Details

Other Title:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1477

Subjects:

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1500-1558.
Sicily (Italy) -- Economic conditions.
Sicily (Italy) -- Social conditions.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Accounts.
Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Language:

Italian.

Biography/History:

Italian nobleman, diplomat and military commander (1507-1557), born to Francesco II Gonzaga and Isabella d'Este. Member of the House of Gonzaga, aristocratic family of Milan, and first member of the branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla, which he founded in 1539. Spent many years at the court of Charles V of Spain, with whom he developed a strong friendship and alliance. Was appointed commander-in-chief of the Spanish army in Italy in 1537. Fought against the Turks at Tunis in 1535 and Algiers in 1543. First served as viceroy of Sicily (1535-1546), then as governor of the Duchy of Milan (1546-1554). Also aquired the territories of Molfetta and Giovinazzo and the title of prince of Molfetta after his marriage to Isabella di Capua in 1534.

Summary:

Report written to Pietro d'Agostino, imperial officer, by Ferrante Gonzaga, viceroy of Sicily between 1535 and 1546. The manuscript was written in 1546, after Ferrante's office in Sicily had just terminated. It contains instructions on how to govern the territories of southern Italy and maintain a harmonious relationship with the local aristocracy, the barons, and the population. Although Sicily is depicted as very poor and relatively unstable, the conditions of most cities are described in great detail, highlighting the positive aspects of each of them as well as the negative ones. The author also gives an account of the precarious state of the economy, and includes an explanation with personal commentary of the amount of tax-derived imperial revenue for the years 1535-1546.

Notes:

Ms. component part.
Title from caption title (f. 62r).
Foliation: Paper, 23; [62-84]; modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto. Catchwords, lower right verso.
Layout: Written in 15-16 long lines. Marginalia and other miscellaneous notations are also present.
Script: Written in a cursive script, probably in the hand of Ferrante Gonzaga.
Watermark: Similar to Briquet, Agneau pascal 48 (Florence, 1498).
Origin: Written in Milan in 1546 (f. 84v).

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. 30 (Ms. Lea 445).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1477

Contributor:

D'Agostino, Pietro, addressee.

OCLC:

318533289

Web link:

Digital facsimile for browsing (Colenda)