Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 5774
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Luongo , F. Thomas.
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Saintly Authorship in the Italian Renaissance: The Quattrocento Reception of Catherine of Siena's Letters [The author argues that fifteenth century readers saw Catherine's letters as an important source of moral guidance. Furthermore their being written in the Italian vernacular was not a detraction. Catherine's mysticism conveyed authority as surely as Latin and Greek did for the classics. These trends crystalize in the edition of Catherine's letters printed by Aldus Manutius in 1500. He combines spiritual and literary goals with a new typeface for the saint's inspired vernacular. [Title note supplied by Feminae.].
  • Source: Journal of the Early Book Society for the Study of Manuscripts and Printing History 8, ( 2005): Pages 1 - 46.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Journal Article
  • Subject (See Also): Authority Caffarini, Tommaso, Dominican Friar and Hagiographer Catherine of Siena, Saint- Letters Hagiography Illumination of Manuscripts Latin Language Manuscripts Manutius, Aldus, Printer Mystics Printing Raymond of Capua, Confessor of Saint Catherine o
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: Italy
  • Century: 14- 15- 16
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations: Ten Figures. Figure One Woodcut of Catherine of Siena, "Epistole devotissime de sancta Catharina da Siena," (Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1500 (New Haven Conn., Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library). Figure Two Manuscript page (Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Magliabechiano MS XXXVIII, 130, 47r). Figure Three Andrea di Bartolo, St. Catherine of Siena and Four Dominican Beate (Murano, Museo Vetrario). Figure Four Manuscript illumination of Catherine of Siena in an initial O, "Libro della divina dottrina" or "Dialogo" (Siena, Biblioteca Comunale, T.ll.4,5v). Produced in Venice at Caffarini's scriptorium. Text in Latin. Figure Five Initial letter illumination showing Catherine of Siena receiving inspiration from God and dictating to two scribes (Siena, Biblioteca Comunale, MS T.ll.4, 6v). Figure Six "Epistole" (Siena, Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, MS T.11.3, 19r.). Produced in Venice at the scriptorium of Caffarini. An illumination at the head of the page depicts Catherine in the air holding banderoles. Four prosperously dressed men stand at attention in front of her. This marks the beginning of the section of letters to Italian civic "signori." Figure Seven "Copia privilegii ordinis fratrum et sororum de penitentia beati dominici" (Siena Biblioteca Comunale, MS B.VII.5, 3r.). Figure Eight Page of Catherine's letters, second half of the fifteenth century (London, British Library, Harley MS 3480, 54v). Figure Nine Catherine of Siena, "Letter to Mona Agnesa, Wife of Francesco Sarto, in Florence," (Florence Biblioteca Riccardiana, MS 2322). Figure Ten Page of Catherine's letters (Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Palatino MS 58, lr).
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  • Author's Affiliation: Tulane University
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2005.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 15256790