Details

Subjects:

Medici, House of -- Archives.
Medici, House of.
Accounting -- Italy -- 15th century.
Accounting.
Italy.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Accounts.
Credit records.
Ledgers (account books)
Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.
Archives.

Language:

Italian.

Summary:

Ledger of debtors and creditors, miscellaneous accounts, and memoranda of Bernardo di Alamanno de' Medici for the years 1456-1457, written in the first person, probably by Bernardo di Alamanno himself. Entries were made in each category of accounts over the course of one year only, leaving mostly blank pages. Often includes the nature of a given credit or debt and its amount, as well as listing the names of the individuals that hold the debt or credit. Counterparts are workers, tenants and employees (e.g. millers and bakers) of Bernardo, or members of the Florentine aristocracy, such as Andrea di Matteo degli Albizzi. Memoranda contain short descriptions of the circumstances that lead to the creation of a debt or credit.

Contents:

1. f.1r-4r: Debitori e creditori.
2. f.49r: Entrata.
3. f.65r: Uscita.
4. f.74r-78r: Ricordanze.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Foliation: Paper, 84; contemporary foliation in ink, upper right recto (f. 5-48, 50-64, 66-73, and 79-84 are blank).
Layout: Written in 2 columns with vertical bounding lines in lead; the large column on the left with the debtor or creditor and a brief description of the credit or debt, and the smaller one on the right with the amount of the credit or debt. Usually credits are listed on the left page and debts on the right page of an opening, with the same individuals or institutions appearing as debtors or creditors on facing pages. Long lines are also used.
Script: Written in a cursive script.
Watermark: Similar to Briquet, Fruit 7371 (Colle, Florence, 1427).
Binding: Contemporary vellum, no. 2 on spine; no. 211 on upper cover; lower cover wraps around upper cover with remnants of leather ties; decorative leatherwork on spine.
Origin: Written in Florence between 1456 (f. 1v) and 1457 (f. 77r).
Forms part of: Gondi-Medici Business Records.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Bernard M. Rosenthal, 1963.

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 (3), Library Chronicle 36 (1970), no. 2, p. 94 (Ms. Lea 479).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1516.

OCLC:

320837757

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.