Divine Comedy - Strozzi 152 Manuscript

Divine Comedy - Strozzi 152 Manuscript

Dante Alighieri (ca. 1265-1321) is considered to be the father of the Italian language and his Divina Commedia is not only considered to be the preeminent work of Italian literature but also the most important poem of the Middle Ages. The work has since influenced countless of other authors and is one of the most referenced pieces of literature in the Western literary tradition. Guided by the Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BC), the author and protagonist of the Divine Comedy passes through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise on a spiritual and philosophical journey that has had a lasting impact not only on Italian literature but on wider European society. Although the original manuscript has not survived, numerous copies were made including this splendid specimen, which is stored under the shelf mark Strozzi 152 in Florence’s Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana.

Illuminating Dante’s Journey

The manuscript was originally designed to have each of the 100 cantos illustrated, but only 49 artful bas-de-page miniatures were completed, the second section features pen and ink drawings by Maestro Daddesco, while the final section is unfurnished, and it is not known why work on the manuscript finally stopped. These miniatures present a clear narrative, are artful, detailed, and were created with a sophisticated color palette including gold leaf for the wings of angels and the robes of blessed figures. Nonetheless, the manuscript is beautifully illuminated including three gorgeous historiated initials and friezes at the beginning of each cantica from the hand of Pacino di Buonaguida (active ca. 1303 – ca. 1347) as well as various arabesques and volutes. It is one of numerous Dante manuscript produced in the master’s workshop between 1330 and 1350.

Commentaries by Great Minds

Commentaries on the text of the Divine Comedy can also be found in the manuscript. Jacopo della Lana (1290-1365) was from the oldest noble family in Florence and wrote the first commentary on Dante’s work between 1324 and 1328, the preface of which is included here. Bosone da Gubbio was a politician, writer, and friend of Dante’s who wrote a chapter of commentary for the work. Finally, the son of the author, Jacopo Alighieri (1289–1348), wrote an exhaustive commentary on the Inferno examining virtually every line.

Treasure of the Strozzi Library

A coat of arms on the first page suggests that it was made for or owned by a member of the Bugliaffi family but little else is known about the history of the manuscript. At an unknown time it came into the possession of the Strozzi family, who were the wealthiest members of the Florentine nobility and rivals to the Medici family before their exile from Florence in 1434. Senator Carlo Strozzi (1587–1671) was a major bibliophile and author who accumulated a large personal library, which included the codex at hand. It was among 183 codices that were donated to the Laurentian Library in 1785, where it remains today.