Philelphus, Franciscus. Epistolae Francisci Philelfi. [Basel: Johann Amerbach, before July 1496] 4° a-z A-K8 L10

Call# PA8520 F5 1486 VUCS

Background and Content:
It was as a student of law and rhetoric at the University of Padua, and as a student in Greek at Constantinople that Francesco Filelfo (1398-1481) gained the expertise to become a humanist scholar and teacher. From 1427 to the end of his life Filelfo held various teaching positions in Italian universities, including posts at Florence, Venice, Bologna, Rome and Milan. His published writings–letters, epic poetry, odes etc.–were produced after 1451. Filelfo’s latin, autobiographical letters were especially popular. Various manuscripts of the letters appeared during his lifetime, and numerous printed editions of his letters were to appear throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The CRRS copy shown here was printed in Basel by Johann Amerbach, but in what year is less certain. Since the Harvard University copy of this edition has an ownership inscription dated July 1496, scholars have deduced that the book must have been printed before this date– but how long before this date?

The copy shown above is but one of several early printed editions of Filelfo’s writings in the CRRS collection. We also have editions of different Filelfo works printed in 1492, 1508 and 1519.

Binding:
Contemporay German? half sheep? over wood boards; spine has two raised bands. Holes from clasp still present on front board. Vellum manuscript waste used as binding support (see stub at B1r) and vellum tabs used for book divisions. Leaves measure 214 x 150mm. Wearing to spine.

Provenance:
Early paper label with ms. in red and black on front board reads “G.g.8 – Liber Epistole Francisci Philel. Practica electionum Prelatorum, Et alia.” The front pastedown – a sheet of paper – has inscription “Monasterium Althominster 1543” (Althomünster Benedictines, SS. Petrus et Paulus later Brigittines). The largest collection of surviving books from the Altomünster Monastery is housed at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich. Some of their copies, which have been digitized and made available online, have a similar binding structure and paper label as this one. See, for example, BSB Ink – A554, D276 and V 311 for comparison.

Early inscription with shelfmark Gg8 on unsigned a1r, and an early cyphered? inscription on a2r. Victoria College bookplate on front pastedown; CRRS stamp on final leaf.
Old ms. foliation used for first eight leaves. Filelfo’s letters are also numbered in ms.. A few reader’s notes are present in the early gatherings.

The ISTC lists 76 surviving copies of this edition.