A new codicological and paleographic analysis of four Italian manuscripts of the Greek Physiologus (third type of the second version in Sbordone's nomenclature), compiled in the 1550s-1560s, enables to determine the conditions of their production. These luxurious copies commissioned by the Roman Curia were done in collaboration by various, more or less identified members of the entourage of the scriptor Emmanuel Provataris and of Manuel Malaxos. These copies are well known for their illustrations and demonstrate the persistence of preference for the manuscript book, even though the first printing of the work is based on them (1587). - [Abstract]

The manuscripts are:

• Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. gr. 438
• Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ott. gr. 354
• Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Suppl. 143 sup.
• Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. IV. 35

Language: French

DOI: 10.4000/rursuspicae.666