Summary:
A relatively recent acquisition, Manuscript 685 was bought in 1988
from a private collection in Florence, Italy. The manuscript holds
an Italian translation of the Excellente cronike van Vlaenderen, a
fifteenth century narrative on the history of the county of
Flanders. Although the text is found in a great many copies, the
present copy is unique and valuable in several ways. Firstly, it is
the sole witness of an Italian tradition of this text. The
translator, an Italian merchant living in Bruges, undertook the
work to inform the readers of important events in Flemish history.
It is likely that this copy, after finding its way to the intended
audience back in Italy, remained there until its acquisition by the
Public Library Bruges. There is no evidence that the text enjoyed a
lot of popularity, and it was not consulted by later chroniclers.
Secondly, it is the oldest dated and localized copy of the Cronike
(written in Bruges in 1452) and thus an important witness in
determining the history of the text. Lastly, the copy includes a
bifolium with a map of Flanders, measuring ca. 40 x 30 cm and drawn
by the author himself. This is the oldest map of the county. Due to
this map, the manuscript has been awarded the title of 'Topstuk van
het Culturele Erfgoed van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap' in 2008. The text
itself is quite plain, written in a single column per page in a
cursive script known as mercantesca. Both the headings and the
initial of the chapters are written in red and green ink. The copy
is assumed to be an autograph, as the translation has been
corrected in multiple places and additions are found in the
margins. The manuscript is bound in an early 20th-century half
leather binding and wooden boards. [Summary by Dr. Mark
Vermeer] Title:
Cronache de singniori di Fiandra e de loro advenimenti [titel
incipit] Note:
Inc. (f. 1r): 'In nomine Domini Amen. Et ab ejus incharnazione Mo
CCCCo LIJ die XXVa in sepulcro vivorum Brugis'; expl. (f. 210r):
'nella sua disiderata per noi gratia et simigliantemente per luj
uerso diquelli di Bruggia si fecie gratiosamente il simile'
Bevat de oudst bekende kaart van het graafschap Vlaanderen (ff.
208v-209r)
Topstuk van het Culturele Erfgoed van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap
(Ministerieel Besluit 10 maart 2008) Topic general subdivision:
Geschiedenis Material:
Artikelen Extent:
i + 210 ff. + iii
30 x 21 cm
