ALTERNATIVE TITLES – Francisci Asculani Acerba – Liber Acerbe Etatis – Acerba di Cecco d’Ascoli – Acerba des Cecco d’Ascoli – Acerba von Cecco d’Ascoli.
FEATURES – Codex on parchment, 190 x 275 mm, 180 pp.
BINDING – Binding with the Medici coats of arms (cornerpieces and metal stud), characteristic of the manuscripts of the fund Plutei.
ORIGIN – Italy.
CHRONOLOGY – 14th century.
FORMER OWNERS – Medici family.
CURRENT LOCATION – Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (fund Plutei).
GENRE – Literature; Treatises / Secular books; Astronomy / Astrology.
CONTENTS – Didactic poem composed in 1327 by Francesco degli Stabili Cichus, better known as Cecco d’Ascoli. Starting from the thought of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas and of the dominant Arab philosophers in the period in which he writes, Cecco discusses various scientific questions, mainly concerning celestial events, with an educational tone. Acerba has also been defined Anticommedia, due to the fact that in it the Author lashes out against poetry, particularly against Dante Alighieri‘s Comedy, which he sees as the negation of «true science». Because of his opinions, judged to be heretical, Cecco will be condemned to the stake and this is why Acerba has remained an unfinished work.
LANGUAGE – Italian.
SCRIPT – Gothic. One column of text.
DECORATION – Over 70 miniatures mainly in color; decorated initials.
STYLE – Renaissance.
EXTERNAL LINKS – BML-Teca Digitale (digitized manuscript).

Data sheet: Illuminated Facsimiles

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FACSIMILE EDITION

Full-size color reproduction of the entire original document. The facsimile reproduces as close as possible the codicological characteristics of the original document. The binding corresponds to that of the original document as it appears at the present moment.

Publisher – Editalia – Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (Rome, 2006).
Series – Mappe e facsimili.
Limited edition – 530 copies.
Writing material – Made by Cartiere Miliani-Fabriano.
Binding – Red half-leather binding; cornerpieces and metal studs on the boards, depicting the coat of arms of the Medici family; label with author and title on the front cover; two clasps.
Commentary (Italian) – Mariani Canova, Giordana; Rao, Ida Giovanna.
Slipcase – Facsimile and commentary are presented in a book-shaped slipcase.
ISBN – 8824010210.
EAN – 9788824010214.

Copyright photos: Illuminated Facsimiles