was also famous for its exported majolica wares, especially
in the 15th century.
Valerianus, Pierius (Giovanni Pietro delle Fosse)
(1477–1558) Italian humanist scholar and poet
He was born in Belluno and became the protégé of Giulio
de’ Medici (Pope CLEMENT VII), who employed him as
tutor to his wards Ippolito and Alessandro de’ Medici in
Rome and made him his apostolic protonotary. Among his
contemporaries Valerianus had a phenomenal reputation
for learning and is primarily remembered for his contri-
bution to EGYPTIAN STUDIESin his Hieroglyphica (1556),
the first book to ascertain the historical truth about the
writing system of ancient Egypt on the basis of the BEM-
BINE TABLE, inscriptions on Roman obelisks, the Hiero-
glyphica of Horapollo, and hints in other ancient writers.
Around 1516 he also wrote an interesting contribution to
the QUESTIONE DELLA LINGUA, advocating the use of the
lingua cortigiana as a basis for literary Italian rather than
the local dialect of Florence; this Dialogo della volgar lin-
gua was not published until 1620. Besides scholarly works
in Latin he also published love poetry, the Amorum libri
(1549).
Valla, Lorenzo (1407–1457) Italian humanist scholar
Valla was born at Rome and studied and taught at Pavia
before becoming secretary to ALFONSO Iof Naples in 1437.
Returning to Rome in 1447, he became papal secretary
and taught at the university until his death. He wrote a
renowned eulogy on classical Latin composition Elegan-
tiarum linguae Latinae (1444), of which 59 editions were
printed before 1536. He also wrote philosophical treatises
on pleasure and free will, De voluptate (1431) and De
libero arbitrio (c. 1440), and his Dialecticae disputationes
(1439) was a cogent attack on medieval Aristotelianism.
His forcefully stated views on both philology and philoso-
phy provoked confrontations with other humanist schol-
ars, including Poggio BRACCIOLINI. His most famous work
was his exposure (1440) of the Donation of Constantine
as a medieval forgery. This document purported to be a
grant from Constantine the Great to the pope, giving the
latter authority over the empire. Using philological analy-
sis Valla demonstrated that the language of the Donation
was incompatible with the age of Constantine, a discovery
that undermined papal claims to supremacy over secular
rulers and was useful to his then employer, Alfonso. Valla’s
reasoning foreshadowed later developments in the attack
on Catholic claims by Protestant reformers. Valla also pro-
duced influential Latin translations of Thucydides (1452)
and Herodotus (1457), whose works became far better
known in the Renaissance through Valla’s translations
than in the original.
Valladolid A city on the River Pisuerga in northwest
Spain. Valladolid was granted to the Ansurez family in
1074 and passed to the Castilian Crown in 1208. During
the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance the city became
important as a favored residence of the Castilian and
Spanish courts. FERDINAND IIof Aragon and Isabella of
Castile were married there in 1469. The city was a center
of the revolt of the COMUNEROS(1520–21) and of a short-
lived movement for religious reform which was crushed
by the SPANISH INQUISITIONin the late 1550s. Valladolid’s
university (founded 1346) is one of the oldest in Spain.
Notable buildings from the period of the Renaissance in-
clude the cathedral, begun by Juan de HERRERAin 1585,
the 15th-century Colegio de San Gregorio, and the Cole-
gio de Sta. Cruz (1479–92), built in the PLATERESQUEstyle.
Alonso BERRUGUETE, Juan de JUNI, and Gregório FERNÁN-
DEZall worked in Valladolid. Its Plaza Mayor, laid out in
the 16th century after a fire had devastated the city, is an
early example of this kind of civic space and was much
imitated in Spain and the Spanish American colonies.Valle, Pietro della See DELLA VALLE, PIETROValois, house of The family that ruled France from 1328
to 1589. Its founder was Charles of Valois, younger son of
the Capetian king, Philip III, who awarded Charles the
county of Valois in 1285. When the direct Capetian line
died out Philip of Valois became Philip VI of France.
There was a direct line of succession until the death of
Charles VIII (1498) without issue. LOUIS XII, head of a ju-
nior branch of the family, the Valois-Orléans, then suc-
ceeded to the throne. When Louis also died childless
(1515) the throne passed to FRANCIS I, head of another ju-
nior branch, the Valois-Angoulême.
Despite the English claim to the French throne and
many setbacks in the Hundred Years’ War against Eng-
land, the Valois established their power in France, defeat-
ing overmighty feudal lords and unifying the country
under their authority. During the late 15th and early 16th
centuries Valois claims in Italy led to bitter conflict with
the house of HAPSBURG. The Renaissance flourished in
France during the reigns of Francis I (1515–47) and
HENRY II(1547–59), but the Wars of RELIGIONconsider-
ably weakened the power of the last Valois monarchs.
When HENRY IIIdied without an heir (1589) the throne
passed to Henry of Navarre (HENRY IV) and the house of
Bourbon.Valturio, Roberto (1405–1475) Italian military adviser
and expert
After some years of legal work for the papacy Valturio re-
turned to his birthplace of Rimini and the service of the
lord of Rimini, Sigismondo MALATESTA. In 1472 he pub-
lished his 12-book treatise on the art of war (De re mili-
tari). This included beautifully executed woodcuts of
military machines (possibly by Matteo de’ PASTI) and
many practical comments on contemporary warfare. SomeVVaallttuurriioo,, RRoobbeerrttoo 4 48833