Manoscritti
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
National Central Library of Rome
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Viale Castro Pretorio 105, 00185 Rome
Contact information: phone number
0039 0649891
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
bnc-rm.catmss@beniculturali.it
Reference number
BNCR, Gesuitico
BNCR, S. Francesca Romana
BNCR, S. Maria della Scala
BNCR, SS. Giovanni e Paolo
BNCR, Sessoriale
BNCR, Vittorio Emanuele II
BNCR, S. Francesca Romana
BNCR, S. Maria della Scala
BNCR, SS. Giovanni e Paolo
BNCR, Sessoriale
BNCR, Vittorio Emanuele II
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Manuscripts
Title (official language of the state)
Manoscritti
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma
Library of the churches of S. Francesca Romana; S. Maria della Scala; SS. Giovanni and Paolo
Library of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome
Society of Jesus
Date note
6th century/20th century
Language(s)
heb
ita
lat
Extent
4,233 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Manoscritti collection of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma gathers several fonds of different provenances. Manuscripts and documents relating to the Jewish diaspora in Italy are held in the following collections:
Gesuitico: this fonds gathers 1,752 manuscripts produced by the Society of Jesus, in particular from the Roman College of Rome and the Casa Professa del Gesù in Rome, as well as other Jesuit institutions. Gesuitico 202, fol. 33, contains sonnets in honor of the Coen spouses of Ferrara and Mantua (17th century): “Per le nozze di Moisé Vita Coen ferrarese e Consola Coen mantoana, ambi ebrei”; incipit 1: “Onor di Cana, e la più illustre, e bella”; incipit 2: “Non è Rachele, la rassomiglia almeno”.
S. Francesca Romana: the collection contains 16 manuscripts. In S. Francesca Romana 10, fols. 5-6v, it can be found “Profezia di Abramo della Tribù di Levi”, an anonymous account concerning an alleged human sacrifice made by the Jews and punished by the Holy Office (1721).
S. Maria della Scala: the archive contains 51 manuscripts that belonged to the Discalced Carmelites. S. Maria della Scala 29, fols. 110-1, contains a 17th-century Latin translation of “Menorath Hamnor” by Isaac Abuhau (16th century). The manuscript contains the following note in Italian: “contiene questo codice il libro detto Menorath Hamnor, cioè candelabro dell’illuminazione di R. Isaac Abuhau, diviso in sette parti dette colla stessa allegoria Heroth ovvero lucerne. L’Autore viveva nell’anno del mondo 5253; cioè di G. C. 1493. È libro, che tratta di moralità, ed è molto in uso presso gli Ebrei. È da avvertire, che vi sono molti passi contro la Santa Fede. Per questo quelli delle prime stampe sono stati corretti, e mutilati dalla Sacra Inquisizione. In quelli stampati nel 1623 dal Bragadino non hanno tali passi” (this codex contains the book entitled "Menorath Hamnor", which means illumination candlestick, by R. Isaac Abuhau. The book is divided into seven parts called "Heroth", or lamps. The Author lived in the year of the world 5253, that is 1493. It is a book on morality, and it is widely used by Jews. It should be noted that there are many passages against the Holy Faith. For this reason, the first prints were corrected and censored by the Holy Inquisition. Those printed in 1623 by Bragadino have no such passages).
SS. Giovanni e Paolo: the collection contains 39 manuscripts. SS. Giovanni e Paolo 6 includes: “Tractatus rabi Samuelis errorem Iudeorum indicans” (Treatise by Rabbi Samuel, concerning the error of the Jews) in Latin with Italian translation (fols. 1-108); “Le tenebre schiarite, ò sia cognitione della verità, in cui per maggior gloria di Dio, e della sua santa fede catholica, Abraham Enriques nativo della città di Nizza, già rabbino nella legge mosaica a confusione de perfidi, et ostinati Hebrei fà palese a tutti il ripudio dell'hebraismo, e la conversione sua a Giesu Christo” (The enlightened darkness, or the knowledge of the truth, in which, for the greater glory of God and his Holy Catholic faith, Abraham Enriques, a native from Nice, former a rabbi of the Mosaic law, to the confusion of the perfidious and obstinate Jews, makes clear to all the repudiation of Judaism and his conversion to Jesus Christ) (fols. 110-125); “Avvisi e decreti del duca di Savoia relativi agli ebrei” (Notices and decrees by the Duke of Savoy concerning the Jews) (fols. 126-181).
Sessoriano: this collection preserves manuscripts from the Cistercian monastery of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. It is composed of a total of 590 manuscripts, many of which were transferred to the Roman monastery from the Abbey of Nonantola. Sessoriano 466 contains “Trattato Santo, del Mistero della Santissima Trinità, estratto dalle Sagre Scritture, e da diversi Rabbini Ebrei confermato, con la dichiarazione del numero ternario, delle Dieci sefire, e Cerimonie della Circoncisione, con il nome delli Rabbini antichi, e moderni, che hanno scritto, con li suoi Testi Ebraici, e sue spiegazioni in volgare. con il numero, e nomi delli Messia, che sono stati ricevuti dagli Ebrei, ed una esatta descrizione dell'Ebreo Sabbattai Trevi ultimo Messia creduto dagli Ebrei, e suo infelice fine, con una lettera circolare del medesimo diretta a tutti gli Ebrei. Opera utile a qualsivoglia Persona, e di molta istruzzione alli Cristiani, e disinganno agli Ebrei” (Holy Treatise of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, extracted from the Sacred Scriptures and confirmed by several Jewish Rabbis, with the declaration of the ternary number, of the ten Sephira, and ceremonies of circumcision, with the name of the ancient and modern Rabbis, with their Hebrew texts and explanations in the vernacular, with the number and names of the Messiah received by the Jews, and an exact description of Sabbattai Trevi, the last Messiah acknowledged by the Jews, and his unfortunate end, with a letter from Trevi addressed to all the Jews. Useful work for any person, and for instruction of Christians and disillusionment of Jews), an Italian manuscript with some phrases and words in Hebrew.
Vittorio Emanuele II: this is the open fonds of the National Library, established since its foundation to gather and preserve donated or purchased manuscripts. Vittorio Emanuele 928 is a miscellaneous manuscript composed between 1698 and 1702 and divided into three parts, which includes: an overview of the state of the Jews and questions they asked under Innocent XII to obtain help (fols. 1a-4b); a decree of Pope Innocent XII on April 30, 1698 (fols. 5a-10b); and “Stato degli ebrei di Roma 1702. In Roma. Nella stamperia della Rev. Cam. Apost. 1702. Con licenza de' superiori” (State of the Jews of Rome in 1702, printed in Rome, in the printing house of the Apostolic Chamber in 1702) (fols. 11a-18b).
Gesuitico: this fonds gathers 1,752 manuscripts produced by the Society of Jesus, in particular from the Roman College of Rome and the Casa Professa del Gesù in Rome, as well as other Jesuit institutions. Gesuitico 202, fol. 33, contains sonnets in honor of the Coen spouses of Ferrara and Mantua (17th century): “Per le nozze di Moisé Vita Coen ferrarese e Consola Coen mantoana, ambi ebrei”; incipit 1: “Onor di Cana, e la più illustre, e bella”; incipit 2: “Non è Rachele, la rassomiglia almeno”.
S. Francesca Romana: the collection contains 16 manuscripts. In S. Francesca Romana 10, fols. 5-6v, it can be found “Profezia di Abramo della Tribù di Levi”, an anonymous account concerning an alleged human sacrifice made by the Jews and punished by the Holy Office (1721).
S. Maria della Scala: the archive contains 51 manuscripts that belonged to the Discalced Carmelites. S. Maria della Scala 29, fols. 110-1, contains a 17th-century Latin translation of “Menorath Hamnor” by Isaac Abuhau (16th century). The manuscript contains the following note in Italian: “contiene questo codice il libro detto Menorath Hamnor, cioè candelabro dell’illuminazione di R. Isaac Abuhau, diviso in sette parti dette colla stessa allegoria Heroth ovvero lucerne. L’Autore viveva nell’anno del mondo 5253; cioè di G. C. 1493. È libro, che tratta di moralità, ed è molto in uso presso gli Ebrei. È da avvertire, che vi sono molti passi contro la Santa Fede. Per questo quelli delle prime stampe sono stati corretti, e mutilati dalla Sacra Inquisizione. In quelli stampati nel 1623 dal Bragadino non hanno tali passi” (this codex contains the book entitled "Menorath Hamnor", which means illumination candlestick, by R. Isaac Abuhau. The book is divided into seven parts called "Heroth", or lamps. The Author lived in the year of the world 5253, that is 1493. It is a book on morality, and it is widely used by Jews. It should be noted that there are many passages against the Holy Faith. For this reason, the first prints were corrected and censored by the Holy Inquisition. Those printed in 1623 by Bragadino have no such passages).
SS. Giovanni e Paolo: the collection contains 39 manuscripts. SS. Giovanni e Paolo 6 includes: “Tractatus rabi Samuelis errorem Iudeorum indicans” (Treatise by Rabbi Samuel, concerning the error of the Jews) in Latin with Italian translation (fols. 1-108); “Le tenebre schiarite, ò sia cognitione della verità, in cui per maggior gloria di Dio, e della sua santa fede catholica, Abraham Enriques nativo della città di Nizza, già rabbino nella legge mosaica a confusione de perfidi, et ostinati Hebrei fà palese a tutti il ripudio dell'hebraismo, e la conversione sua a Giesu Christo” (The enlightened darkness, or the knowledge of the truth, in which, for the greater glory of God and his Holy Catholic faith, Abraham Enriques, a native from Nice, former a rabbi of the Mosaic law, to the confusion of the perfidious and obstinate Jews, makes clear to all the repudiation of Judaism and his conversion to Jesus Christ) (fols. 110-125); “Avvisi e decreti del duca di Savoia relativi agli ebrei” (Notices and decrees by the Duke of Savoy concerning the Jews) (fols. 126-181).
Sessoriano: this collection preserves manuscripts from the Cistercian monastery of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. It is composed of a total of 590 manuscripts, many of which were transferred to the Roman monastery from the Abbey of Nonantola. Sessoriano 466 contains “Trattato Santo, del Mistero della Santissima Trinità, estratto dalle Sagre Scritture, e da diversi Rabbini Ebrei confermato, con la dichiarazione del numero ternario, delle Dieci sefire, e Cerimonie della Circoncisione, con il nome delli Rabbini antichi, e moderni, che hanno scritto, con li suoi Testi Ebraici, e sue spiegazioni in volgare. con il numero, e nomi delli Messia, che sono stati ricevuti dagli Ebrei, ed una esatta descrizione dell'Ebreo Sabbattai Trevi ultimo Messia creduto dagli Ebrei, e suo infelice fine, con una lettera circolare del medesimo diretta a tutti gli Ebrei. Opera utile a qualsivoglia Persona, e di molta istruzzione alli Cristiani, e disinganno agli Ebrei” (Holy Treatise of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, extracted from the Sacred Scriptures and confirmed by several Jewish Rabbis, with the declaration of the ternary number, of the ten Sephira, and ceremonies of circumcision, with the name of the ancient and modern Rabbis, with their Hebrew texts and explanations in the vernacular, with the number and names of the Messiah received by the Jews, and an exact description of Sabbattai Trevi, the last Messiah acknowledged by the Jews, and his unfortunate end, with a letter from Trevi addressed to all the Jews. Useful work for any person, and for instruction of Christians and disillusionment of Jews), an Italian manuscript with some phrases and words in Hebrew.
Vittorio Emanuele II: this is the open fonds of the National Library, established since its foundation to gather and preserve donated or purchased manuscripts. Vittorio Emanuele 928 is a miscellaneous manuscript composed between 1698 and 1702 and divided into three parts, which includes: an overview of the state of the Jews and questions they asked under Innocent XII to obtain help (fols. 1a-4b); a decree of Pope Innocent XII on April 30, 1698 (fols. 5a-10b); and “Stato degli ebrei di Roma 1702. In Roma. Nella stamperia della Rev. Cam. Apost. 1702. Con licenza de' superiori” (State of the Jews of Rome in 1702, printed in Rome, in the printing house of the Apostolic Chamber in 1702) (fols. 11a-18b).
Archival history
The Manoscritti collection is composed of about 70 fonds from convent libraries that entered the Biblioteca Nazionale in 1873, following the law that suppressed religious corporations on June 19. Over the years, it has increased with new incorporations resulting from a purchasing policy and donations. Each fonds is designated according to its provenance: Gesuitico, Capuchins of Rome, Farfense, Eborense. Under the name “Fondi Minori” (minor fonds), there are about 2,000 manuscripts arranged according to the libraries to which they had belonged: S. Gregorio al Celio; S. Lorenzo in Lucina; S. Andrea della Vale; S. Martino ai Monti; S. Maria in Traspontina; SS. Apostoli; S. Francesca Romana; S. Maria della Scala; SS. Giovanni e Paolo; S. Bonaventura; S. Francesco a Ripa; Cappuccini di Roma; Gesù e Maria. The Sessoriano fonds is largely composed of manuscripts from the Abbey of Nonantola library that were transferred to the Santa Croce in Gerusalemme monastery around the middle of the 17th century. The Sessoriana was incorporated into the Biblioteca Nazionale in 1875 and 1885.
Administrative / Biographical history
The National Central Library of Rome was established in 1875 by the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II. Together with the Central Library of Florence it is the only institution dedicated to gathering all Italian publications. At its headquarters, there are seven million volumes to which are added incunabula, manuscripts, and geographical maps. The manuscript collections preserved are partly closed and partly open, that is, destined to increase their extension. In particular, the Roman Library preserves a section entitled “Manuscripts and rare”, which is composed of three distinct sectors: Manuscripts, Incunabula, and Rare books.
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Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Andrea Cicerchia, 2022
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