AEVUM - 2008 - 3

The tangled text tradition of the Livre de voyages, written by Jean de Mandeville in 1356 (or 1357), is usually supposed to fall into two branches: the Continental Version and the Insular Version. The Livre has been translated in different languages, including Castilian. The Castilian text exists only in 16th-Century printed books: it shows errors, lacunae, interpolations, misinterpretations of the French original. A comparison between the Spanish 16th-Century printed text and both the Insular and the Continental Versions suggests that the translator had access to a hybrid witness, similar to P15.

Alessio da Seregno OFM (1360/65-1448) was a lector in S. Francesco Grande at Milan, and became bishop of Bobbio, afterwards of Piacenza. He was active at the Councils of Pisa (1409), Constance (1414-18), Basle (since 1431). As a lector he commented Peter Lombard’s Sententiae, and he gave several speeches / homilies at the Councils, particularly at Constance. His homilies are transmitted by 15th-Century MSS: Stresa, Centro internazionale di studi rosminiani, 22 (datable ca. 1430-35); Brescia, Bibl. Queriniana, A.VI. 30; Assisi, Bibl. del Sacro Convento, 560. Three sermons for the Visitation and the Assumption of Our Lady are here edited.

The Milanese humanist Angelo Decembrio is less renowned than his brother Piercandido. Some biographical data are provided by three hitherto unknown texts directed to Angelo: a letter by Francesco Filelfo, preserved in Toledo, Biblioteca Capitular, MS 100.42, dated 1441, in which Filelfo refers to a copy of a Greek grammar, and two little poems by Paolo Porcari, preserved in Ravenna, Biblioteca Classense, MS 274, composed earlier than 1460 and after 1465 respectively. The letter and epigrams are here edited.

Some aspects of the biography of Giovanni Francesco Brusati (1432/33-1477) are here highlighted: his relations with Bartolomeo Roverella, uncle on his mother’s side, archbishop of Ravenna and cardinal of St Clement († 1474), who influenced his ecclesiastical career and encouraged him to the humanistic culture. An inventory drawn up after his death (Subiaco, Bibl. Statale Monumento Nazionale di S. Scolastica, Archivio Colonna, III BB LIX, n° 67) includes Brusati’s personal goods and library. An annotated edition of it is provided.

Within 1513, in the circle of the Duchess of Urbino, an ample religious, paraenetical and didactic poem in Dantesque triplet was composed in order to promote the Fossembrone’s Pawnbroker’s, founded in 1492. MS Paris, BNF, italien 1057 transmits the text, signed by a not better known poet named Pupillo (maybe Fra’ Filippo da Parma). The poem, dedicated to the Duchess Elisabetta Gonzaga and to Cardinal Antonio Maria Ciocchi Del Monte San Savino as patrons of the Institute, testifies to the connections between power and art, religious life and economic events. An interesting appendix, likely witness of the most ancient version of Pawnbroker’s statutes, is included in the MS.

Magister Andrea Biglia OESA (†1435) is the author of theological and historical treatises. After his death his books entered the Augustinian library of S. Marco in Milan. In 1568, a few years before the battle of Lepanto, his Tractatus de detrimento fidei Orientis, sive de origine Turcarum, was interesting enough to be copied and the copy sent to Rome, where it now survives (Roma, Bibl. Angelica, MS 1136). A list of Biglia’s works, which were extant in S. Marco library in 1568, is preserved in MS Angelica 1136 (front fly-leaf) and is here edited and commented.

Il Gemmario, an anonymous 16th-Century treatise, survives in a unique witness, MS Ambr. S 78 sup., a miscellaneous manuscript formerly owned by Gian Vincenzo Pinelli. According to Pinelli’s autograph notes, to some autobiographical hints and the use of sources in the text, it appears to be a work of Jacopo Corbinelli, written probably before his exile from Florence. Il Gemmario is one of the earliest texts following Giovanni Della Casa’s Galateo; however Corbinelli suggests original issues to the debate on the literary use of the vernacular and of Latin.

Giuseppe Gioachino Belli hints at the popular Latin adage “solus cum sola non praesumitur dicere rosarium” in two of his sonetti. This saying is quoted or reshaped by Victor Hugo in Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Misérables. Belli was familiar with Hugo’s works. Hugo’s texts and the Latin original could become crossed in the poet’s mind.

Luigi Venturi (Pavia 1812 - Florence 1890) was the private secretary of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and a versatile writer. He was an influent man up to the April 1859 revolution, which caused the Grand Duke’s expulsion. He was on familiar terms with many learned men and artists active in Florence in those years, as it is proved by his correspondence, which is largely extant, although scattered and unpublished. In 1859 he had to withdraw into private life. He devoted himself to poetry and study, above all of the Bible, the Fathers of the Church, Dante and Manzoni. Among all his production, the book Le similitudini dantesche is particularly remarkable.

Pio XI (Achille Ratti), when he was Pope, proved constant attention to the Church in China; in 1926 he consecrated the first six Chinese bishops in St Peter. His interest in Chinese culture dated back to his early years in Milan, where he had been Doctor and chief librarian (Praefectus) of the Ambrosiana. Ratti’s correspondence is kept in the Ambrosiana and a census of it is now being prepared on the initiative of the Centro Internazionale di Studi e Documentazione Pio XI. Some letters testify to the human and Christian sentiments which inspired Ratti’s relations with father Albino Ronzini, of the Institute for the Foreign Missions of Milan, who was missionary in China, in 1908- 1909.

Francesco Foucault de Saint-Germain-Beaupré de Daugnon (1836-1920), the author of a history of the Italians in Poland and a scholar of heraldry and genealogies, collected a large number of documents, medieval and modern. His collection (Raccolta Daugnon) was purchased by Federico Patetta in 1933 and, with the Patetta collection, came as a bequest to the Vatican Library in 1945.

In 1933 Gianfranco Contini wrote an essay on Eugenio Montale’s Ossi di seppia (first published in 1925; then, enriched with new texts, in 1928 and 1931). In these years Contini dedicated two other essays to Montale: the former in 1938, the latter in 1940 to criticize Alfredo Gargiulo’s interpretation of Montale’s Le occasioni. These essays marked the beginning of an important friendship between the young scholar and the poet: while Montale created his new works, Le occasioni and La bufera (to be published in 1956), Contini experienced his method to read modern and ancient authors. This dialogue, throughout the Thirties and the Forties, led them to reflect on Italian and European literature, from a point of view both poetic and critical, on the assumption that poetry and criticism belong to the same cultural framework.

Questa rilettura si propone di evidenziare l’originale statuto del Gattopardo, romanzo psicologicosociale nel senso pregnante del termine, che non esclude l’incontro con un difficile e, sotto molti aspetti tragico, momento storico, la conquista sabauda del regno del Sud, ma ne illumina i risvolti comici, persino farseschi, ricostruendo l’ambigua figura del protagonista nel quale si assommano le contraddizioni del suo mondo, aristocratico e plebeo.

Three humanistic manuscripts from the family library of Duke Visconti di Modrone have been deposited at the Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, where they now are with the family’s archives. The main series of the Archives concern the family’s business and factories (19th and 20th Centuries); other series are older and include a collection of late medieval documents. The codices now given in deposit were studied by important Italian scholars in the 19th and early 20th Century. They are: MS Visconti di Modrone 1, a Petrarch manuscript, dated 1399, followed by a humanistic miscellany; MS Visconti di Modrone 2, a collection of Chancery letters from the Visconti milieu (Milan, early 15th Century); MS Visconti di Modrone 3, a nice 15th-Century copy of Gasparino Barzizza’s Epistole ad exercitationem accommodate in its original blind-stamped leather binding.

Three humanistic manuscripts from the family library of Duke Visconti di Modrone have been deposited at the Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, where they now are with the family’s archives. The main series of the Archives concern the family’s business and factories (19th and 20th Centuries); other series are older and include a collection of late medieval documents. The codices now given in deposit were studied by important Italian scholars in the 19th and early 20th Century. They are: MS Visconti di Modrone 1, a Petrarch manuscript, dated 1399, followed by a humanistic miscellany; MS Visconti di Modrone 2, a collection of Chancery letters from the Visconti milieu (Milan, early 15th Century); MS Visconti di Modrone 3, a nice 15th-Century copy of Gasparino Barzizza’s Epistole ad exercitationem accommodate in its original blind-stamped leather binding.

Three humanistic manuscripts from the family library of Duke Visconti di Modrone have been deposited at the Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, where they now are with the family’s archives. The main series of the Archives concern the family’s business and factories (19th and 20th Centuries); other series are older and include a collection of late medieval documents. The codices now given in deposit were studied by important Italian scholars in the 19th and early 20th Century. They are: MS Visconti di Modrone 1, a Petrarch manuscript, dated 1399, followed by a humanistic miscellany; MS Visconti di Modrone 2, a collection of Chancery letters from the Visconti milieu (Milan, early 15th Century); MS Visconti di Modrone 3, a nice 15th-Century copy of Gasparino Barzizza’s Epistole ad exercitationem accommodate in its original blind-stamped leather binding.

Three humanistic manuscripts from the family library of Duke Visconti di Modrone have been deposited at the Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, where they now are with the family’s archives. The main series of the Archives concern the family’s business and factories (19th and 20th Centuries); other series are older and include a collection of late medieval documents. The codices now given in deposit were studied by important Italian scholars in the 19th and early 20th Century. They are: MS Visconti di Modrone 1, a Petrarch manuscript, dated 1399, followed by a humanistic miscellany; MS Visconti di Modrone 2, a collection of Chancery letters from the Visconti milieu (Milan, early 15th Century); MS Visconti di Modrone 3, a nice 15th-Century copy of Gasparino Barzizza’s Epistole ad exercitationem accommodate in its original blind-stamped leather binding.

Three humanistic manuscripts from the family library of Duke Visconti di Modrone have been deposited at the Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, where they now are with the family’s archives. The main series of the Archives concern the family’s business and factories (19th and 20th Centuries); other series are older and include a collection of late medieval documents. The codices now given in deposit were studied by important Italian scholars in the 19th and early 20th Century. They are: MS Visconti di Modrone 1, a Petrarch manuscript, dated 1399, followed by a humanistic miscellany; MS Visconti di Modrone 2, a collection of Chancery letters from the Visconti milieu (Milan, early 15th Century); MS Visconti di Modrone 3, a nice 15th-Century copy of Gasparino Barzizza’s Epistole ad exercitationem accommodate in its original blind-stamped leather binding.

Per Giuseppe Billanovich: ricordo e presentazione degli studi in memoria (Milano, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, 13 novembre 2007): LUIGI F. PIZZOLATO, Billanovich professore alla Cattolica, p. 891; GIANVITO RESTA, Un ricordo, p. 894; PIER FRANCESCO FUMAGALLI, Da parte di un allievo, p. 896; RINO AVESANI, Giuseppe Billanovich maestro e amico. Una testimonianza, p. 898; VIOLETTA DE ANGELIS - CESARE SCALON, Presentazione di L’antiche e le moderne carte. Studi in memoria di Giuseppe Billanovich , p. 906

D. GIONTA, Epigrafia umanistica a Roma (F. Della Schiava), p. 917 - MAFFEO GRASSI, Il giovane stolto e il giovane saggio – Liber formule vite insipientis et docti, a c. di G. POLEZZO SUSTO e Fabelle Hermestes et Anglus, a c. di R. VIRANO MORA (M. Mainardi), p. 920 - E. GONZÁLEZ GONZÁLEZ, Una república de lectores. Difusión y recepción de la obra de Juan Luis Vives (E. Sandal), p. 922 - L.-A. SANCHI, Les Commentaires de la langue grecque de Guillaume Budé. L’oeuvre, ses sources, sa préparation (A. Porro), p. 927 - M. GIULIANI, Il vescovo filosofo. Federico Borromeo e ‘I sacri ragionamenti’ (R. Ferro), p. 929 - L. SCUPOLI, Esercizio per infermi, ed. a c. di P. BARNI (F. Lincio), p. 931 - Stanislas Leszczynski. Aventurier, philosophe et mécène des Lumières (J.W. Wos´), p. 932 - Autour de Wann-Chlore. Le dernier roman de jeunesse de Balzac, a c. di M. BERTINI - P. OPPICI (R. de Cesare), p. 934 - Popis glacoljskih kodeska Zadarske nadbiskupikje / Index Codicum Glacoliticorum Archidioecesis Iadertinae, collegit et digessit P. KERO (P. Galic´), p. 936 - L. RUSSO, Bibliografia 1912-2007. Schede e complementi, con i proemi a «Leonardo», «La Nuova Italia», «Belfagor», a c. di A. RESTA (C. Viola), p. 937 - L. SERIANNI, Prima lezione di grammatica (M.A. Marogna), p. 941 - The Oxford History of English, ed. by L. MUGGLESTONE (D. Pezzini), p. 944 - The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Religion, ed. by A.W. HASS - D. JASPER - E. JAY (D. Pezzini), p. 947 - I serbo-lusaziani. Storia, letteratura, lingua. Giornata di studi [Bergamo, 9 maggio 2003], a c. di A. TROVESI (J. Kr˘esálková), p. 951

Petrarch in Germany: Medieval Reception and Modern Medievalism. A Contribution to his 700th Birthday. Collected Papers from the International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 2004 (M. Petoletti), p. 955 - LUCIANO DI SAMOSATA, Caronte. Timone. Le prime traduzioni, a c. di E. BERTI (E. Fumagalli), p. 955 - San Pietro, Casalina e Sant’Apollinare… da monasteri a fortezze, a c. di F. MEZZANOTTE (A. Albuzzi), p. 956 - L’Entrée d’Espagne. Chanson de geste franco-italienne, rist. anast. dell’ed. di A. THOMAS (N. Barbieri), p. 957 - F. GAFFURIO, Theorica musice, introd. di I. ILLUMINATI - C. RUINI; trad. e comm. di I. ILLUMINATI (A. Albuzzi), p. 958 - S. VERDINO, Il Re Torrismondo e altro (P. Montorfani), p. 959 - Il Millennio composito di San Michele della Chiusa. VI: L’archivio dell’abbazia di San Michele della Chiusa e del capitolo canonicale di Giaveno nel registro del canonico G. I. C. Pezzardi, 1789, a c. di G.M. PASQUINO (M. Ferrari), p. 960 - A. COLOMBO, “I lunghi affanni ed il perduto regno”. Cultura letteraria, filologia e politica nella Milano della Restaurazione (A. Brambilla), p. 961 - L. TOMASIN, 608 SOMMARIO DEL TERZO FASCICOLO «Classica e odierna». Studi sulla lingua di Carducci (M. Colombo), p. 962 - L’Archivio degli scrittori lodigiani nel fondo Laudensia. Catalogo bibliografico e notizie biografiche, a c. di G. COLETTO - P. SVERZELLATI (M. Ferrari), p. 963 - A. CAMPANA, Scritti, a c. di R. AVESANI - M. FEO - E. PRUCCOLI, I: Ricerche medievali e umanistiche (M. Ferrari), p. 964 - C. DIONISOTTI, Scritti di storia della letteratura italiana, I: 1935-1962, a c. di T. BASILE - V. FERA - S. VILLARI (M. Ferrari), p. 965 - Inquirere veritatem. Studi in memoria di mons. Antonio Masetti Zannini, I-II, a c. di G. ARCHETTI (M. Ferrari), p. 966 - G. LEPSCHY, Parole, parole, parole e altri saggi di linguistica (M. Colombo), p. 967 - B. BIEN´KOWSKA - E. MARUSZAK, Ksia˛z.ka na przestrzeni dziejów [Il libro in prospettiva storica] (J.W. Wos´), p. 969 - Da Torino a Pisa. Atti delle giornate di studio di Onomastica, Torino 7-9 aprile 2005; Atti delle giornate di studio di Onomastica, Pisa 24-25 febbraio 2006, a c. di A. ROSSEBASTIANO (C. Milani), p. 970 - Lingua e dialetto nell’Italia del duemila, a c. di A.A. SOBRERO - A. MIGLIETTA (C. Milani), p. 970 - F. FANCIULLO, Introduzione alla linguistica storica (C. Milani), p. 971 - A. PUGLIELLI - M. FRASCARELLI, L’analisi linguistica. Dai dati alla teoria (C. Milani), p. 971 - U. RAPALLO, Profilo di linguistica. Guida alla ricerca linguistica interdisciplinare (C. Milani), p. 971 - Minoranze linguistiche. Prospettive, strumenti, territori, a c. di C. CONSANI - P. DESIDERI (C. Milani), p. 972 - S. CAVAGNOLI, La comunicazione specialistica (C. Milani), p. 972 - Translation: Theory and Practice. A Historical Reader, ed. by D. WEISSBORT - A. EYSTEINSSON (G. Grata), p. 973 - A. BELLATI, Dizionario Dialettale Etnografico di Premana: de cént in-t-üne, la favola di una comunità, con profilo di R. BRACCHI (M. Sampietro), p. 974