Dante : La Commedia

Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321

Dante

<p style='text-align: justify;'> Fifteenth century manuscript of the Commedia by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), including religious texts and poems. Evidence of Florentine ownership can be seen in the <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(2);return false;'>two bookplates</a> of the Tolomei-Gucci family. The text is rubricated throughout, with each cantica beginning with an incipit. </p><p>There are a number of mistakes throughout the manuscript, including corrections and deletions. On line 21 of the left column of <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(10);return false;'>3v</a>, 'ch' of 'ch'aprirmi' has been struck through, while on <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(11);return false;'>4r</a> the third line of the third canto of Inferno has been corrected. On <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(67);return false;'>32r</a>, a correction has been written into the outer margin; on <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(100);return false;'>48v</a> lines 16-18 of canto 11 of Purgatorio were omitted by the scribe. The missing lines were added to the top of the page, but the sixteenth century rebinding has removed most of line 16. The scribe made a similar error on <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(171);return false;'>84r</a>, ommitting line 99 of canto 9 of Paradiso which was added in the outer margin.</p><p>Poems are included in this manuscript before each of the Commedia's cantiche; in addition the <a dir='auto' href='' onclick='store.loadPage(225);return false;'>Professione di fede</a> follows Paradiso. Two of these poems and the Professione can also be found in the 1477 Venetian printed edition of La Commedia. The rarity of some of these texts suggest a close link between this manuscript and the printed text, supported by the common, two column layout. It is possible that this manuscript was a copy of the printed edition.</p><p>Circumstantial evidence suggests that this manuscript may have been created in Tuscany, possibly Florence. The use of the word 'huopo' instead of 'uo' suggests Florentine dialiect, while the inclusion of the 'Visione contemplativa di San Bernardo', originally published in Tuscany in 1397, may hint at a geographical link. St Bernardo appears in Paradiso, acting as Dante's final guide (cantosi 31 to 33).</p>