A medieval genius’ 600-year-old manuscript has been discovered in Manchester’s John Rylands Library on the eve of its author’s 700th birthday.
Doctor Guyda Armstrong, senior lecturer in Italian at the University of Machester, made the discovery of the uncatalogued manuscript by Giovanni Boccaccio in the University’s world famous library.
Boccaccio, whose works are still influential today, was an Italian writer and poet who wrote classics including the Decameron, On Famous Women and his Elegy of Madonna Fiammetta.
The manuscript, which has been held in the university library since 1963, is called ‘Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes’ – it is a copy of a rare 1400 translation of the ‘De casibus virorum illustrium’, made by the French humanist and courtier Laurent de Premierfait.
Dr Armstrong said: “The discovery of a completely unknown and unstudied manuscript in your specialist research area is every researcher’s dream.
“This year is the 700th anniversary of Boccaccio’s birth, and we are absolutely thrilled to be able to showcase this major research discovery as part of our anniversary commemorations.”
It is thought that only a few copies of the manuscript exist around the world.
She added: “The manuscript is of major interest to scholars of Boccaccio and those working in medieval translation and textual cultures.”
Boccaccio’s ‘De casibus’ is a collection of biographies of famous figures from history, whose title can be translated as either ‘the fates of famous men’ and is notable for its critique of tyranny.
The manuscript will now feature on the second day of an international conference of Boccaccio organised by Dr Armstrong and Professor Stephen Miller of the University of Manchester and Doctor Rhiannon Daniels of the University of Bristol.
The conference held at Manchester Town hall is running today and tomorrow, July 11-12, and has attracted the leading Boccaccio scholars from around the world.
Professor Milner said: “We are delighted to be hosting the world’s leading scholars in Boccaccio studies and showcase Manchester’s outstanding collection of Boccaccio’s works.
“His impact as a writer is vast, both as a founding father of the Renaissance and the revival of interest in the classical world and as an innovator in writing prose stories”
“His influence on figures as diverse as Chaucer and Salvador Dalí reflect the scale of his literary heritage ”
The main attraction at the exhibition will be the ‘Roxburghe Decameron’ which is the founding volume of the world’s most exclusive book club – The Roxburghe Club.
The Roxburghe Club, which boasts just forty members at any one time, was founded in 1812 after the auction of the 1471 printed edition of Boccaccio’s Decameron, a collection of 100 tales, for a then world record price of £2,260 after a dramatic bidding war.
An exhibition of Boccaccio’s works and specially-commissioned artists’ books at the The John Rylands Library will run from July 11 to December 20.
Called ‘Locating Boccaccio in 2013’, the exhibition will showcase some of the world-renowned Boccaccio exhibits held by the John Rylands Library, alongside loans from other libraries and private collections.
Rachel Beckett, Head of Special Collections at The John Rylands Library, said: “This is a truly remarkable discovery, and testament to the strength of the Library’s collections.”
Picture courtesy of dottorpeni, with thanks.
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