Through the LIBRARY it is possible to consult the data sheet of several important codices that enable to reconstruct the written culture of the patriarchate of Aquileia. Moreover, for many codices, the complete reproductions are made available, which makes this site a true virtual library of patriarchal Friuli.

Juvenal, Saturarum libri V; Persius, Saturarum liber

  • Mid 15th century; parchment; mm 233 × 147; ff. IV, 86, III’.
  • Udine, Biblioteca Arcivescovile, 14.

A manuscript designed and manufactured as a school text to be studied at Udine, perhaps initially for the personal use of Valerio Filittini, the undersigning copyist upon his work’s completion.

This codex contains two texts that were very often joined in medieval manuscripts: Juvenal’s and Persius’ satyres (on ff. 1r-72r and ff. 72r-83v, respectively). Albeit dating back to two different epochs of the Latin literature – the Trajan’s age (2nd century) and Claudius’ age (1st century) – the works of the two authors, evidently sharing not only the poetic genre, but also a caustic, indignant and debunking attitude towards the contemporary society, were largely read in the Middle Ages as much for their moral content as for their refined Latin language that was then apt to the lexical, grammatical and syntactical analysis which was matter of studying in the higher level grammar and rhetoric courses. This codex was a school text, too: the evidences thereof, even though they are more concentrated in some of its sections, can be considered those marginal and interlinear annotations made by different readers, either contemporarily to his manufacturing or onwards. In the colophon on f. 72r, the copyist’s name «Explicit liber Iuvenalis quem ego de Philitinis Valerius scripsi, lausque sit Deo virginique eius matri Marie». About Valerio Filittini it is known that he was disciple, together with his brother Simone, of the master and humanist Francesco Diana, rector of the schools of Udine both at the beginning of the ’60s and by the end of the fifteenth century.

Country of locationItaly
LocationUdine
Library / CollectionBiblioteca Patriarcale
Shelfmark14
AuthorJuvenal; Persius
LanguagesLatin
Support materialParchment
Extentff. IV, 86, III’
Formatmm 233 × 147
AgeMid 15th century
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