Valeriano di Rossi
It's a bird! It's a plague! It's...an Early Modern Period version of a hazmat suit??
Nobel Valeriano di Rossi
- Pronunciation guide: Here's how to properly pronounce my first name, "Valeriano", with an Italian accent.
- Alternate/former/use names: "Val" may be used as a nickname, if one is averse to pronouncing too many tricky Italian syllables.
- Armorial/Order of Precedence: https://www.calontir.org/persona/4940
Persona
- Period: Early 17th century
- Location: The Republic of Venice, or the Veneto region of modern northeastern Italy
- Favorite color: Red, just like the (modern) Venetian flag, and just like the etymology of my surname.
- Favorite beverages: Il caffè e il vino prosecco, ideally each before and after my many long work days...
- Occupation: Plague doctor working during the 1630 Yersinia pestis outbreak in Venice, ominous beakmask and all. But remember, just as my partially bird-like appearance indicates, I'm just winging it.
Activities and Interests
- Proper sanitation and personal/public health practices, and their history. With that said, leeches should stay living in their bogs, and blood should stay in the living human body. Additionally, substances such as emeralds, mercury, and arsenic should never be consumed!
- Learning the Italian language and general culture. This is to appear more Italian-like despite my face-concealing plague doctor garb. However, I would have actually been speaking the Venetian language back in the 17th century.
- Venetian Carnevale masks, such as my iconic medico della peste mask. Masks aren't just functional; they can be fun, too!
- Wearing accessories and trinkets related to Italian superstitions about health and well-being. This is more for style and pops of color against my somber all-black garb more than anything. A golden mano cornuto from the south, a blue eye-charm against il malocchio from Turkey, and many colorful scarves to protect against that colpo d'aria...
- The Near East and Far East's historical interactions with the Republic of Venice. Especially the nearby rivalling Ottoman Empire (or modern day Turkey) and distant China, both areas that fellow Venetian Marco Polo had once travelled through back in the 13th century. Without the trade routes with these partners, Venice could not have had first-hand access to their delicious, exotic spices and foodstuffs. Nor could have the Venetian Republic have potentially unintentionally imported plagues from such places, either.
- Learning Cut and Thrust techniques. This is a plausible form of self-defense that a northern Italian civilian could have used during the 1628-1631 War of the Mantuan Succession that was unfortunately occurring in my area and time period. After all, just like in my plague doctor garb, during modern C&T, I am still masked up and covered head-to-toe in protective gear, using a long implement to interact with the dangerous world. Ugh, not only were those invading French and Spanish forces tearing apart the northern Italian countryside and communities that they were using as their personal battleground, they had brought the plague to us during their little spat, too!
- Learning basic but effective modern first aid techniques to support my good gentles who are more experienced at fighting than I am.
- Calligraphy. I don't want my handwriting to be as brutto as many modern doctors' could be in my own occupation's ample medical notetaking.
- Gardening and herbalism. My persona first name almost being identical to that of a specific historical calming anti-plague herb isn't just coincidental...
- Italian food culture and cuisine. After all, plagues and maladies in general affect malnourished bodies the worst. The 1620s northern Italian famine is why so many especially perished from the subsequent 1630 plague. Italian cuisine would ideally be created as a result of the aforementioned gardening and herbalism activities. And no, my "cuisine" will not include the historical yet somewhat related Venice Treacle recipe!
- Aromatherapy and perfumery. This is mainly to cover up all those bad
miasmassmells out there over anything else. - Mixology? Historically-based, of course. Herbal ingredients combined with alcohol used to be a form of medicine back in the day...
- Overall, in between dealing with disease and its loathsome consequences on society, I am here to make friends and have fun. ☺
History in the SCA
Timeline:
- When started in SCA: I first learned about the SCA's existence at the April 2022 Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita, Kansas. Most folk, both modern and historical, are frightened of me in my plague doctor garb and want to stay away. However, the fine gentles of Vatavia were not; they wanted to talk to me! I thought this would be a wonderful new social group and hobby to have after the modern plague, after dealing with disease for so long.
- Significant events since then (competitions, championships, tourneys, first event, etc.):
- First Baronial Event: Champions, August 14, 2022
- First Kingdom Event: Midwinter Knights Dream, December 17, 2022. Award of Arms presented by Duncan Bruce of Logan & Ylva Jonsdottir.
Groups and Affiliations:
- Current Group: Barony of Vatavia
- Previous Groups: None.
- Guilds, Households, etc: N/A
Offices:
- Local Offices:
- Regional Offices:
- Kingdom Offices:
- SCA-wide Offices:
- Other service:
Other Information
Websites, photo-sharing, etc.
Artist Portfolio
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