose diedero animo di guardare più all'intorno, ove trovarono molte ossa di morti, e circonvicini alla detta urna, parecchi di cotta finissimi, ch'era molto somigliante al nostro bolo in figura di piccoli piatti, di lucerne, e vasi di bevanda, e si dice che quivi vi fosse fatto una battaglia e che le ceneri fussero di persone ragguardevolissime come d'un generale comandante e che furono tutti Gentili, quali avevano in costume di incenerire i corpi prima che si putrefacessero".
The archaeological discovery, although it did not interrupt the work, had the effect of affecting Father Colombino Bassi, whose erudition and classical culture were sufficient to make him believe it convenient to bring to the court of Prince Ferdinando, who was currently in Livorno, the finds so fortunately found. Ferdinando greatly appreciated those objects, especially the crest of a singular workmanship, very light and thin and decided to bring it to Florence in his gallery-museum (see figure). As we can see there are some discrepancies between real history and legend. The truth must be sought in both hypotheses, equally fascinating. Besides, we know, sometimes reality even surpasses the legend. After a short stop in Colognole Lionardo and the hunter returned to Nugola, but first they passed through a nearby location called Castel Anselmo which Lionardo wanted to immortalize with a drawing to place it on his territorial map. Returning to Nugola, the two stopped among the remains of what remained of an ancient castle partially collapsed. Only an old tower stood as the only bulwark of a glorious past. Inside the ruined tower the hunter had set the traps to catch the wolves and the skins to dry. The old tower had become the headquarters of the hunter who used it for his purposes. At one point Lionardo, looking up towards the top of the tower, seemed to see a hooded figure almost as if he were a monk and immediately warned the hunter, but the hunter told Lionardo that nobody could access the tower because the staircase it had collapsed. Soon after, however, the hunter added that others from the place had seen a similar figure appear from the tower. A local legend claimed that the hooded figure was nothing more than the ghost of a wizard monk who had taken possession of the tower after he had destroyed his tower-mansion in Bibbona. Now the old castle of Nugola no longer exists, but in its place, centuries later, a splendid villa-castle was built: villa Traxler.
Now I report what was written by chroniclers of the early 1700s on the discovery of the site in question during the construction of the church of Valle Benedetta. "... nel proseguo dei lavori, mentre facevano gli scassi per impiantare una vigna e degli ulivi nel progettato orto del monastero. Gli operai scoprirono in profondità una gran' urna di finissima terra cotta, la quale, il Colombino Bassi, fece rompere da una parte per vedere che cosa dentro vi fusse, ma appunto trovarsi un bellissimo morione di bronzo, ed una palla pure del medesimo metallo sopra il cimiero, spada, sproni, con molta cenere dentro, le quali cose diedero animo di guardare più all'intorno, ove trovarono molte ossa di morti, e circonvicini alla detta urna, parecchi di cotta finissimi, ch'era molto somigliante al nostro bolo in figura di piccoli piatti, di lucerne, e vasi di bevanda, e si dice che quivi vi fosse fatto una battaglia e che le ceneri fussero di persone ragguardevolissime come d'un generale comandante e che furono tutti Gentili, quali avevano in costume di incenerire i corpi prima che si putrefacessero".
The archaeological discovery, although it did not interrupt the work, had the effect of affecting Father Colombino Bassi, whose erudition and classical culture were sufficient to make him believe it convenient to bring to the court of Prince Ferdinando, who was currently in Livorno, the finds so fortunately found. Ferdinando greatly appreciated those objects, especially the crest of a singular workmanship, very light and thin and decided to bring it to Florence in his gallery-museum (see figure). As we can see there are some discrepancies between real history and legend. The truth must be sought in both hypotheses, equally fascinating. Besides, we know, sometimes reality even surpasses the legend. After a short stop in Colognole Lionardo and the hunter returned to Nugola, but first they passed through a nearby location called Castel Anselmo which Lionardo wanted to immortalize with a drawing to place it on his territorial map. Returning to Nugola, the two stopped among the remains of what remained of an ancient castle partially collapsed. Only an old tower stood as the only bulwark of a glorious past. Inside the ruined tower the hunter had set the traps to catch the wolves and the skins to dry. The old tower had become the headquarters of the hunter who used it for his purposes. At one point Lionardo, looking up towards the top of the tower, seemed to see a hooded figure almost as if he were a monk and immediately warned the hunter, but the hunter told Lionardo that nobody could access the tower because the staircase it had collapsed. Soon after, however, the hunter added that others from the place had seen a similar figure appear from the tower. A local legend claimed that the hooded figure was nothing more than the ghost of a wizard monk who had taken possession of the tower after he had destroyed his tower-mansion in Bibbona. Now the old castle of Nugola no longer exists, but in its place, centuries later, a splendid villa-castle was built: villa Traxler.
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