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The Santini Codex
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The Santini Codex
“Il Ponte Casa d’Aste is delighted to introduce the Santini Codex, a Renaissance masterpiece recognized as a pinnacle of knowledge and officially declared as National Cultural Heritage by the Italian State in 2012. This extraordinary manuscript, meticulously crafted on vellum, features intricate illustrations and was preserved within the Montefeltro and Della Rovere Courts. Its primary purpose was to extol the prowess of these courts in both civil and military domains.” Stefania Pandakovic Head of the Books and Manuscripts Department at Il Ponte Casa d’Aste
The Santini Codex
Upon encountering the captivating beauty of the Santini Codex, one is simultaneously awestruck and captivated, succumbing to the allure of its exceptional historical documentation.
Santini Codex (1480-1530 ca.)
AUTHORSHIP AND DATING The attribution of authorship for the Santini Codex remains uncertain but is firmly situated within the milieu of individuals closely associated with Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1501). Gustina Scaglia posits its preparatory nature for the renowned frieze of the Fregio dell’Arte della Guerra, commissioned around 1475 for Federico da Montefeltro (14221482). Alternatively, scholars such as Marcella Peruzzi suggest a later execution date around 1525-30 by Giovanni Battista Comandino, potentially copying from Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s Opusculum de Architectura. A more recent analysis by Professor Pietro C. Marani proposes a creation date in the first decade of the 16th century. COMPOSITION A manuscript crafted on vellum, distinguished by its outstanding quality and thickness, meticulously smoothed and revealing pronounced chromatic variations between the flesh and hair sides (211x151mm). Encased in a contemporary calf binding, it rests upon wooden boards adorned with intricate blind-stamped decorations. The manuscript comprises 68 leaves, skillfully numbered by an early hand from 1 to 66, with 2 unnumbered leaves succeeding leaf 5 and 66. Each page is elegantly framed by a manuscript border. The work is introduced by an initial flyleaf and concludes with a final flyleaf, both blank. The drawings are on 136 pages, predominantly showcasing machines designed for civilian applications, with a limited representation dedicated to war-related purposes. PROVENANCE The inclusion of the Santini Codex in the collection of the Dukes of Urbino occurred subsequent to the year 1498. Notably, it is absent from the initial library inventory referred to as the “Indice vecchio,” where two works by Francesco di Giorgio are documented. Clear evidence places the Codex within the Montefeltro and Della Rovere library, substantiated by its listing in the conclusive inventory compiled by Francesco Scudacchi in 1632. Furthermore, the Santini Codex stands as the sole manuscript from Urbino that resisted relocation to the Vatican Apostolic Library in 1657, steadfastly remaining
within Urbino’s confines for subsequent centuries. HISTORY Preserved in impeccable condition for more than five centuries, the Santini Codex stands as an extraordinary manuscript that has captivated the attention of numerous scholars. There is unanimous consensus among these scholars that the Codex merits inclusion among the initial testimonies heralding the revival of a scientific approach to the study of engineering and mechanics. Undoubtedly affiliated with the distinguished Montefeltro and Della Rovere Library, the Santini Codex intricately mirrors the artistic and intellectual endeavors of Francesco di Giorgio Martini (1439-1501). Notably, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, renowned for authoring the Opusculum de Architectura, is strongly believed to be the mastermind behind the preparatory drawings for the seventy-two friezes constituting the Fregio dell’Arte della Guerra. These works, dedicated to extolling the virtues of the prince-warrior Federico da Montefeltro, underscore di Giorgio Martini’s mastery in portraying machines. Trained under Mariano di Jacopo, also known as Taccola (1381-1453 ca.), or the Archimedes of Siena, Francesco di Giorgio acquired the art of engineering. During a time when the field was confined to a select circle of intellectuals, this apprenticeship paved the way for a profound connection with Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). This relationship is substantiated by annotations found in the Ashburnham 361 Codex, showcasing their intellectual exchange. Their seminal meeting in 1490 was pivotal for the realization of the Vitruvian man and laid the groundwork for the civil and military machines that Leonardo would go on to create in the ensuing years. The interconnectedness of these visionary minds, spanning artistic and scientific domains, marks a critical chapter in the Renaissance era’s pursuit of knowledge and innovation. AUCTION DATES 27 February 2024 Palazzo Crivelli, Via Pontaccio 12 Milan ESTIMATE € 380,000 - 450,000
BINDING The Santini Codex’s exquisite binding, coupled with the use of premium vellum, attests to its creation by an exceptionally skilled artisan, likely commissioned by the Ducal Library or intended as a gift. Among contemporary machinery codices, the Santini Codex stands out as the sole exemplar preserving its original binding.
The Santini Codex
Taccola
Notebook 1419-1453 ca.
Francesco di Giorgio Martini Codicetto 1460-1470 ca. (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana)
Opusculum de Architectura 1470-1473 ca. (British Museum)
Santini Codex 1480-1530 ca. Ashburnham 361 Codex 1481-1483 ca. (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana)
Leonardo da Vinci
COMPOSITION for moving and lifting weights and monuments, planting poles, 51 Systems winches, racks, cranes, column lifts
29 Hydraulic pumps, mills, pools, fountains, siphons, and pounders 23
Machines and instruments for siege and military defense (chariots, amphibious vehicles, battering rams, ballistae, catapults, cannons, mobile bridges, ladders, poles, and port closure barriers)
11 Transportation and work carts (shovels, plows) and systems for crossing/barrier of watercourses 9 Watercraft (ships and mechanical boats, mobile bridges) 7 Various tools and utensils (pliers, drills) 4 Trusses, wooden joints, shelves 2 Detection systems for tunnel excavation 1 Clock-alarm
The Santini Codex
“ A Codex of significant interest, which presents clear connections with the Ms. Lat. Urb. 1397 (V.I.G.6) preserved in the Vatican Library. The Santini Codex consists of a remarkable section of copies from the Opusculum de Architectura by Francesco Di Giorgio, with some omissions and additions. The anonymous author probably drew inspiration from the bas-reliefs of the architectural frieze of the Ducal Palace of Urbino. As for dating, the manuscript was likely composed around 1500 [...]” Paolo Galluzzi From the catalogue Prima di Leonardo. Cultura delle macchine a Siena nel Rinascimento. Siena, 1991.
The Santini Codex
SOURCES The drawings in the Santini Codex draw inspiration from several sources:
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are connected to Roberto Valturio and to his renown De re militari;
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to the seventytwo tiles of the Fregio dell’Arte della Guerra, which adorned the facade of the Ducal Palace in Urbino;
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they are taken from the Opusculum de Architectura by Francesco Di Giorgio preserved in British Museum.
EXHIBITIONS Prima di Leonardo. Cultura delle macchine a Siena nel Rinascimento, curated by Paolo Galluzzi. Siena, Magazzini del sale, 1991. Sapientia, Pietas et Otium al tempo del duca Federico di Montefeltro, curated by Mons. Davide Tonti. Urbino, Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta, 2022.
The Santini Codex
BIBLIOGRAPHY Grazia Bernini Pezzini, Problemi di meccanica nel fregio urbinate di Francesco di Giorgio Martini, in Notizie da Palazzo Albani, 1983, pp. 51-58. Gustina Scaglia, Appendix II. Drawings in add. 34113, The British Library, and in Codex Santini, Urbino. Machines and structures developed from the Notebook of Taccola. The machine complex, in Mariano di Jacopo detto il Taccola. De ingeneis. Liber primus leonis, liber secundus draconis, addenda ..., Wiesbaden, 1984, vol.I, pp. 30, 160-171. Grazia Bernini Pezzini, Il Fregio dell’Arte della Guerra nel Palazzo ducale di Urbino. Catalogo dei rilievi, Rome,1985. Paolo Galluzzi (a cura di), Prima di Leonardo. Cultura delle macchine a Siena nel Rinascimento. Catalogue of the exhibition, Siena, Magazzini del Sale, 9 giugno-30 settembre 1991. Gustina Scaglia, Francesco di Giorgio. Checklist and history of manuscripts and drawings in autographs and copies from ca. 1470 to 1687 and renewed copies. 1764-1839. London, 1992, pp. 104-107 e passim. Gustina Scaglia - Pier Gabriele Molari, Una ‘cartolina’ firmata da Francesco di Giorgio nelle formelle del Palazzo Ducale di Urbino, in AIAS 2006: atti del 35. Convegno nazionale dell’Associazione italiana per l’analisi delle sollecitazioni. Ancona, 13-16 settembre 2006 / curated by Dario Amodio, Perugia, 2006, pp. 13-16. Sergio Bettini - Marcella Peruzzi, Intorno a Francesco di Giorgio: un codice di macchine civili e militari della collezione Santini, in “Some degree of happiness. Studi di storia dell’architettura in onore di Howard Burns”, curated by Maria Beltramini e Caroline Elam, Pisa. 2010. Pier Gabriele Molari, Le Macchine come espressione più pura dell’ingegneria e fondamenta del Rinascimento, Bologna, Scuola Officina, June 2014.
The Santini Codex
“ The oldest sources so far note that report images presumably taken from the frieze, consist of two codes of drawings, one in the Vatican Library (Urb. Lat. 1397) and the other owned by the lawyer Santini in Urbino, both dated to the 16th century [...]” Grazia Bernini Pezzini Il Fregio dell’Arte della Guerra nel Palazzo ducale di Urbino. Catalogo dei rilievi. Rome, 1985.
The Santini Codex
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CONTACTS Stefania Pandakovic Head of Department Elena Claudi Junior Assistant Ph. +39 02 8631477 Elena Lo Castro Junior Assistant Ph. +39 02 8631474 libri.manoscritti@ponteonline.com
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