Collezione De Rossi
Item
Country
IT
Name of institution (English)
Palatina Library
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
ita
Contact information: postal address
Piazza della Pilotta 3, 43121 Parma
Contact information: phone number
0039 0521220451
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
b-pala@beniculturali.it
Reference number
De Rossi
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
De Rossi Collection
Title (official language of the state)
Collezione De Rossi
Language of title
ita
Creator / accumulator
Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi
Date note
11th century/16th century
Language(s)
heb
Extent
1432 volumes
Type of material
Textual Material
Physical condition
Good
Scope and content
The Collezione de Rossi is one of the most important collections of Hebrew manuscripts and printing books and, according to Guiliano Tamani, the greatest collected by a Christian scholar of Judaica. It includes numerous Bibles, Psalters, works on Philosophy, Law and Kabbalah, as well as other subjects. Some volumes of this collection are directly related to the Iberian Jewish communities and the Sephardic diaspora. Here are a few examples:
Parm. 1959 / De Rossi 945: Collection of Hebrew texts written in Loulé in 1462, most of them by Abraham ibn Hayyim. It includes the aljamiado treatise "O livro de como se fazem as cores das tintas" (Treatise on preparing inks and colours for illuminating books).
Parm. 2372 / De Rossi 311: Nachmanides' Commentary on Pentateuch, copied in the yeshivah of Buitrago (Spain) in 1467.
Parm. 2485 / De Rossi 1415: Collection of Hebrew works, mainly by Maimonides, copied in Spain circa 1400. It includes a copy of Iggeret ha-Mussar ha-Kelalit, an epistle on ethics attributed to Aristotle and translated from Greek to Arabic by Ali, and Hebrew by Judah al-Harizi (other copies in this collection in Parm. 2630, 2093, 2620, and 2303).
Parm. 2668 / De Rossi 782: Hebrew Bible with Masorah copied by Hayyim b. Israel for Isaac b. Samuel ha-Levi and his sons Samuel, Joseph and Meir in Toledo in 1277.
Parm. 2705 / De Rossi 72: Rashi's Commentary on the Pentateuch copied in Guarda (Portugal) in 1346.
Parm. 2674 / De Rossi 850: Pentateuch, Haftarot and Five Scrolls, copied by Samuel de Medina for Jacob b. Jonah Kohen in Lisbon in 1469.
Parm. 2698 / De Rossi 411: Latter Prophets, copied by Sasson b. Joseph ibn Yov (Ayyub?) for Isaac b. Judah Tibuba in Lisbon in 1469.
Parm. 2809 / De Rossi 187: Hebrew Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, copied by Moses b. Jacob b. Moses ibn Khalef in Spain in 1473.
Parm. 3186 / De Rossi 196: Hebrew Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, copied in Huesca (Spain) in the late 13th century.
Parm. 677 [not included in De Rossi catalogue]: Pentateuch and Haftarot according to the Spanish rite, copied by Samuel de Medina in Lisbon in 1473.
Parm. 1959 / De Rossi 945: Collection of Hebrew texts written in Loulé in 1462, most of them by Abraham ibn Hayyim. It includes the aljamiado treatise "O livro de como se fazem as cores das tintas" (Treatise on preparing inks and colours for illuminating books).
Parm. 2372 / De Rossi 311: Nachmanides' Commentary on Pentateuch, copied in the yeshivah of Buitrago (Spain) in 1467.
Parm. 2485 / De Rossi 1415: Collection of Hebrew works, mainly by Maimonides, copied in Spain circa 1400. It includes a copy of Iggeret ha-Mussar ha-Kelalit, an epistle on ethics attributed to Aristotle and translated from Greek to Arabic by Ali, and Hebrew by Judah al-Harizi (other copies in this collection in Parm. 2630, 2093, 2620, and 2303).
Parm. 2668 / De Rossi 782: Hebrew Bible with Masorah copied by Hayyim b. Israel for Isaac b. Samuel ha-Levi and his sons Samuel, Joseph and Meir in Toledo in 1277.
Parm. 2705 / De Rossi 72: Rashi's Commentary on the Pentateuch copied in Guarda (Portugal) in 1346.
Parm. 2674 / De Rossi 850: Pentateuch, Haftarot and Five Scrolls, copied by Samuel de Medina for Jacob b. Jonah Kohen in Lisbon in 1469.
Parm. 2698 / De Rossi 411: Latter Prophets, copied by Sasson b. Joseph ibn Yov (Ayyub?) for Isaac b. Judah Tibuba in Lisbon in 1469.
Parm. 2809 / De Rossi 187: Hebrew Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, copied by Moses b. Jacob b. Moses ibn Khalef in Spain in 1473.
Parm. 3186 / De Rossi 196: Hebrew Bible with Masorah Magna and Parva, copied in Huesca (Spain) in the late 13th century.
Parm. 677 [not included in De Rossi catalogue]: Pentateuch and Haftarot according to the Spanish rite, copied by Samuel de Medina in Lisbon in 1473.
Archival history
The Collezione de Rossi has its origins in the personal library of abbot Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi (1742-1831), a Christian Hebraist and professor of Oriental Languages in the University of Parma from 1769 to 1821. In 1803, De Rossi published the catalogue of his collection in three volumes.
In 1816, duchess Maria Luisa of Austria purchased the collection as a gift to the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. It included 1432 manuscripts from the 11th century to the 16th century and 1464 printed volumes (15th-18th centuries). The collection was then stored in a new room, the "Sala De Rossi per le lingue orientali". The De Rossi manuscripts were added to a collection of 32 Hebrew manuscripts that the first director of the library (1762-1769), Paolo Maria Paciaudi, had previously acquired. In 1828, 19 manuscripts were purchased by Angelo Pezzana, chief librarian, to Pietro Vitali, who studied Oriental languages with De Rossi at the University of Parma. Other 111 manuscripts were incorporated into the collection in 1846, acquired from the collection of Shelomoh Gottlieb Stern from Rohoncz (Hungary) and Mordecai Bislichis from Brody. In 1865, four more manuscripts entered into the collection after the Biblioteca Palatina had been annexed to the Biblioteca Nazionale of Parma. Among other further acquisitions, there were four manuscripts given by the widow of Shelomoh Betesh-Levi from Lugano in 1889; another manuscript purchased to Joseph Luzzatton, a Paduan lawyer, in 1882; and another one bought from Michael ben Mosheh Foà from Parma in 1891.
Pietro Perreau (1827-1911), who was responsible for the De Rossi collection after 1860, composed a new description of the manuscripts, completing the original De Rossi's catalogue with information regarding subsequent acquisitions.
The most recent catalogue of the Hebrew fonds of the Biblioteca Palatina dates back to 2001, under the direction of Benjamin Richler, and includes paleographical and codicological descriptions of Malachi Beit-Ariè.
In 1816, duchess Maria Luisa of Austria purchased the collection as a gift to the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma. It included 1432 manuscripts from the 11th century to the 16th century and 1464 printed volumes (15th-18th centuries). The collection was then stored in a new room, the "Sala De Rossi per le lingue orientali". The De Rossi manuscripts were added to a collection of 32 Hebrew manuscripts that the first director of the library (1762-1769), Paolo Maria Paciaudi, had previously acquired. In 1828, 19 manuscripts were purchased by Angelo Pezzana, chief librarian, to Pietro Vitali, who studied Oriental languages with De Rossi at the University of Parma. Other 111 manuscripts were incorporated into the collection in 1846, acquired from the collection of Shelomoh Gottlieb Stern from Rohoncz (Hungary) and Mordecai Bislichis from Brody. In 1865, four more manuscripts entered into the collection after the Biblioteca Palatina had been annexed to the Biblioteca Nazionale of Parma. Among other further acquisitions, there were four manuscripts given by the widow of Shelomoh Betesh-Levi from Lugano in 1889; another manuscript purchased to Joseph Luzzatton, a Paduan lawyer, in 1882; and another one bought from Michael ben Mosheh Foà from Parma in 1891.
Pietro Perreau (1827-1911), who was responsible for the De Rossi collection after 1860, composed a new description of the manuscripts, completing the original De Rossi's catalogue with information regarding subsequent acquisitions.
The most recent catalogue of the Hebrew fonds of the Biblioteca Palatina dates back to 2001, under the direction of Benjamin Richler, and includes paleographical and codicological descriptions of Malachi Beit-Ariè.
Administrative / Biographical history
Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi was born in Castelnuovo Canavese (today Villa Castelnuovo) in 1742. In 1769, he was appointed professor of Oriental languages at the University of Parma. Since then, he devoted himself to investigating the Hebrew Bible and Hebrew typography and bibliography, giving an important contribution to the advancement of Jewish studies in Italy. In order to support his research, De Rossi gathered a precious collection of Hebrew manuscripts and printing books.
The Annales Hebræo-Typographici (Parma, 1795) and the Annales Hebræo-Typographici ab 1501 ad 1540 (Parma, 1799) are his two magnum opera on Hebrew printing. In the sequence of these works, De Rossi also composed a Dizionario Storico degli Autori Ebrei e delle Loro Opere (Parma, 1802), in which, among other findings, he fixed the year of Rashi's birth. He also published a catalogue of his collection, both manuscripts (1803) and printed books (1812). In the field of the study of the Hebrew Bible, De Rossi wrote Variæ Lectiones Veteris Testamenti (Parma, 1784-88), whose research involved the visit of the chief Italian libraries of Italy. Among other De Rossi's works, there were two on Jewish-Christian polemics: Della Vana Aspettazione degli Ebrei del Loro Re Messia (Parma, 1773) and "Bibliotheca Judaica Antichristiana" (Parma, 1800). De Rossi died in Parma in 1831.
The Annales Hebræo-Typographici (Parma, 1795) and the Annales Hebræo-Typographici ab 1501 ad 1540 (Parma, 1799) are his two magnum opera on Hebrew printing. In the sequence of these works, De Rossi also composed a Dizionario Storico degli Autori Ebrei e delle Loro Opere (Parma, 1802), in which, among other findings, he fixed the year of Rashi's birth. He also published a catalogue of his collection, both manuscripts (1803) and printed books (1812). In the field of the study of the Hebrew Bible, De Rossi wrote Variæ Lectiones Veteris Testamenti (Parma, 1784-88), whose research involved the visit of the chief Italian libraries of Italy. Among other De Rossi's works, there were two on Jewish-Christian polemics: Della Vana Aspettazione degli Ebrei del Loro Re Messia (Parma, 1773) and "Bibliotheca Judaica Antichristiana" (Parma, 1800). De Rossi died in Parma in 1831.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Finding aids
Existence and location of copies
The Collezione De Rossi, such as all Hebrew manuscripts of the Biblioteca Palatina, are on microfilm at the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts in the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem.
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Bibliography
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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