The Library of the Dukes of Urbino
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The library of the Dukes of Urbino Autor(en): Clough, Cecil H. Objekttyp: Article Zeitschrift: Librarium : Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Bibliophilen- Gesellschaft = revue de la Société Suisse des Bibliophiles Band (Jahr): 9 (1966) Heft 2 PDF erstellt am: 29.09.2021 Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-388047 Nutzungsbedingungen Die ETH-Bibliothek ist Anbieterin der digitalisierten Zeitschriften. Sie besitzt keine Urheberrechte an den Inhalten der Zeitschriften. Die Rechte liegen in der Regel bei den Herausgebern. Die auf der Plattform e-periodica veröffentlichten Dokumente stehen für nicht-kommerzielle Zwecke in Lehre und Forschung sowie für die private Nutzung frei zur Verfügung. Einzelne Dateien oder Ausdrucke aus diesem Angebot können zusammen mit diesen Nutzungsbedingungen und den korrekten Herkunftsbezeichnungen weitergegeben werden. Das Veröffentlichen von Bildern in Print- und Online-Publikationen ist nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Rechteinhaber erlaubt. Die systematische Speicherung von Teilen des elektronischen Angebots auf anderen Servern bedarf ebenfalls des schriftlichen Einverständnisses der Rechteinhaber. Haftungsausschluss Alle Angaben erfolgen ohne Gewähr für Vollständigkeit oder Richtigkeit. Es wird keine Haftung übernommen für Schäden durch die Verwendung von Informationen aus diesem Online-Angebot oder durch das Fehlen von Informationen. Dies gilt auch für Inhalte Dritter, die über dieses Angebot zugänglich sind. Ein Dienst der ETH-Bibliothek ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Schweiz, www.library.ethz.ch http://www.e-periodica.ch CECIL H. CLOUGH (ENGLAND) THE LIBRARY OF THE DUKES OF URBINO In spring 1581 Montaigne reached Urbino with Pope Pius II, and in the decade following on his tour of Italy, and he noted in his Journal, the Pope's death in 1464, Federigo of the Dukes of Urbino, "Ils sont de became one of the wealthiest princes in Italy, père en fils tous gens de lettres, et ont en ce mainly as a result of his outstanding ability palais [of Urbino] une belle librairie". He as a condottiere captain. A large part of this added the cryptic phrase, "La clef ne se newly acquired wealth was used to build and trouva pas", thereby indicating that he was decorate the Palace at Urbino, where work unable to visit the Library1. Today the began about 1466. situation is not greatly changed, for the room The nineteenth century nouveau riche that housed the Library in the Ducal Palace purchased a library complete for his country of Urbino is not open to the public2. Every residence, and one may smile at delightful, year some tens of thousands of tourists visit if fictitious, Jorrocks and his buying theBohn the Palace, and not one sees what was Library for Gentlemen. There was the intended by its founder as its show-piece—the parallel in fifteenth century Italy, for Federigo Library, complete with its contents, ofcourse. acquired his Library for the social status it The origins of this Library are in the second brought. In the late 1460's printing had half of the fifteenth century, the period that barely begun in Italy, so that anyone building has been called the age of the formation of a library depended on manuscripts5. In princely libraries. One thinks of the magnificent Italy the centre of the trade in these appears manuscripts of the Aragon Library of to have been Florence, which is not Naples, and those of Corvinus, King of Hungary, surprising when one recalls that City's leading whose Queen was Italian3. Within a role in the so-called "Italian Renaissance". short time of their creation many of these The equivalent of the publisher Bohn was libraries were dispersed, and the very buildings the manuscript-seller Vespasiano da Bisticci that housed them were destroyed. The of Florence. Vespasiano sold second-hand Library of the Dukes of Urbino is ofparticular manuscripts (often acquired from monasteries), interest because it was the exception. while he had a stock of newly trans- First, it continued to grow for a century and scribed manuscripts, the texts being those a half; secondly, most of the material still that were in common demand ; he could also exists, though not in Urbino, and is readily arrange for scribes to transcribe to order accessible; thirdly, the actual room built for manuscripts that he had not in stock6. Therefore, the Library is in situ, with the painted coat- Federigo turned to Vespasiano for his of-arms of Duke Federigo that graces the Library, and Vespasiano compiled for him centre of its ceiling4. Moreover, many a list of the "complete" Library, so to speak. documents relating to the Library during the From Vespasiano's stock Federigo purchased various stages of its growth are to be found, available material, and he commissioned so that one can trace the Library's entire others. Between about 1468 and 1482, when history. In view of all this it is remarkable Federigo died, the Library grew from almost that there has been no scholarly study dealing nothing to about 1100 volumes, which with the Library as a whole. Vespasiano estimated as worth 30 000 ducats. A The Library originated with Federigo da small proportion of this number was given Montefeltro, Count, and in 1474 Duke, of to Federigo at various times, but one Urbino. Federigo was able to build his state suspects that at least three-quarters were in the Apennines as a result of his friendship purchased from Vespasiano7. Federigo employed as his librarian a illumination the Library of Federigo was scholar, Agapito, whose knowledge of Greek not in the same class as that of the Kings of was ostentatious, while probably as under- Naples and Hungary. Obviously in such a librarian there was Lorenzo Astemio, who quantity as Federigo's Library numbered, was well-versed in Latin8. Part of the duty there were some remarkable manuscripts. of these two was to arrange the purchase of The pride of Palla Strozzi's Library had texts required, and some of these were been Ptolemy's Geography, and this had prepared locally. We know something about passed to Federigo, and was preserved carefully one of the copyists who worked in Urbino, in his Library in a cedar-wood box. named Federigo Veterani, who later became This manuscript had been brought from librarian. Veterani claimed, perhaps with Greece about a century before Federigo some exaggeration, that he had copied sixty obtained it, and it was the source for all the or so manuscripts for Federigo's Library texts in Italy in this period15. between about 1468 and 1482; today about In 1482, at the time of Federigo's death, half that number can be identified9. Federigo the Library in Urbino must have looked da Montefeltro was a friend of Cardinal splendid as an ensemble. The main door (now Bessarion, who left some of his manuscripts sealed) to the Library was from the Courtyard, in Urbino in 1472, very likely for transcripts and on entering one saw to the right to be made from some of them for the works of Sacred Writing, Law, Philosophy Library10. In that same year Federigo's troops and Mathematics, while on the left were captured Volterra, and in the sack Federigo works of Geography, Poetry and History. acquired a polyglot Bible11. Above the shelves against the walls were The bulk of the manuscripts of the paintings of the Seven Liberal Arts, which Library was in Latin, but almost 200 were in corresponded to the general classification of Greek, and some were in Hebrew and a few the volumes on the shelves. Today two of in Coptic12. Federigo was not a scholar, these Arts, painted by Melozzo da Forlì, are though he could read Latin well enough13. in the National Gallery, London16. On the He certainly was not concerned with the floor were carpets, and in the centre of the purity of texts (as judged in his day), and room a table and benches for scholars; to it has been shown that the manuscripts one end there was another table, probably prepared by Veterani, while they look attractive, for the staff17. The manuscripts were bound are full of errors. Politian commented either in coloured velvet or in leather, and in over-all terms on the poor transcripts after some of the bindings were decorated with a visit to the Library, perhaps a little filagree silver-work18, so it is unlikely that unjustly, for most of the manuscripts acquired these latter were shelved with their spines from Vespasiano were standard. Undoubtedly only exposed—instead the ornamental fronts Federigo was in haste to complete his would have been on view, with their backs Library, and one can suspect that he was resting on sloping supports, perhaps. The gullible, purchasing stock that Vespasiano lighting from the high windows is subdued, was anxious to sell—in which case, small and one can imagine how colourful, and at wonder that Vespasiano extolled the Duke's the same time how mysterious and yet restful virtues and the merit of the Library. Some the room looked when furnished. of the illumination for the manuscripts that Federigo died before his Palace was was done in Urbino was poor, though that finished, and before he had all the works for of Franco de' Rossi was superb; even the his "complete" Library. His death resulted illumination in the manuscripts purchased in financial retrenchments, since his only son from Vespasiano was not all offirst quality14. and heir, Guidobaldo, was aged ten, and In terms of copying-accuracy and beauty of so could not command any stipend as a captain. Guidobaldo was trained in Latin interest. Some of the manuscripts in his and Greek, and he was devoted to his Library are exceptional, particularly the Library. Vespasiano tells us that Federigo did present-day MS Urb.