Cocharelli Codex

The treatise was written by an unknown member of the wealthy Genoese merchant family Cocharelli
The Latin text was intended to serve as a textbook for the author's sons and combines moral and historical passages
The fragmentary manuscript was magnificently illuminated in a Genoese workshop

Cocharelli Codex

MSS. Add. 27695, Add. 28441, Eg. 3127, Eg. 3781 British Library (London, United Kingdom)

Description

Cocharelli Codex

The fragmentary Cocharelli Codex was written in the first quarter of the 14th century by a highly educated member of the wealthy Genoese merchant family Cocharelli as a textbook for his sons. The Latin verse treatise combines passages on the Christian seven capital vices and seven cardinal virtues with historical events in Genoa, Acre and Cyprus. The sources of the as yet unidentified compiler include biblical proverbs and a variety of moral treatises by earlier authors, which are evidence of his high level of education and access to a well-stocked library, as well as anecdotes and stories passed down orally by his grandfather Pellegrino Cocharelli. The latter was economically active in Acre, Cyprus and Genoa between 1269 and 1307 and was therefore actually a witness to some of the events described, such as the fall of Acre. However, the manuscript is particularly famous for its extraordinary illumination, which is the product of extremely skilled hands and combines various traditions of book art. The miniatures are regarded as pinnacles of Italian medieval book illumination.

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Cocharelli Treatise
Type: Manuscript on parchment
Size / Format: 54 pages / 16.3 x 10.3 cm
Origin: Italy
Date: First quarter of the 14th century
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Renaissance
Genre: Treatises / Secular Books
Language: Latin
Script: Gothic Rotunda
Content: Treatise on virtues and vices
Patron: A member of the Cocharelli family
Previous Owners: Carrand family

Available facsimile editions:

Facsimile Editions

#1 The Cocharelli Codex

Müller & Schindler – Simbach am Inn, 2025

Publisher: Müller & Schindler – Simbach am Inn, 2025

Commentary: 1 volume
Language: English and German

1 volume: Exact reproduction of one or more portions of the original document Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

Facsimile Copy Available!

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Cocharelli Codex