Celestial Power: Use and Function of Astrological Objects in the Italian Renaissance

• In Event: Objects of Science: The Material Culture of Renaissance Alchemy, Astrology, and Astronomy

Abstract

In his lengthy dialogue entitled De politia litteraria, the humanist and Ferrarese courtier Angelo Decembrio (1415?-1467) recounted how Leonello d’Este, Duke of Ferrara and Marquis of Modena and Reggio Emilia from 1441 to 1450, used to wear robes of different colors for every day of the week. Dressing in different colors according to planetary influence, however, was only one of the ways in which Renaissance men and women attempted to channel the positive influence of the stars. Using stones, plants and animals – sometimes in the form of amulets or talismans – was another. Going beyond astrological texts and charts, this paper traces the practical use of talismans, amulets, astro-medical potions, clocks and astrolabes at Italian Renaissance courts to argue for the importance of these physical objects in Renaissance astrological practice.

Author

• Monica Azzolini, University of Edinburgh