Seite - 47 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Band 1

47Early Years emperors [Figs. 1.4–1.5].4 Though these medallions are rimmed by an archaic, still essentially Gothic cornice which strangely contrasts with the classicizing impact of the candelabre-motif, the garlands, and the profiles of the emperors, it is evident that these interesting, but not particularly diversified heads are chiefly inspired by the obverses of Roman imperial coinage. When the mature Jacopo Strada, in the preface of his 1575 edition of Caesar, recalled how he had been ‘a puero enutritum et jam olim exercitatum’ in the science of Antiquity— and this meant numismatics in particular—he may well have been thinking of his visits to what was the chief seat of his family.5 Yet this may have been not very frequent visits, since in fact his relation- ship to Vivaldo and his progeny was rather distant. Vivaldo had been only a second cousin of Jacopo’s great-great-grandfather Giovanni, who in 1452 was appointed vicario marchionale of Castelluchio by Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marchese of Mantua.6 Giovanni’s son Giacomo, of whom nothing further is known, had three children, Simone, Elisabetta and Clementina. From Simone’s testament, drafted in September 1513, we know that he was living in Curtatone, a suburb of Mantua situated on the lake near the famous sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Simone left his house in Curtatone with some of its land in usufruct to his widow, Andreola, and a modest legacy to his niece Antonia de’ Botti, daughter of his sister Clementina; he appointed his only son Clem- ente as residuary legatee. But since Don Clemente was a cleric, and Simone did not wish his estate to pass to the Church, he instituted an entail in favour of 4 This space, at present divided in three rooms, originally formed one ample, almost square hall, as is indicated by the remnants of the original decoration, which have recently been carefully restored. I am grateful to Gino Basoni for having allowed me to inspect these rooms. 5 Dedication of Strada’s edition of Caesar, 1575, p. *4v. 6 D’Arco, ms. Famiglie mantovane, ii, s.v. Strada (as in note 1). Figure �.3–�.5 The former Strada house at 25 Via Mazzini, Mantua: the painted frieze in the salone and details showing images derived from imperial portrait medallions.