Divine Comedy - Holkham Manuscript

Divine Comedy - Holkham Manuscript – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – MS. Holkham misc. 48 – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)

Genoa (Italy) — Ca. 1475

Getting to the heart of the honored text of the Divine Comedy at the end of each page: 147 radiantly colorful bas-de-page miniatures serve as a congenial visualization of Dante's 14th-century literary masterpiece

  1. Dante Aligihieri (ca. 1265–1321) was one of the most gifted and influential authors of the Middle Ages

  2. His portrayal of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven is a glimpse into the medieval worldview and perception of the afterlife

  3. This manuscript was acquitted by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (1697–1759) during his grand tour of Europe

Divine Comedy - Holkham Manuscript

  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Divine Comedy - Holkham Manuscript

Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia represents the literary cornerstone of the Italian language and is widely regarded as being one of the most important and influential works of Western literature as a whole. Composed between the years 1308 and 1320, the epic poem presents the medieval worldview and concept of the afterlife through the eyes of the author/protagonist/narrator as he travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Although the original manuscript of this historic masterpiece has not survived to the present, four fully illustrated Dante manuscripts created during the 14th century are still extant today. This specimen is believed to have originated from Northern Italy, possibly Genoa, between 1350 and 1375. In addition to a historiated initial, each page of text features a splendid bas-de-page miniature, some of which are illuminated with gold leaf, for a total of 147 watercolors. The manuscript was acquired by Thomas Coke, the future Earl of Leicester, during his 1712–18 grand tour of Europe and was brought back to England where it remains in the collections of Oxford’s renowned Bodleian Library today.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Il Manoscritto Holkham misc. 48
Divine Comedy MS. Holkham misc. 48
Dante Alighieri - Göttliche Komödie - Codex Holkham
Size / Format
154 pages / 35.5 × 23.5 cm
Origin
Italy
Date
Ca. 1475
Language
Illustrations
Colored drawings at the bottom of every page
One historiated initial
One large initial
Three-line initials
Content
Dante's Divine comedy

Available facsimile editions:
Divine Comedy - Holkham Manuscript – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – MS. Holkham misc. 48 – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – Rome, 2021
Limited Edition: 399 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Il Manoscritto Holkham misc. 48

Limited Edition: 399 copies
Binding: Green wooden case with a compartment for the commentary volume
Commentary: 1 volume (190 pages) by Marina Solimine and Sara Esposito
Language: Italian
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
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