Manual of a Venetian consigliere, written for Giovanni Francesco Basadonna.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Contributor:

Basadonna, Giovanni Francesco.

Padavia, Marc Antonio.

Language:

Italian

Subjects (All):

Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226--Art.

Francis.

Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226.

John, the Apostle, Saint--Art.

John.

John, the Apostle, Saint.

Venice (Republic : To 1797). Consiglio dei Dieci.

Venice (Republic : To 1797).

Venice (Italy)--Politics and government--1508-1797--Sources.

Venice (Italy).

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

manuals (instructional materials)

Manuscripts, Italian.

Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Penn Provenance:

Comes Hercules Silva (stamp, f. 57v).

Sold by Helmuth Wallach, 1955.

Physical Description:

60 leaves : parchment, color illustrations ; 228 x 156 (154 x 103) mm bound to 236 x 166 mm

Production:

[Venice?], [1560?]

Language Note:

Italian.

Summary:

Manual of a Venetian consigliere, an assistant to the mayor of Venice, outlining the duties of his office. It also gives valuable information on the setup of the Venetian city administration. There are chapters on balloting, the handling of shipwrecked merchandise, the famous "Concilio de'Dieci," the issuing of passports, the court of justice and many other subjects. This manuscript was written for Giovanni Francesco Basadonna, and it begins with the oath he swore to his superior (f. 1v). (The spelling "Basadonna" seems certain; "Basadona," as on the spine of the slipcase, seems to be a misinterpretation of the name as given on f. 1v.)

Notes:

Ms. codex.

No title given in the manuscript.

Foliation: Parchment, iii+ 60 + iii; [iii], 1-60, [iii], contemporary arabic numerals, upper right recto. The unnumbered leaves at the front at back are paper endleaves.

Script: Written in a single cursive hand.

Decoration: Full-page painting (f. 1r) in vivid colors depicting the patron saints of Basadonna, St. Francis of Assisi and St. John the Apostle, against a mountainous background in a gold ornamental frame. Above them, inset into the frame as a miniature, is the Venetian patron St. Mark depicted (as is customary) as a lion. Opening words in gold, chapter headings in red.

Binding: Contemporary red velvet over boards. In a modern slipcase.

Signed by Marc Antonio Padavia (f. 57r), who might be the author as well as the scribe.

No date in manuscript; date taken from Zacour-Hirsch Catalogue and from seller's note (on file in the Library).

Cover wearing at spine; evidence of worm damage to cover. Paper endleaves stained, with a few wormholes.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800 (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1965), p. 95 (Ms. Italian 14).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 256

OCLC:

155964199