CHART 2. I would like to share a short introduction about the importance that had the. Curia in favoring the evolution of scientific thought in that century.
Medical, Scientific and Philosophical Books in XIII century Papal Court
CHART 1 In my speech entitled Medical, Scientific and Philosophical Books in XIII century Papal Court I would illustrate the illuminated books production, concerning scientific disciplines, developed for and in the papal court in the thirteenth century, conclusions of my last three years researches in European libraries.
CHART 2 I would like to share a short introduction about the importance that had the Curia in favoring the evolution of scientific thought in that century. An example could be the "Studium Viterbiensis", the cultural circle developed around the court of Pope Urban IV (1261-1264) where we see several influential figures: * the mathematician Campano Novara (1220-1296) * the papal penitentiary William of Moerbeke (1215-1286) * the theologian Iohannes Peckham (1240-1292) * the portuguese doctor Petrus Hispano, who became Pope John XXI (1210 - 1277)
* the polish astronomer Erazmus Ciolek Witelo (1230-1280) * the english scientist Roger Bacon (1214-1294). This circle could be considered the intellectual heir of Magna Curia of Puer Apuliae and one of the main promoters of the studies concerning the “perspectiva”: research believed inseparable from the themes of “recreatio 1
corporis” and “prolungatio vitae”, which had as object the safeguarding of the material and the spiritual body of the pope. An evidence of this cultural environment may be red in the prefatory letter of Campano Novara's Theorica Planetarum, where the Pope Urban IV is recognized as a new Socrates, able to revive science from dust, and the College of Cardinals as a refounded gimnasium.
CHART 3 A good way to sum up the new thinking of the time about this theme could be the opinion of Roger Bacon about the “hard” sciences and their relationship with the Holy Scriptures. How you see, according to Roger Bacon and other thinkers like him, only the study of the “hard” sciences, which sharpens the senses and improves knowledge, is a right way to reach the divine contemplation. These cultural ferments will find an extensive development during the pontificate of Boniface VIII
(1297-1304)
. At his court took turns many men of
science, interested in the Pope's health and texts translation from Arabic into Latin, and the pope himself was an inspiring source for the research in progress and an active subject that >.
CHART 4 List ½
The testimonials about these disciplines result widely investigated, as evident from a reading of the items found in the recensiones of papal or cardinals librariae, while studies on illuminated manuscripts, dealing with scientific arguments, are more rare. 2
Sometimes, these codes show a rich iconographic apparatus, quite comparable for format, mise-en-page, extention and quality of the decoration to the liturgical codes, so they can not be considered only simple books of study. According to my studies, carried out in these years about 13th century, we can say that only a dozen of illuminated manuscripts, with high a workmanship, seems to reveal a specific curiositas of Curia about scientific-philosophical arguments. I classify these one in : 3 study codes: - From Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris • Ms. Lat. 14065, Arithmetica - From Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano • Ms. Ott. lat. 1850, Mathematicae et astrologiae opera varia - From Columbia University, Washington • Ms. Plimpton 156, Elementa Campano Novara interprete
3 illumited codes: - From Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris • Ms. Lat. 16595, BOETIUS, In Porphirium, Aristoteles, Opera varia - From Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano • Ms. Vat. lat. 2463, GALVANUS DE LEVANTO, Thesaurus corporalis et alii - From Stadtbibliotek, Nürnberg • Cent. III 91, AVICENNA, Canon Gherardo Cremonensis interprete
CHART 5 List 2/2
The list is completed by 8 Aristotelian codes retained in Biblioteca y archivo capitulares, Toledo. For example: • Ms 47.9, ARISTOTELES, Ethicorum libri X, Politicorum libri VIII • Ms 47.10, ARISTOTELES, Rethoricorum libri I-III, Poetica, De historia animalium
• Ms 47.11, ARISTOTELES, Methereologicorum libri I-II; TIMOTEUS, 3
Commentus supra Praedicamenta Aristotelis; ANONIMUS, Postillae supra Praedicamenta Aristotelis • Ms 47.12, TEMISTIUS, Parafrasis Aristotelis super librum de anima, Super librum de sensu et sensato; PROCLUS, Super Timeum Platonis; THOMA DE AQUINO, Super librum de causis • Ms 95.13, ALEXANDER DE AFRODISIA, In metereologicorum libros I-IV ; IOHANNES GRAMMATICUS, Eplanatio super librum de anima Aristotelis. • Ms 95.14, EUSTRATIUS, Explanatio supra Nicomachiam Aristotelis I-VII • Ms 97.1, THOMA DE AQUINO, In libros de causis I-II;
PROCLUS, Elementatio theologica, Elementatio physica; AVERROES, Explanatio super physicorum libros. • Ms 97.2, AVERROES, In libros Physicorum Aristotelis I-VIII.
These codes occupy a prominent place for their number, homogeneity and particular position in the production of the illuminated books in Rome. These codes, penned and decorated between Rome and Viterbo in the 70s and 80s of the Thirteenth century and attributed to the atelier of the transalpine scriptor Petrus de Bafunihe, are related to the commission of Cardinal Gonsalvo Gudiel
(1238 / 1239-1299),
in Viterbo on business related his
elevation to Archbishop of Toledo.
CHART 6 STUDY CODES
For an overview on the scientific manuscripts, manufacted in Roma, we can start from the some specimens of study codes implemented for the Curia and by the Curia itself. In these cases the drawings illustration of mathematical and geometrical demonstrations appear so closely related to textual apparatus, and elegantly incorporated within the writing column, in an inseparable connection between text and image, that suggest a careful work of the ordinator. Under this book thypology we can include codes such as: • “Elementa Campano Novara interprete”,
Washington, Columbia University, ms. Plimpton
4
156
, representing one of the oldest examples of the renewed Latin version
of Euclidean geometry, according to the translation of Campano Novara, and that would be part of Urban IV (1261-1264) personal library.
CHART 7 An other example is: • “Mathematicae et astrologiae opera varia”, (BAV, Ott. lat. 1850), miscellaneous volume that, probabily, at sheets 8r - 61v, refer an handwritten copy of “Treaties of Archimedes and Heron of Alexandria” translation, written by William of Moerbake, during his permanence in Viterbo papal Curia, between February and December 1269
, as seen by the reading of explicit that mark the different
works.
CHART 8 ILLUMINATED CODES •
Paris, BnF, ms. Lat. 16595
Alongside the manuscripts of Toledo, which we will return, few other examples may offer some thoughts about the production of illumited volumes on scientific-philosophical arguments. Among them we have to remember Boetius, In Porphirium, Aristoteles, Opera varia
(Paris, BnF, ms. Lat. 16595),
code written for Cardinal Richard de
Fornival and then passed to his death
(1262)
in the library of Gérard d
'Abbeville, theologian of the Parisian studium. This code was produced in Rome, as it is shown by its decoration, in which there is a coexistence of two styles: one of northern origin and a second one typically of central.
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CHART 9 The codes of TOLEDO
If the parisian Boethius manuscript can represent the Franco-northern taste, characterizing one of the current production of the illuminated book in Rome, the Toledo codes, commissioned by Cardinal Gudiel, offer different examples of the illuminated Rome production of the thirteenth century. The eight codes of the Archivo Capitular in Toledo are to be considered, because of their size, the quality of the parchment, the refinement of the decorative apparatus and also for the absence of marginal notes (except for rare emendations), as perfect Ceremonial books, in line with the contemporary productions for liturgical officio. These manuscripts open new perspectives on the characteristics of the scientific-philosophical codes, which most often are characterized by a decorative pen and cursive apparatus.
CHART 10 The high workmanship of the decorative apparatus of these codes is very complex and diversified. We go from fine initials of Metheoreologicorum Libri (I-IV), to those decorated with vegetal motifs and embellished with gold leaf, of Aristotelian Praedicamenta, Parafrases super librum de anima, to arrive to phytomorphic and stained initial letters, in Ethics and Policy or in the Elementatio physica, in which the gold leaf is used to build a particular perspective for emphasize the subjects illustrated.
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CHART 11 As index of the cosmopolitan culture of the shop, we find in a single set of codes, juxtaposed next to each other, the mentioned influence of transalpine area, declined according to styles and graphics modes own of italian reality, and an authentic taste of central Italy, assignable to the Perugia-Umbria area. The ornaments, made of bolognese sticks and pearls of central Italy, on which are grafted lobed and lanceolate leaves,
depicted in mss. 47.9, 47.10, 95.14 and 97.1
,
show the influence of transalpine school and are a clear evidence of the intense circulation of models, artists and ideas, between different centers of book production. The phytomorphic initials in a red purple or pink, and the kite endings,
in mss. 47.11, 47.12 and 97.2,
on the contrary, are to be attributed to
the central Italy school.
CHART 12 Compared to mathematical-astronomical study manuscript, unusual appears an small astronomical one
(Ms. 98.28).
It is characterized by rich
astronomical illuminated schemes, placed inside its writing columns (ff. 67v-6r) and by calendar calculation tables, in colored inks, where it is clear the contribution of the mathematical and cosmological knowledge of Arab world.
CHART 13 The code of Nürnberg
Among the scientific manuscripts, related to the Roman production, deserves to be counted also a manuscript
Cent.
III
91
of Nürnberg
Stadtbibliothek, containing the translation from Arabic into Latin of the I, 7
IV and V Books of the Medical Canon of Avicenna, realized in the second half of the twelfth century by Gerardus Cremonensis (1114 -1187). The incipit of the three books is enriched by three historiated initials, inside of which is depicted, under three different iconographic declinations, the portrait of Avicenna: in the first incipit the author appears represented as king on a throne, with crown and tripartite globe.
CHART 14 In the second Avicenna appears revived in the function of doctor intent in the urine examination; in the third he is shown in the guise of magister. Instead, the chapters (or fens), are underlined by five kaleidoscopic initials, alternating phyto and zoomorphic motifs, and by a thirty drop caps, variously decorated with polychrome geometric vegetal motifs. It seems interesting to note that this Medical Canon has obvious similarities with other manuscripts attributed to the Central Italy production, between the 70 and 80 years of the thirteenth century. We find several common elements: the construcion method of the initial letters, the particular color palette, and the peculiar adhesions to the same figurative culture, recognizable, for example, in the treatment of racemes which combines elements of plants and animals.
CHART 15 Among the many possible comparisons we propose those with: • The Pontifical, code of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (ms. Lat. 965) in Paris,
• The Missals B83 and B84 of the Vatican Library (mss. Archivio del Capitolo di San Pietro B83 and B84) attributed to miniaturists of Perusian school,
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• The Roman Bible of the Medicean Laurentian Library in Florence (ms. Pluteo V dex 1).
This last code, with high compositional refinement, presents architectonic frame scenes in the stained drop caps, with roofing dome as the contemporary monumental painting in Rome: characteristic that is also evident in the "I" of "In primis" on the first sheet of the Nuremberg manuscript. Other points of tangency with the group of “Roman Codes”, or more generally with decorative central Italian choiné, can be traced between the kaleidoscopic initial featured by "hooded dragon", , with similar solutions
Nuremberg code 43r of
on sheet 24r
present on sheets 43r and 206r of
of the parisian Pontifical, or on sheet
Vatican Missal B. 84, and to sheets 440r and 442r, with minimal color variation,
on the Roman Bible of Florence.
CHART 16 Similarities can still glimpse between the solutions that engage anthropomorphic figures (see Medical Canon, sheets 126v and 206r), with similar ones, on sheet 32r of the parisian Pontifical, or 391v, 442v of the same code.
CHART 17 We can also underline similarities also for scaled snakes in different iconographic shades (see Medical Canon,
), with figures
sheets 134v and 190v
present in 420r of the Roman Bible, or 125r of Vatican Missal B.84.
CHART 18 Examining ways of drawing, setting and finishing of the stained drop caps on those different manuscripts belonging to the same artistic and cultural 9
matrix, similarities can be found between the letter "F" of "Fratres" at sheet 77r of the Vatican Missal B.84 and the same drop cap "F" of "Febris" at sheet 84v of the Medical Canon, or even between the letter "P" of "Postquem"
to sheet 182r
of this code with the initials of sheets 401r and 405r of the roman Bible, and the "P" of "Primo" at sheet 124r of Vatican Missal B 84. In these cases, we can note similarities also in the recovery of the curvilinear molding, and in decorative pattern, featured by white lead stars, vegetal racemes, adorning the ultramarine blue funds.
CHART 19 CONCLUSION
We can underlines how the illuminated manuscripts relating to the disciplines of the quadrivium (i.e. hard sciences), attributable to the Rome of the Thirteenth century, appear in primis a visible demonstration of curiositas already readable in the most important libraries inventories of papal curia, in secundis, a proof of the same taste and care reflected in contemporary liturgical manuscripts for usum curiae. Concluding, I think that a picture symbol of all until now exposed could be the letter O of Omnis ars et omnis doctrina in a manuscript of Toledo library. We recognize the hand of God father stretched to indicate an open volume, held by a magister (Aristoteles), who is teaching, for divine inspiration, to the members of the spiritual and temporal power. It would demonstrate, how only the figurative apparatus is able to achieve, the deep relationship between the scientific culture and illuminated book in Rome papal court.
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