Urbinati ebraici
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
Vatican Apostolic Library
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Cortile del Belvedere V, 00120 Vatican City
Contact information: phone number
0039 0669879411
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
bav@vatlib.it
Reference number
Urb. ebr.
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Hebrew Urbinati
Title (official language of the state)
Urbinati ebraici
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Duchy of Urbino
Date note
bulk: 14th century/15th century
Language(s)
heb
Extent
59 storage units
Type of material
Textual Material
Graphic Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Urbinati ebraici fonds comprises 59 units, most of them coming from the private library of Menahem ben Aaron Volterra, a Jewish merchant who lived around the middle of the 15th century. These manuscripts were acquired by the Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro (1422-82), after the sacking of the city of Volterra in 1472. After the devolution of the duchy in 1631, the manuscripts arrived at the Vatican Library. The fonds includes numerous manuscripts in Sephardic writing and of Iberian origins, such as the following:
Urb. ebr. 13: Commentary on Kings and Isaiah by David ben Joseph Kimhi, copied by David ben Abraham and completed on Tuesday, 5 Sivan 5054 (1294). The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and was produced in Iberia.
Urb. ebr. 4: Hebrew bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, including Joshua (fols. 9v-37), Judges (fols. 37v-64v), Samuel (fols. 64v-131v), and Kings (fols. 131v-202), written in Sephardic square script. Spain, 13th century.
Urb. ebr. 15: Commentary on Ezekiel by David b. Joseph Kimhi copied in Sephardic semi-cursive script in Spain, ca. 1300.
Urb. ebr. 11: David Kimhi’s commentary on the Former Prophets, including books of Joshua (fols. 1-41), Judges (fols. 41-80v), and Samuel (fols. 83-234). The volume was written in Sephardic semi-cursive script by two scribes: Solomon ben Daniel (fols. 1-80) and an unknown scribe. Produced in Spain, 1303.
Urb. ebr. 14: Commentary on Minor Prophets (fols. 1v-55), Isaiah (fols. 55v-115), and Jeremiah (fols. 115-157v) by David b. Joseph Kimhi. The volume was copied in Sephardic semi-cursive script by a scribe named Nehemiah in Spain, in 1317.
Urb. ebr. 34: A commentary on the Code of Isaac Alfasi by Zerahiah ben Isaac ha-Levi Gerondi; and Sefer ha-Zava, a treatise on rules of Talmudic hermeneutics. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and was produced in Spain in the early or mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 30: Maimonides' Book of Precepts (Sefer ha-Mizvot), translated by Solomon b. Joseph ibn Ayyub in Beziers, 1240. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain or Provence, in the mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 37: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s De Interpretatione (fols. 1-40v) and Analytica Priora (fols. 41-[148]) from his Organon, translated from the Arabic by Jacob Anatoli. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain in the mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 36: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s Analytica Priora (fols. 1v-133v) and Analytica Posteriora (fols. 134v-207) from his Organon, translated from the Arabic by Jacob Anatoli. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain or Provence in the 14th century.
Urb. ebr. 16: Commentary on Psalms by David b. Joseph Kimhi, copied by two unknown scribes in Spain or Provence, ca. 1400. It is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script.
Urb. ebr. 35: Levi ben Gershom’s commentary on the Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s works on logic, written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and produced in Provence or Spain, ca. 1400.
Urb. ebr. 24: Ammudei Kessef, a mystical commentary by Joseph ben Abba Mari Kaspi on Moses ben Maimon’s Guide of the Perplexed. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script with cursive-shape of letters. Produced in Provence or Spain in the early 15th century.
Urb. ebr. 40: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s De Caelo et Mundo, translated from the Arabic by Solomon ben Joseph ibn Ayyub. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain in the early 15th century.
Urb. ebr. 7: Book of Psalms, divided into 149 Psalms, decorated with vegetal and animal motifs and written in Sephardic square script. The volume was copied by Isaac ben Moses ibn Arragel (al-Ragil), the Spaniard, in Naples, 1469.
Urb. ebr. 13: Commentary on Kings and Isaiah by David ben Joseph Kimhi, copied by David ben Abraham and completed on Tuesday, 5 Sivan 5054 (1294). The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and was produced in Iberia.
Urb. ebr. 4: Hebrew bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, including Joshua (fols. 9v-37), Judges (fols. 37v-64v), Samuel (fols. 64v-131v), and Kings (fols. 131v-202), written in Sephardic square script. Spain, 13th century.
Urb. ebr. 15: Commentary on Ezekiel by David b. Joseph Kimhi copied in Sephardic semi-cursive script in Spain, ca. 1300.
Urb. ebr. 11: David Kimhi’s commentary on the Former Prophets, including books of Joshua (fols. 1-41), Judges (fols. 41-80v), and Samuel (fols. 83-234). The volume was written in Sephardic semi-cursive script by two scribes: Solomon ben Daniel (fols. 1-80) and an unknown scribe. Produced in Spain, 1303.
Urb. ebr. 14: Commentary on Minor Prophets (fols. 1v-55), Isaiah (fols. 55v-115), and Jeremiah (fols. 115-157v) by David b. Joseph Kimhi. The volume was copied in Sephardic semi-cursive script by a scribe named Nehemiah in Spain, in 1317.
Urb. ebr. 34: A commentary on the Code of Isaac Alfasi by Zerahiah ben Isaac ha-Levi Gerondi; and Sefer ha-Zava, a treatise on rules of Talmudic hermeneutics. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and was produced in Spain in the early or mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 30: Maimonides' Book of Precepts (Sefer ha-Mizvot), translated by Solomon b. Joseph ibn Ayyub in Beziers, 1240. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain or Provence, in the mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 37: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s De Interpretatione (fols. 1-40v) and Analytica Priora (fols. 41-[148]) from his Organon, translated from the Arabic by Jacob Anatoli. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain in the mid-14th century.
Urb. ebr. 36: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s Analytica Priora (fols. 1v-133v) and Analytica Posteriora (fols. 134v-207) from his Organon, translated from the Arabic by Jacob Anatoli. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain or Provence in the 14th century.
Urb. ebr. 16: Commentary on Psalms by David b. Joseph Kimhi, copied by two unknown scribes in Spain or Provence, ca. 1400. It is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script.
Urb. ebr. 35: Levi ben Gershom’s commentary on the Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s works on logic, written in Sephardic semi-cursive script and produced in Provence or Spain, ca. 1400.
Urb. ebr. 24: Ammudei Kessef, a mystical commentary by Joseph ben Abba Mari Kaspi on Moses ben Maimon’s Guide of the Perplexed. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script with cursive-shape of letters. Produced in Provence or Spain in the early 15th century.
Urb. ebr. 40: Middle Commentary by Averroes on Aristotle’s De Caelo et Mundo, translated from the Arabic by Solomon ben Joseph ibn Ayyub. The volume is written in Sephardic semi-cursive script. It was produced in Spain in the early 15th century.
Urb. ebr. 7: Book of Psalms, divided into 149 Psalms, decorated with vegetal and animal motifs and written in Sephardic square script. The volume was copied by Isaac ben Moses ibn Arragel (al-Ragil), the Spaniard, in Naples, 1469.
Archival history
The Urbinati fonds came from the Library of the Dukes of Urbino. The main nucleus started being collected by Federico da Montefeltro (1422-82). In 1487, from an inventory drawn up after the duke’s death, the collection already counted 900 manuscripts, mostly in Latin, but also including 168 Greek, 82 Hebrew, and two Arabic codices. With Duke Francesco Maria I Della Rovere (1508-38), the library of Giovanni Sforza (1466-1510) also became part of the Urbinati collection. In 1631, Francesco Maria II died without heirs, and the duchy was annexed to the territories of the Church by Pope Urban VIII (papacy: 1623-44), who also started the transfer of archival and book materials. The manuscripts of the ducal library were initially to be transferred to the community of Urbino. However, due to pressure exerted by the Vatican Secretariat of State and through the Pesaro-Urbino legate, the library was offered to Pope Alexander VII (papacy: 1655-67) in 1657, in exchange for 100 scudi and the granting of some concessions.
In the Vatican Library, the manuscript collection was divided into three distinct collections: Latini, Greci, and Ebraici. Six Arab manuscripts were included in the Vaticani Arabi collection. Over time, other manuscript collections were added to the Latin fonds, mostly deriving from writers, professors, and artists.
In the Vatican Library, the manuscript collection was divided into three distinct collections: Latini, Greci, and Ebraici. Six Arab manuscripts were included in the Vaticani Arabi collection. Over time, other manuscript collections were added to the Latin fonds, mostly deriving from writers, professors, and artists.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Duchy of Urbino was a state entity of the Italian peninsula. A city of "ghibelline" tradition, Urbino became the seat of an imperial vicariate in 1155. In 1213, it was entrusted to Buonconte da Montefeltro (1170-1241) by Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250). In 1443, the county was elevated to duchy by Pope Eugene IV (papacy: 1431-47), and Oddantonio da Montefeltro (1428-44) became the first duke. His successor was Federico (1444-82), a brave soldier and a brilliant politician, under whose rule the duchy extended from Gubbio to the Adriatic and from the Apennines to San Marino, a territory now included between Umbria, Marche, and Emilia Romagna. Under the patronage of Duke Federico, the ducal city became one of the main centres of Italian Humanism and the Renaissance. It was in these years that the important book heritage of Urbino grew and became known for its precious manuscripts and incunabula. The Montefeltro family dominated the duchy until 1508 when Guidobaldo (1472-1508) died without heirs. The duchy then passed to the Della Rovere family, through Francesco Maria I (1491-1538). Between 1516 and 1521, Urbino had a short period of domination by Lorenzo de’ Medici (1492–1519), nephew of Pope Leo X (papacy: 1513-21). After the return of Urbino to the Della Rovere family, whose dynasty died out without heirs in 1631, it became a territory of the Papal State.
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Finding aids
Author of the description
Andrea Cicerchia, 2022
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