One of our E-bikes is called Cecilia.
And it was a Cecilia who inspired Leonardo da Vinci in the composition of his painting The Lady with an Ermine.
Cecilia Gallerati, a lover of art and literature, owes her fortune mainly to her relationship with Ludovico Sforza, intense and lasting for many years. From the Moor, so called because of his dark hair and eyes, she also had a son and received as a gift many possessions including the fief of Saronno and refined residences. The birth of Cesare ended the relationship between the two for the joy of Beatrice d'Este, the young wife of the Duke.
Cecilia came into contact with Leonardo da Vinci at the Sforza court in Milan, where the Maestro had come to put his extensive knowledge of architecture, art, urban planning and military ingenuity at the service of the Duke. Cecilia was one of the lucky ones who were portrayed in this period by Leonardo and the elements that attest to her being the protagonist of the painting are many.
The commission of the work dates back to 1490, and around that date Ludovico Sforza was appointed Knight of the Order of the Ermine. Moreover, the Greek term for the animal, galḗ, recalls the surname of Gallerati.
Finally Bernardo Bellincioni, a poet close to Cecilia, who dedicated to the work of unequivocal verses: "Thank Ludovico now you can, and the talent and the hand of Leonardo, who wants to be part of posterity of you".