Altobello Averoldo (ca. 1465–1531)

Averoldo, the illegitimate son of a prominent Brescian family, was bishop of Pola in 1497 and apostolic legate twice (1517–21 and 1526–30). This medal was produced during his first tenure as papal legate, as stated in the inscription of the obverse. The enigmatic reverse seems to depict the unveiling of Truth in the form of a naked female figure and could allude to two different events in 1518: the committee (of which he was head) investigating witch burnings in Valcamonica, near Brescia; or the successful banishment from Brescia of a nobleman who, along with two companions, raped a ten-year-old girl (the stepdaughter of a close relative). It has also been suggested that the two men are veiling Truth rather than stripping away her garment.

Source: Scher, Stephen K., et al. The Scher Collection of Commemorative Medals. New York and London, 2019.