Tuesday, January 23, 2007
italian history and literature
More than 40 pre-1500 manuscripts and over 350 post-1500 manuscripts of Italian history are represented in this collection. Included are humanist manuscripts, music theory texts and books of hours. A notable artifact is a manuscript in roll form of a poem by Battista da Montefeltro-Malatesta. The post-1500 collection includes emblem books, music and liturgy, calligraphica, family papers, travel narratives, religious texts and political commentary. They have printing materials dating back from the 15th century. Along with the rich humanities represented in the collection, they also have over 800 maps printed in Italy during the 16th century; this collection is one of the strongest in the world and is supplemented by gifts and purchases.