Castle Runklestein

It was long ago noted that there are some suggestive similarities between illustrations in the Voynich ms. and extant frescoes at Runklestein Castle in the South Tyrol. This sort of evidence, though not compelling in itself, adds to the general case that the manuscript comes from this region.

For a start, and most specifically, a depiction of Castle Runklestein as three towers bears a good resemblance to the three towered building shown in the Voynich rosette map.

Then there are depictions of the sun and moon which, though arguably generic, also have a strong resemblance to what we find in the Voynich ms.

A third match: the head wear worn by the archer figure in the Voynich zodiac is similar to head wear shown in the frescoes at Castle Runklestein.

The frescoes at Castle Runklestein from the 1400s are some of the best preserved in northern Italy. There are further matches in heraldic motifs which, taken together, represent a good identification and help us locate the Voynich ms. within a specific region and cultural setting. This type of evidence is cumulative. It adds to a strong case that the manuscript comes from northern Italy, the County of Tyrol, the Bishropric of Brixen.