Lot 142: Pietro Paolo Galeotti, called Pietro Paolo Romano (c.1520 - 1584) Giambattista Castaldi, bronze medal, 46mm., a very fine contempora...

Pietro Paolo Galeotti, called Pietro Paolo Romano (c.1520 - 1584)
Giambattista Castaldi, bronze medal, 46mm., a very fine contemporary cast with warm light brown patina

Obverse: bare-headed bust of Castaldi in profile to the right, with long beard, wearing square-necked shirt, a mantle fixed with a large clasp on the left shoulder, and a medal suspended from a long chain around the neck, IO BA CAS CAR V CAES FER RO REG ET BO RE EXERCIT, signed on truncation PPR

Reverse: A naked female figure (Transylvania) holding a crown in her left hand and a sceptre in her right, reclining in a landscape by a river, leaning against a trophy of Turkish arms, a town in the distance, TRANSILVANIA CAPTA

Giovanni Battista Castaldi (1493-1562), Count of Piadena and Cassano, a distinguished neapolitan general, was appointed in 1551 by Charles V to lead the Imperial forces against the Turks in Hungary. This he did the following year, with some success, re-capturing several fortresses and the town of Lipova on the river Mures. The medal celebrates these successes. The next year the Turks returned in strength and by 1556 were in complete control of Transylvania.

There are variations of the portrait, some with signature behind the bust, some without signature, some with cuirass instead of shirt, a knot instead of the large clasp, and a cross instead of the medal.

References
cf. Hill, Castaldi, p. 168, no.2; Johnson-Martini 1994, 2009-2010