1 December is the day we must mark the sad passing 502 years ago of Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici — or Pope Leo X, as he was also known. Leo was not one of those popes memorable for a sordid life, but is known for two things. Firstly, this:
That’s him painted by Fernando Botero. To be precise, it’s Pope Leo X (after Raphael) from 1964, but then, you knew that because its resemblance to the 16th century original is so very striking.
The 20th century version is, of course, better known for looking like this:
Botero was a Colombian artist who died earlier this year, and was clearly interested in fleshy things. This extended to his animal sculptures such as his chonky cat (with blep) and birb.
His people, too, are substantial beings, allowing you to do things like this with them:
I may have digressed slightly from the point. The other thing Leo was known for was owning a white elephant called Hanno which was a coronation gift in 1513 from King Manuel I of Portugal — a much-fabled creature which got its own 300+ page biography in 1997.
Firstly, apparently, Hanno refused to get on the ship at Lisbon, and this was blamed on his mahout, who had apparently been whispering to the elephant about how awful Italy was, until Manuel threatened to cut his head off, so he went back to the elephant with a retraction.
On arriving in Rome, Hanno had poetry dedicated to him…
…and joined a menagerie that also included lions, leopards, monkeys, civet cats, and bears. Mind you, Leo’s great grandfather Cosimo de’ Medici the elder had once filled the Piazza della Signoria in Florence with boars, horses, dogs, wolves, bulls and then sent 26 lions in.
In 1515 Leo’s uncle Giuliano de’ Medici visited, and Hanno was so frightened by the noise and crowds that he stampeded, injuring several people — but, while Leo may not have understood much about how to look after animals, he did care about Hanno.
He refused to loan him to Lorenzo de’ Medici in 1514 for a feast day because Hanno’s feet were sore, and he’d have to walk on paving if he went (although he did allow Hanno to entertain the people of Rome by dancing to pipe music and spraying them with water from fountains).
And when the great beast fell ill in 1516, he called for Raphael to abandon whatever else he was working on and come and paint his prize pet “in the animal’s full size and natural colouring”. As far as we know, Raphael didn’t, but this pen and ink drawing has been attributed to him:
And there are other images, not least one showing Leo’s favourite ‘buffoon’ Giacomo Baraballo (who was also Abbot of Gaeta, apparently) dressed as an ass and riding Hanno:
…and after Hanno died, a satire (which may have been composed by Pietro Aretino) purporting to be his last will and testament appointed Baraballo as an executor and left his hide to Leo, to be stretched over a wooden frame until he can get another elephant.
He also leaves various bits of himself to various cardinals, a list which includes
my testicles you are to give to the Most Reverend Cardinal of Senegaia [Marco Vigeri, bishop of Senigallia, known for his sensuality and addiction to pleasures of the flesh] so that he will become more fruitful in progeny, and in the more merry procreation of the Antichrist with the Reverend Julia of the nuns of [the monastery of] Saint Catherine of Senegaia [Senigallia].
you are to give my member [penis] to the Most Reverend Cardinal di Grassi [Achille Grassi, Cardinal of San Sisto, who fathered several children with Adriana de Scottis of Bologna], so that he can become more active in the incarnation of bastards with the help of Madama Adriana [Adriana de Scottis] of Bologna.
One of Hanno’s most enduring contributions to the arts is apparently the appearance of elephants in Adoration of the Magi paintings around this time, but I like to think it’s this, showing Leo X at the moment he hears of his beloved pet elephant’s death:
Also today, I can highly recommend reading this about the Gävle goat, and perhaps speculating among yourselves as to how long this year’s will last:
