Colleoni’s Shield

In 1922, king Vittorio Emanuele III visited Colleoni’s mausoleum. At his request, the tomb was opened. But the coffin of Bartolomeo Colleoni was empty. This is unusual, especially since his mausoleum is one of the most beautiful chapels in Italy. Colleoni was a mercenary general and one of the richest men of his time. The bishop of Bergamo was shocked. After the king left, the monks examined every niche of the chapel. But the search for Colleoni’s body continued for nearly four decades – till 1969, when a group of researchers from the Lerici Foundation sent technicians with special instruments. The instruments pointed to a spot in the floor, which was then opened. Finally, they found the real coffin containing the corpse well preserved. Everything confirmed Bartolomeo’s identity, only the shield was missing. The shield of the general has a great importance. In every battle, the shield showed the banner of the general. Since 1969 the search for the shield is ongoing. A few weeks ago, a coded document appeared. It indicates that Colleoni’s squire might have placed the shield somewhere else…