Details

Subjects:

Medici, House of.
Medici, Giuliano de', 1453-1478.
Cosimo I, Grand-Duke of Tuscany, 1519-1574.
Salviati, Francesco, 1510-1563.
Salviati de' Medici, Maria, 1499-1543.
Medici, Giovanni de', 1498-1526.
Medici, Alessandro de', 1510-1537.
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1500-1558.
Philip II, King of Spain, 1527-1598.
Sixtus IV, Pope, 1414-1484.
Pius V, Pope, 1504-1572.
Clement VII, Pope, 1478-1534.
Pazzi Conspiracy, 1478.
Florence (Italy) -- History -- 1421-1737.
Siena (Italy) -- History -- 1355-1557.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Wills.
Biographies (literary works)
Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

Italian.

Summary:

Manuscript containing biographies of Cosimo I, grand-duke of Tuscany, and Giuliano de' Medici, younger brother of Lorenzo il Magnifico, as well as copies of miscellaneous documents related to the war between Florence and Siena, and a copy of the will of Cosimo. The biography of Giuliano covers his life from his birth in 1453 to the Pazzi conspiracy in which he was killed in 1478. The conspiracy, instigated by the Salviati, Papal banking family in Florence and rivals of the Medici, and by the pope Sixtus IV (who had strong interests in Florence that were threatened by the Medici supremacy), with the help of Jacopo and Francesco de' Pazzi, also rivals of the Medici, is described in great detail. The biography of Cosimo I de' Medici also starts at his birth, in 1519, and contains a meticulous description of his childhood, his affectionate relationship with his mother, Maria Sforza, and the death of his father, Giovanni delle Bande Nere, in 1526. Alessandro de' Medici succeeded Giovanni, but was killed in 1537, and Cosimo became the ruler of Florence. In the same year the Strozzi and the Salviati, rivals of the Medici, assembled an army, which included numerous other Florentine exiles; marched against Florence; and were defeated. Although there are mentions of some of the most relevant moments of Cosimo's public life, including the recognition of the Florentine state by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in return for Florence's help to France, a large part of the manuscript deals with the private life of the grand-duke and his relationship with his two wives and various mistresses. Many passages possess a very casual tone and often purport to be in the first person (in certain cases free direct speech is also used). The biographical narration is interrupted before the death of Cosimo by the insertion of copies of letters by various Florentine noblemen, the most important being Piero Strozzi, Cosimo's enemy in the wars against Siena and an ally of the pope. Copies of other documents related to the same wars are also present, including an agreement between Philip II of Spain and Cosimo, in which the Spanish king ceded Siena to Florence. A brief description of the death of Cosimo and a copy of his will appear at the end of the manuscript. According to the will, Cosimo's only heirs are his children.

Contents:

1. f.1r-12r: [Biography of Giuliano de' Medici]
2. f.17r-122v: [Biography of Cosimo I de' Medici, including miscellaneous documents related to the war between Siena and Florence]
3. f.128v-130v: [Will of Cosimo I]

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger, based on title of predominant work.
Foliation: Paper, i (paper) + 131 + i (paper); [1-131], modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto.
Layout: Written in 18 long lines.
Script: Written in a cursive script.
Decoration: Gild edges.
Watermark: Unidentified watermark containing a sun and the initial C R(?); unidentified watermark containing a coat of arms with a large crown on top and the letter X underneath.
Binding: Modern cloth.
Origin: Written in Florence(?) between 1600 and 1650.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly in the collection of Frederick North, Earl of Guilford, 395/4, old no. LXIII (inscription, f.1).
Formerly in the collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps, ms. 7656 (Zacour-Hirsch).

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800: Supplement A (2), Library Chronicle 36 (1970), no.1, p. 29 (Ms. Lea 442).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1457

Contributor:

Strozzi, Piero.
North, Frederick, Earl of Guilford, 1766-1827, former owner.
Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872, former owner.

OCLC:

317618465