My father purchased an old Italian drawing at an auction many years ago. We've never known what it means, and I would like to see if anyone here knows. The image is of a courtyard full of citizens, religious figures, and soldiers with pikes and other weapons, along with several important looking figures. On the painting there is text that says:
"Vedvta Della Piazza Del Real Palazzo De Pitti Nel Tempo Che Vi Fv Postala La Miracolosa Immagine Di Maria Vergine Dell' Imprvneta IL DI XXIDI Maggio MDCCXI."
I have searched this, but found nothing. Across the drawing there are numbers used to label figures, which are named at the bottom of the image. There are some notable ones, such as "Principe di Toscana" and "Principessa di Toscana," which I assume means Prince and Princess of Tuscany. It also says "Principessa Eleonora" which seems to be the name of the princess referred to earlier. There are many more names, and I will give more if needed.
In the bottom left of the painting the name 'Cosimo Mogalli delin efcolo' is written on some rocks. I would assume this is the author's name.
Please notify me if anymore information is needed, and thanks in advance to anyone who can tell me a thing or two about this painting!
I'm translating off the top of my head and there are a couple words I don't know, but it says something to the effect of "View of the piazza (square) of the royal palace Palazzo Pitti during the time that the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary dell'Impruneta was borne in procession, the 21st (?) day of May, 1711"
The picture is recognizably the front facade and courtyard of Palazzo Pitti, which was the palace used by the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The terms "principe" and "principessa" do translate to "prince" and "princess", but not just as the precise title of "prince" as that term has meaning in English. It's more like a term that can be applied to any ruler of a territory - for example, Elizabeth I referred to herself by this title (among others) in her speech to the troops at Tilbury "we do assure you upon word of a prince". The "princes" of Tuscany actually bore the title Grand Duke. I zoomed in on the image of the one sold at auction and the rest of the words (including Principessa Eleonora) are like a legend showing who's who in the picture. Many are different types of clerics and city officials. Number 10 is "Serenissime Principe" Grand Duke Gian Gastone, who was the last of the Medici rulers of Tuscany. 23 and 24 are ladies and knights of the court; 21 is the "Serenissima Principessa" Grand Duchess of Tuscany (whose name I don't know) and 22 is the "Serenissima Principessa" Eleonora, who I don't know anything more about. Interestingly though, the very first Grand Duchess of Tuscany was named Eleonora (of Toledo), she died tragically young of malaria in 1562. Also interestingly, the word "serenissima", meaning something like "most serene", is usually an epithet applied to the Republic of Venice.
It's a print, not a drawing. Here's one (or the same one?) that was sold in auction a few years back.