FAM_OC_04 Information
| Object type: | slab |
| Short Name: | Relief with the lion of Saint Mark next to a fortress and an inscription mentioning Nicolò Foscarini |
| Type of writing: | incised |
| Year From: | 1491 |
| Year To: | 1491 |
| Height: | 160 cm ca. |
| Width: | 280 cm ca. |
| Promoter: | Venetian State |
| Language: | Latin |
| Type of inscription: | Building, public or private |
| Material: | Stone (calcareous sandstone and marble) |
| Administrative district: | Famagusta - Αμμόχωστος - Gazimağusa |
| State of preservation: | complete |
| Motivation: | The inscription mentions Nicolò Foscarini (1442-1506), who was appointed captain of Famagusta in 1491 and was in charge of the works of restoration of the city’s fortifications, started in the same year. |
| Past location: | Famagusta, Othello Castle, above the entrance gate |
| Current location: | Famagusta, Othello Castle, above the entrance gate |
| Iconographic Elements: |
|
Inscription surmounted by a relief with the crowned lion of Saint Mark and a fortress on the left. The lion is represented in the standing type, with its head in a frontal position and its body turned to left. With its right paw it holds an open book that originally had to bear the motto of the Venetian Republic; the other paws lean on a surface with a chain motif, which stands for the sea waves. The lion’s head has half-closed jaws, with visible tongue and tusks, and a flowing mane with well-defined locks.
The use of the word praefectus to indicate the captain of the island testify the desire to recall classical models.
Rizzi 1994, p. 309 fig. 1, pp. 319-320 nr. 3; Imhaus 2004, pp. 379-380 nr. 715, p. 659 plate 255 fig. F. 715;
Rizzi 2012, vol. 2, p. 282 nr. 2575; Rizzi 2012, vol. 3, p. 211 fig. 49; Trentin 2015, pp. 297-298 with fig. 9.
Nicolao Foscareno, Cypṛị praefecto,
MCCCCLXXXX̣Ị.
NICOLAOFOSCARENO CYPRI PRAEFECTO
MCCCCLXXX
En: Nicolò Foscarini, captain of Cyprus, 1491.
It: Nicolò Foscarini, capitano di Cipro, 1491.
2 MCCCCLXXXXI: MCCCCLXX[XI] Imhaus 2004
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