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Tractatus de maleficiis (Treatise on evil deeds) LC 14 23
Free Library of Philadelphia
Manuscript Overview
References
Binding Images

Abstract

The principal text in this legal compendium is Angelo de Gambiglioni's Tractatus de Malificiis (fols. 1r-102v). Other authors represented include Bartolus de Saxoferrato, Iacobus Butrigarius, and Iacobus de Arena. In all, forty-four texts are present though most are only excerpts. The colophon on fol. 103r informs us that the scribe for the first part of this volume was Johannes Batista de Aversa who wrote it for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio, judge and podestà of "Roche contracte", and that is was completed on February 27 1460. The paper on which it is written bears a Venetian watermark. There are a number of changes in the scribal hand in the remaining part of the manuscript, and the texts are glossed throughout. Some of these texts are written in the hand of Franciscus de Berardis, who refers to himself as "Judex Civitatis Tuderti", placing this manuscript in the Umbrian town of Todi. In addition to the historiated initial showing Angelo de Gambiglioni and full border on fol. 1r, there are thirty-one marginal drawings in ink illustrating the text of the Tractatus de Maleficiis. These show various crimes (both deliberate and accidental) being committed, from sword-fights and murders to hunting accidents and a hanging, and do not appear to be the work of a professional artist. Along with judge Franciscus's own handwriting, these vignettes vividly evoke this manuscript's active working life in a fifteenth-century Italian law court.

Physical Description

Support: Paper; Extent: iv+200+i; 342 x 225 mm bound to 345x 244 mm; Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto; early foliation in ink beginning at 11 on fol. 1r, lower right recto; Collation: 1-20 (10); Catchwords: Vertical catchwords at ten-folio intervals from 10v-130v, horizontal catchword at 140v

Layout

One column of forty-seven lines, lead point ruling; written area: 210 x 113 mm

Script

Gothic--rotunda (ff. 1r-103r)

Decoration

One historiated initial (fol. 1r), initials in red, blue, and black with penwork decoration throughout, thirty-one marginal drawings in ink between fol. 3v and fol. 34r, occasional manicules throughout

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

Notes

Colophon tells that the scribe for fols. 1r-103r was Johannes Batista de Aversa who wrote the book for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio, judge and podestá of "Roche contracte" and that he completed this portion of the manuscript on 27 February 1460

Some loose leaves

At least seven scribal hands

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Fore edge

Top edge

Bottom edge

Keywords
Treatise
15th century
Italian
Watermark
Paper
Manicules
Heraldry
Annotated
Italy
Legal
Free Library of Philadelphia

Place of Origin

Italy

Date

The watermark can be localized to Venice; february 27, 1460

Binding

Eighteenth-century half-calf binding, paste paper covers; stamped in gold on spine "DE GAMBIL. CRIMINAL ET MISC. LEG. CODEX A I 1460"

Language

Latin; Italian

Provenance

The colophon, fol. 103r, tells book was made for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio in 1460; coat of arms with monogram F.R., f. 1r.; Earl of Guilford (1830); Sir Thomas Phillipps ("5382Ph" in pencil on inside front cover and "Phillipps ms no. 5382" in pencil on fol. iii recto); Hampton L. Carson, Philadelphia (1913); given to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1929; "G 206" on inside of front cover; handwritten note about the text signed John Marshall Gest and dated February 19, 1916 attached to fol. i recto; type-written description of manuscript on stationery with Maggs Bros. letterhead, addressed to Hampton L. Carson, attached to second flyleaf, dated 21 July 1913

return to search Tractatus de maleficiis (Treatise on evil deeds) LC 14 23

Place of Origin

Italy

Date

The watermark can be localized to Venice; february 27, 1460

Language

Latin; Italian

Provenance

The colophon, fol. 103r, tells book was made for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio in 1460; coat of arms with monogram F.R., f. 1r.; Earl of Guilford

Manuscript Overview

Abstract

The principal text in this legal compendium is Angelo de Gambiglioni's Tractatus de Malificiis (fols. 1r-102v). Other authors represented include Bartolus de Saxoferrato, Iacobus Butrigarius, and Iacobus de Arena. In all, forty-four texts are present though most are only excerpts. The colophon on fol. 103r informs us that the scribe for the first part of this volume was Johannes Batista de Aversa who wrote it for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio, judge and podestà of "Roche contracte", and that is was completed on February 27 1460. The paper on which it is written bears a Venetian watermark. There are a number of changes in the scribal hand in the remaining part of the manuscript, and the texts are glossed throughout. Some of these texts are written in the hand of Franciscus de Berardis, who refers to himself as "Judex Civitatis Tuderti", placing this manuscript in the Umbrian town of Todi. In addition to the historiated initial showing Angelo de Gambiglioni and full border on fol. 1r, there are thirty-one marginal drawings in ink illustrating the text of the Tractatus de Maleficiis. These show various crimes (both deliberate and accidental) being committed, from sword-fights and murders to hunting accidents and a hanging, and do not appear to be the work of a professional artist. Along with judge Franciscus's own handwriting, these vignettes vividly evoke this manuscript's active working life in a fifteenth-century Italian law court.

Notes

Colophon tells that the scribe for fols. 1r-103r was Johannes Batista de Aversa who wrote the book for Franciscus de Berardis de Callio, judge and podestá of "Roche contracte" and that he completed this portion of the manuscript on 27 February 1460

Some loose leaves

At least seven scribal hands

Script note

Gothic--rotunda (ff. 1r-103r)

Decoration Note

One historiated initial (fol. 1r), initials in red, blue, and black with penwork decoration throughout, thirty-one marginal drawings in ink between fol. 3v and fol. 34r, occasional manicules throughout

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

References
Binding Images

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Fore edge

Top edge

Bottom edge

Keywords
Treatise
15th century
Italian
Watermark
Paper
Manicules
Heraldry
Annotated
Italy
Legal
Free Library of Philadelphia
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