Beschreibung:

VERONA - GIOVANNI FAELLA, count of Sona. Instrumenta Feudorum Castri Sonae . In Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM. [Verona, ca.1505] 302 x 188mm, 26 leaves (including 2 preliminary leaves at beginning) and one original fly-leaf, COMPLETE, collation: 1 2 2-3 1 0 4 4 (last three blank but ruled), ff 3-18: ruled in red, 30 lines, justification: 222 x 115mm; ff 19v-26: 36 lines, justification: 260 x 188mm. Written in a fine italic humanistic script by two scribes, heading on f.3 in 4 lines of red capitals, some paragraph marks in blue, 4 LARGE ILLUMINATED INITIALS, (light stain on f.7, but generally in fine condition). CONTEMPORARY VERONESE BINDING of brown calf over wooden boards, panelled sides, tooled in blind within interlacing border and triple filets, floral stamps in upper and crescent stamps in lower compartment, 4 pairs of original brass catches (clasps lacking, corners restored, skilfully rebacked), in morocco-backed case. PROVENANCE: (1) Commissioned by Count Giovanni Faella of Verona from the notary scribe Francesco di Rufi of Verona about 1504, who signed with his sign manual. Presumably Giovanni's successor, perhaps Cyrillo Faella, commissioned the later portion from Alessandro di Nicolo Medico, also a notary scribe who signed with his own sign manual. Faella was in the service of the city of Verona as 'fabricator' i.e. architect responsible for the reconstruction of the cathedral, the restoration of two ancient bridges and the construction of a new bridge. Early library marking on first leaf 'Casto' followed by a monogram and 'no.2'. (2) B.S.Cron. Kew 1965, signature on pastedown. (3) Major J.R.Abbey, ms 7387, 17 June 1967, with bookplate, sale Sotheby's 20 June 1978, lot 2992. TEXT: The manuscript comprises copies of documents relating to the Faella family from 1332 to 1504, including A SERIES OF UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE RESTORATION OF THE CATHEDRAL AND ANCIENT BRIDGES OF VERONA IN 1504. The contents are: ff 3-8v. Copies of grants and titles relating to the Faella family and their castle at Sona, near Verona, 1332-1406. ff 9. Grant by the Emperor Frederic III, Padua 1468, conferring on Faella the titles of Count of Sona and Count Palatine. f.13v. Diploma from the University of Padua conferring on Johannes Faella, after having studied at Paris, Oxford, Bologna and Salamanca, a doctorate of Law in 1480. f.15. Passport issued by Bernardo Bembo as podesta of Verona and Johannes Mocenigo as military commander, for Faella's official mission to Venice in 1503. f.15. Letter from the Doge Leonardo Loredano, overlord of Verona, recording that the council of Venice had granted Faella permission for the restoration of the cathedral and Sacristy at Verona as originally proposed by the late Cardinal of S.Angelo, Giovanni Michiel (he had at his death left 14,000 bezants for this purpose). 9 May 1503. f.16. Letter from Angelus Trivisanus, podesta and Francisco Mocenigo, appointing Faella as 'fabricator' for reconstructing the cathedral and the bridge Ponte della Pietra, with the council of Gabriele Mantuano 'conductore dicti operis' and Bernardos Graciadeus engineer. 5 January 1504. f.16v. Letter appointing Faella to oversee the rebuilding in stone of the ancient Ponte Piagnola and granting 60 pounds for the purpose. f.17. Letter from Bernardo Bembo and Johannes Mocenigo appointing Faella to oversee the construction of the Ponte delle Navi. f.18. Two letters from the Emperor Maximilian I instructing Giovanni Faella to proceed to Mantua to accompany the bishop of Gurk on his embassy to Pope Julius II, 1511. f.19v. Lengthy contract of purchase of land by Giovanni di Jacopo Faella in 1440. The two preliminary leaves contain copies of three decrees addressed to Johannes Faella while podesta of Trento, by the bishops of Trento 1486-88. On f.1v an inscription to his wife by Cyrillo Faella. DECORATION: The four initials are evidently by two artists. The first painted the very grand initial 'I' on folio 3, probably b