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San Domenico, Fiesole

In 1503 Leonardo bought two small lots of farmland with olive trees, fruit trees and a stone quarry, near the Oratory of Sant’Apollinare and the walls of Fiesole. They total led little more than 1,000 square meters, which in 1519 he bequeathed to his brothers (the most authoritative of whom, Ser Giuliano, then sold for 32 gold florins).
Leonardo draws the hills of Fiesole on folio 20v of Madrid Ms. II, indicating Fiesole and Monte Ceceri; he mentions the town three times in the "Codex on the flight of birds" (once for the sighting of a cortone, «bird of prey», on March 14, 1505 or 1506; twice for his prophecy on flight from Monte Ceceri); and once in Ms. G in regard to the «profile of a stone slab from Fiesole». He also recalls the canon of Fiesole, Alessandro Amadori (his uncle, being the brother of his first stepmother Albiera) on folio 225r of the Codex Atlanticus, around 1515.
The date of 1515 is recorded in Leonardo's lost letter to his farm manager concerning the wine of Fiesole.
In the church of San Domenico di Fiesole is the Baptism of Lorenzo di Credi, a free rendering of the Baptism in the Uffizi, the panel attributed to his master Verrocchio and to Leonardo himself.

Texts by
Alessandro Vezzosi, in collaboration with Agnese Sabato / English translation by Catherine Frost
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