ITALY, Venetia. Nicolò Duodo, Venetian ambassador to the Papal States, 1713-1719, 1657-1742. Medal (Bronze, 50 mm, 42.12 g, 12 h), E. Hamerani, 1720. NICOLAVS DVODO S - R I COMES ET EQ Bare-headed bust of Duodo to left, wearing an elaborate wig and official robes; on the truncation, •E•HAMERANI•. Rev. ROMANIS BASILICIS PARES (=[with indulgences]equal to [those from ]the [seven]basilicas at Rome) View of the Seven Churches Sanctuary - Santuario delle Sette Chiese or Via Romana in Monselice, near Padua; in the exergue, •MDCCXX•. Forrer II, 398. Molinari 122. Voltolina 1410. Sharply struck with attractive red and lightly toned surfaces as made. Minor staining on the obverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.

From the collection of a Bon Vivant.

The Seven Churches were commissioned by Nicolò's ancestor, Pietro Duodo (1554-1610), to the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548-1616), and were built from 1605 to 1616. Interestingly enough, another very similar medal was designed by G. Ortolani (Voltolina 1411); commonly described as being dated to 1720, the date does not appear on the dies.