New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, M. 498, late 14th century (Y).
Parchment manuscript, 414 ff. 269 x 186 mm. Full-page illustrations on f. 4v and f. 343v. The text is divided in two columns.
ff. 1ra–3vb: List of rubrics in Rev. I.
- f. 4r: Blank.
- f. 4v: Illumination.
ff. 5ra–7va: Prologus magistri Mathie by Mathias Lincopensis.
(Prologus magistri Mathie)ff. 4rb–54vb: Rev. I by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)ff. 55ra–56va: List of rubrics in Rev. II.
ff. 57ra–90vb: Rev. II by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)ff. 91ra–92vb: List of rubrics in Rev. III.
ff. 93ra–119va: Rev. III by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)ff. 120(1)ra–126(7)ra: List of rubrics in Rev. IV. (Incorrect numbering in MS.)
ff. 126(7)rb–206(86)vb: Rev. IV by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)ff. 207(88)ra–210(91)rb: List of rubrics in Rev. V.
ff. 210(91)rb–232(113)rb: Rev. V by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)- f. 232v: Blank.
ff. 233(114)ra–239(120)va: List of rubrics in Rev. VI.
ff. 240(121)ra–301(182)ra: Rev. VI by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)- ff. 301v: Partly erased fragment of Ave Maria, as well as a notes on provenance: Hic liber est monastery sancti Jeronimi de quarto ordinis sancte marie montis oliueti. Ego frater seruus yesu christi. Deo gratias. Amen. Finis Amen.
ff. 302(1)ra–304(3)ra: List of rubrics in Rev. VII.
ff. 304(3)ra–327(26)rb: Rev. VII by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)- ff. 327v: Blank, except later insertion: Incipit epistola solitarij. ad reges and Solitarij inquam Alphonsi Confessoris B. Birgitte.
ff. 328(27)ra–340(39)rb: Epistola solitarii ad reges by Alfonso of Jaén.
(Epistola solitarii ad reges)ff. 340(39)va–343(42)ra: List of rubrics in Rev. VIII.
- f. 343v: Illumination.
ff. 344(43)ra–390(89)va: Rev. VIII by St. Birgitta.
(Revelationes)ff. 391(82)ra–408(99)va: Sermo angelicus by St. Birgitta.
(Sermo angelicus)ff. 409(102)ra–414(107)rb: Quattuor orationes by St. Birgitta.
(Quattuor orationes)- ff. 414rb: Colophon: Jste liber Reuelationum Beate Brigide est conuentus fratrum sanctj Jeronimjde quarto riperie ordinis montis oliuetj.
Late 14th century, likely before the canonization of St. Birgitta (Undhagen (ed.) 1978 (Rev. I), p. 150).
-
Most likely written and illuminated in Naples. Belonged to S. Gerolamo di Quarto sulla Riviera, founded by Alfonso of Jaén as an Augustinian monastery outside Genoa in 1382, but after his death in 1389 given to the Olivetans, a branch within the Benedictines. The manuscript itself might have been gifted to the monastery by Alfonso of Jaén.
Common origin with the manuscript Palermo, Biblioteca Nazionale, IV G 2 (signum P in Undhagen (ed) 1978): similar miniatures (see Lattanzi 1955; 1965, pp. 62–64 & Nordenfalk 1961, pp. 373 f., 378 ff.), which indicate an artist from Naples. The manuscript Warszawa, Biblioteka Narodowa, 3310 (Tb) probably also has the same provenance.
"It seems reasonable to suppose that a magnificent manuscript like Y was prepared for someone in a high position. There is reason to believe that it was one of the transcripts made during the canonization process at the end of the 1370's." (Undhagen (ed.) 1978 (Rev. I), p. 162.)'
Mentioned manuscripts: Mentions person:
D'Ancona, Paulo. 1912. Il Liber celestium revelationum Sanctae Brigidae illustrato da un miniatore senese della prima metà del sec. XV. La Bibliofila XIV:1–5.
Bond, William Henry & Faye, Christopher Urdahl. 1962. Supplement to the Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Originated by C. U. Faye. Continued and Edited by W. H. Bond. New York, p. 347.
Delestre Maurice & Labitte Adolphe. 1884. Catalogue illustré des livres précieux manuscrits et imprimés faisant partie de la bibliothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin Didot. Paris, no. 31, pp. 35–37.
Firmin-Didot, Ambroise. 1867. Catalogue raisonné des livres de la bibliothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin-Didot. I. Livres avec figres sur bois, solennités, romans de chevalerie. Paris, no. 118, cols. 39–39.
De Floriani, A. 1992. Un’aggiunta al ‘Maestro del Liber celestium Revelationum’. Studi di storia dell’arte 1992:3, pp. 219–235.
Greene, Belle da Costa & Harrsen, Meta P. 1934. The Pierpont Morgan Library. Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts held at the New York Public Library. New York, p. 46 (No 95).
Harrsen, Meta P. & Boyce, George K. 1953. Italian Manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York, pp. 25 f. (No 46).
Nordenfalk, Carl. 1961. Saint Bridget of Sweden as Represented in Illuminated Manuscripts. In: Millard Meiss (ed.), Essays in honor of Erwin Panofsky. Vol. 1. New York, pp. 373 f., 378 ff.
Putaturo Murano, A. 1984. Il Maestro del Seneca dei Girolamini di Napoli. In: Studi di storia dell’arte in memoria di Mario Rotili. Benevento. I, pp. 261–273; II, tables CVIII–CXVIII.
De Ricci, Seymour de & Wilson, William J. 1935, 1937, 1940. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. I–III. New York, p. 1462.
Sancta Birgitta. Opera minora. Vol. II. Sermo angelicus. 1972. Sten Eklund (ed.). Uppsala, pp. 11, 25–29. Available at Litteraturbanken.
Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones lib. I cum prologo magistri Mathie. 1978. Carl-Gustaf Undhagen (ed.). (SFSS, Ser. 2, Latinska skrifter VII:2.) Stockholm, pp. 156–162. (MS Y). Available at Litteraturbanken.
Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones lib. III. 1998. Ann-Mari Jönsson (ed.). Stockholm, p. 22. Available at Litteraturbanken.
Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones lib. IV. 1992. Hans Aili (ed.). Stockholm, pp. 25 ff. (MS Y). Available at Litteraturbanken.
Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones lib. V. 1971. Birger Bergh (ed.). Uppsala, pp. 50 ff. Available at Litteraturbanken.
Sancta Birgitta. Revelaciones lib. VII. 1967. Birger Bergh (red.). (KVHAA & SFSS, Ser. 2, Latinska skrifter VII:5.) Uppsala, pp. 36, 38–40, 50 f., 60, footnote 27; 89 ff. Available at Litteraturbanken.
Westman, Knut B. 1911. Birgitta-studier. I. Uppsala.
Westman, Knut B. 1913. Två handskrifter af Birgittas Revelationer. (KÅ 14.), pp. 21–23.