The Representation of the Lombard Domestic Interiors
in Cristoforo de Predis's Illuminations
The purpose of this article is to verify how the visual
resources can be useful in the study of the Lombard domestic
interiors and their associated material culture.
The most appropriate starting point for the research is
constituted by some of the most fascinating Milanese illuminations
of the late 15th century, those that illustrate
the so-called Leggendario Sforza-Savoia (ms. Varia 124)
of the Biblioteca Reale of Turin, illuminated by Cristoforo
de Predis in 1476. Rich in details defining shapes,
materials, and building techniques of fixed and unfixed
furniture, the miniatures, analysed through the comparison
with other coeval visual material and documentary
sources, provide a unique evidence of the appearance of
the cupboard in the wall niche with a mirror included
in its door, the straw chair with its backrest carved, the
bed with wheels. Furthermore, the manuscript confirms
the use in the Duchy of Milan of some typologies of
furniture so far documented only elsewhere, such as the
wall cupboard, the floor cushion and the puerpera table,
typical of the Flemish, Spanish and Florentine tradition,
respectively.