MIR 255. Ravegnani Morosini 4. Rare.

Good quality. Usual minting roughness.

BB/q.SPL.

Attached is a manuscript card from an old collection.

On the reverse of this large statue dedicated to Ercole I d'Este, one of the most disturbing figures of classical myth appears: the Lernaean Hydra. It is a monstrous, snake-like creature, traditionally depicted with seven or nine heads, only one of which is eternal, and possessing a lethal venom. According to legend, it was raised by Hera, Zeus's consort, with the intent of eliminating Hercules. The hero, however, managed to prevail during his second feat thanks to the ingenuity and support of his nephew Iolaus: after cutting off the heads destined to grow back, he burned their necks to prevent their regeneration, and finally hid the immortal one under an enormous boulder.

Contemporary sources place the coin's issuance between 1492 and 1493, a crucial moment for the city of Ferrara, coinciding with the launch of the Addizione Erculea. This ambitious project, commissioned by Ercole I and entrusted to the architect Biagio Rossetti, envisioned urban expansion toward the north. The image of the seven-headed monster, already used as a symbol by Borso d'Este, takes on an allegorical meaning here: it represents the malaria that plagued the marshy areas surrounding the city, which were subsequently reclaimed thanks to the works associated with the Addizione.