Vihuela
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The vihuela is a 15th-century fretted plucked Spanish string instrument, shaped like a guitar but tuned like a lute. It was used in 15th- and 16th-century Spain as the equivalent of the lute in Italy
Vihuela/Viola da mano depicted by Pinturicchio in the mid–15th century
Viola da mano, detail from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, was made before 1510. It depicts poet Giovanni Filoteo Achillini playing the instrument
Orpheus playing a vihuela. Frontispiece from the famous book Libro de música de vihuela de mano intitulado El maestro by Luis de Milán, 1536
Example of numeric vihuela tablature from the book Orphenica Lyra by Miguel de Fuenllana (1554). Red numerals (original) mark the vocal part
Vielle
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The vielle is a European bowed stringed instrument used in the medieval period, similar to a modern violin but with a somewhat longer and deeper body, three to five gut strings, and a leaf-shaped pegb
Modern reconstruction of a vielle depicted in a painting by Hans Memling
Mozarabic miniature of a Beato dated around 900-950 in Spain. BNE Vitr. 14/1. Folio 130r.
Image cropped from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (codex MS T.I. 1). Two vielles (left) and a citole. Spain, c. 1280.
Vielle or vihela de arco in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, Codex of musicians, circa 1280 A.D. Image demonstrates playing upright on the musician's knee.