BOLOGNA: The three arrows of the Isolani family…
BOLOGNA: The three arrows of the Isolani family…
The Corte Isolani gallery connects Palazzo Isolani on Via Santo Stefano with Casa Isolani at 19 Strada Maggiore via a series of charming inner courtyards.
The latter is characterized by a striking portico supported by towering 9-meter-high oak beams that bear the weight of the third floor…and it is precisely beneath this portico, thanks to the mysterious presence of three arrows embedded in the wood, that stories and legends have emerged.
The accounts of what happened are incredibly varied and imaginative.
The most famous one tells the story of a beautiful noblewoman accused of adultery by her husband:
Explanations and clarifications were of no use, because her husband, blinded by rage and jealousy, hired three archers to carry out the murder that would avenge the wrong he had suffered.
To save herself, the clever woman devised an effective ruse and decided to remove her clothes at the right moment, standing naked before them.
The archers, taken by surprise, couldn't resist the mischievous trick and fired the three arrows in the wrong direction, where they lodged themselves in the now-famous portico of Casa Isolani.
Today, whenever you walk by, you’ll always see someone looking up, amused, searching for the arrows... the real challenge is finding the third arrow, which is much harder to spot and hides very well from those looking for it.
We would like to thank the following sources for the information provided, and we invite you to explore the topic further:
Photo credits:
ceiling lights
Photo: https://initalia.virgilio.it/le-tre-frecce-di-corte-isolani-18692
islanders' court
Photo: Evelina Ribarova, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
photos of Bologna
Photo 103966110 © Olgacov / Dreamstime.com
