Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna 1618

[constanius]

 

Obverse: Bust to the right of Pedro Téllez-Girón wearing decorative armour and the Order of the Golden Fleece, pearled border, inscribed: PETRVS GYRON OSS. DVX & VRENIAE COM. X.

Reverse: Horse, barebacked, rearing to the left on rough ground, inscribed PRIMVS ET IRE VIAM(The first to lead the way, the first to dare) dated 1618 behind the horse's tail at the right, pearled border signed Ju. Gra for Giulio De Grazia(active 1610-1634) a sculptor, wax modeler and medalist, worked primarily for the Spanish viceroys in Naples. Forrer gives the signature as for JU. GYR DE(Dutch) but I believe he misread the as Y and the a for r.

High relief cast & gilded bronze 47mm, 37 grams rarity R. This medal is of interest as an example of the cast medals that were in circulation at Rome and Naples immediately before the fully Baroque medals produced by Bernini.

 

Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna (17 February 1574 – 20 September 1624) was a Spanish nobleman and politician. He was the 2nd Marquis of Peñafiel, 7th Count of Ureña, Spanish Viceroy of Sicily (1611–1616), Viceroy of Naples (1616–1620), a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece since 1608, Grandee of Spain, member of the Spanish Supreme Council of War.

He became Viceroy of Naples in 1616, during a war between Spain and Savoy over Milan. The Venetians were aiding the Savoyards, which meant that there was a declared hostility between Spain and Venice. In May 1618 a "conspiracy" to sack Venice and burn its arsenal was uncovered by the Venetian authorities and blamed on the Spanish Ambassador to Venice and the Spanish Viceroy of Naples, Tellez-Giron. He was replaced as Viceroy by Cardinal Gaspar Borgia in 1620 and on his return to Spain fell out of royal favour and was placed under house arrest until his death in 1624.

The so called "Conspiracy of the Spaniards against Venice of 1618" has been a question open to discussion among historians for the last four centuries. Spanish and German historians have a tendency to deny that the conspiracy was real or was serious enough; French and Italian historians have the opposite view. I think that though there was a conspiracy it's size was exaggerated and it was just politic to place the blame on Bedmar(ambassador) & Osuna, and most experts that have studied resource material from third parties feel most of the so called evidence against them was mainly invention, Venetian propaganda against Spanish ambitions.

The Horse "Horse of Virgil." An explicit link between the traditional iconography of the horse and the great poet is confirmed in a Neapolitan medal in 1618, a tribute to the Viceroy the Duke of Osuna. On the flip side of this splendid fusion there is a prancing horse and the phrase of Latin PRIMUS ET IRE VIAM extrapolated from a work written by Virgil in Naples between 36 and 29 BC, the Georgics (Book III, verse 77). One of the first scholars to highlight a link between the coin and the esoteric Neapolitan, was Tommaso Siciliano." The horse could also be seen to represent Osuna himself as "First to lead the way", a real go-getter.

Girón's Vice-Royal Entry into Naples under a Canopy of Estate, 1616.

Naples: Spanish Viceroy Period, Improved fortifications, City enlarged population increased & the port area developed.

 

 

 

[rsraghead]

this is what I love about coins and medals, the history lessons

[frank]

Pat, you obviously do your research full-time. Most impressive. I love learning about what you've found.

[Art1.2]

Great medal and information.

[constanius]

Pat, you obviously do your research full-time. Most impressive. I love learning about what you've found.

Almost full-time, except when I am searching for medals. Glad that you enjoyed the post Frank, even though it was about a Spaniard in Italy and not Gallic

 

Really enjoyed the research, I always thought that the mix of politics & religion in France during the 16th & 17th centuries was complex but compared to Italy; the Papal states, city states, French, Spanish & Holy Roman Empire involvement plus the threat from the Turks. One example, Venice though being Catholic was at the time of the medal anti pope & Spain and sought alliances with protestant England & the Dutch & reached an understanding with the Ottoman Turks, strange bedfellows comes to mind. Also to find the "Entry into Naples" illustration for my post made my day!

 

Luckily I am retired(the only drawback, less money) and can please myself, as longer as I keep the wife happy. I do spend a lot of time in my garden, it is very large & full of flowering bushes, flowers & trees, so that helps keep me in better shape than I would otherwise be.

 

I don't know if I have ever mentioned it on this forum but I had a heart transplant almost 9 years ago, so exercise is the best medicine. On that note, if you are interested in being an organ donor, please discuss with your family & take steps to be registered as a donor.

[rsraghead]

great info

[Art1.2]

Didn't know about your being a heart transplant recipient. WOW! We often hear and read about the effects of these wonderful procedures but I've never known anyone before. (My wife and I have been registered donors for many years now). Congratulations and keep up the good work -- exercise is an important part of maintenance for many of us.