Da Vinci's Disciples

Chapter 2

A great part of this work was inspired by the power of my female friendships, those that enabled me to survive years of great personal difficulty. It is to such kinship—one seemingly particular to women—that I hope to pay homage with this series. My survival, and this work, would not have been possible without those friends, most specifically Jennifer Way (1973-2012), Hannah Arbuthnot, and Stephanie Estes Saccoccio. To them, I send all my love and gratitude.

I send thanks as well to the talented and generous C.W. Gortner, my Leonardo.

I am indebted to Christy English and again to Hannah Arbuthnot for their time and advice.

In the bibliography, there is noted the “Online Gazetteer of Sixteenth Century Florence.” This is an amazingly detailed map of early 16th century Florence developed, at that time, by one “Stefano Buonsignori (or Bonsignori) who designed the large axonometric ("birds-eye view") map of Florence displayed in the Gazetteer. He was an Olivetian monk (a local Tuscan order of Benedictines) skilled in map making, and near his monastery (which is shown in the lower left-hand corner of the map) was a panoramic view of Florence that may have helped to inspire his creation.”

I can never thank Caroline Castiglione, Ph.D., enough. Dr. Castiglione is an Associate Professor of Italian Studies and History at Brown University and availed me of this map. And though my years of research have made Renaissance Florence a very real place for me, this map brought it ever more alive, and I am extremely grateful for her assistance and that of R. Burr Litchfield, Professor of History (Emeritus) at Brown University and his students, who digitized the map, making it, and Renaissance Florence, available to all.