Hieronimi Olzignani, Apologia pro semet ipso, in Latin, manuscript on paper

Estimate

2,000 - 3,000 GBP

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Description

18 leaves, 320mm by 223mm., complete, collation: i^{8, ii^{10, written space approximately 260mm. by 160mm., single column, 36-8 lines, written in dark brown ink in a humanistic cursive hand, some minor corrections and underlining, watermark very close to Briquet, 7118 (Salerno, 1597), contemporary press marks "601" and "20 a" on front pastedown, purple-stained limp vellum with gilt lettering on front and gilt tooling of 2-line fillet with flowers enclosing a large central stamp on front and back}}

Provenance

provenance

(1) Hieronimi Olzignani, of the influential Olzignani family of Padua; counsellor to Ferdinand I and Maximillian III, and ambassador to the court of Philip II.

(2) Apparently presented to the wife of Principe Bernardino Sanseverino de Bisignano (1554-1606).

Catalogue Note

text

The text is an extended moral argument apparently intended to curb the excesses of the court of the princess of Calabria. The introduction begins with a discussion of the ethical and political virtues held by the Catholic sovereigns and princes of Europe in the sixteenth century; beginning with and concentrating on Philip II, king of Spain 1556-98, and of Naples and Sicily, 1554-98, and including comment on the rulers of Belgium, France, Bohemia and Hungary, and then moving on to a number of Italian rulers. The main text centres on the region of Calabria and Campania, and in particular on the princess of Calabria. She was a member of the influential Farnese family, who married Principe Bernardino Sanseverino de Bisignano. By 1580-1 they were in residence in Naples, where the princess' court in particular attracted a reputation for opulent excess and perhaps even immorality (she was subsequently formally accused of moral misconduct). Only one other manuscript of the present work is recorded, in the March foundation in Madrid, MS Gor. 130; Italy, sixteenth century (Kristeller, Iter Italicum, IV, p.592).

The author was from the noble Olzigiani family of Padua, held office as counsellor to Ferdinand I and Maximillian III, and ambassador to the court of Philip II. He was evidently a humanist, and appears to have written the text in the speculum regale tradition as advice for the princess. He urges her to confess to her sins, and stresses this is the only route to redemption.

The tradition of using gold writing on purple parchment is an imperial device which can be traced back to classical antiquity, and it remained a symbol of opulent luxury throughout the middle ages. In this context, it seems likely that the present binding indicates that this is the author's presentation copy, perhaps made by him for personal presentation to the princess. The manuscript has been extensively consulted and numerous sections have been underlined in black ink, perhaps by the princess herself or someone in her court.