Libro dei Sette Savj (A)

From The Seven Sages of Rome

The Italian text titled Il Libro dei Sette Savj, edited by Alessandro d'Ancona (1864), adheres closely to the standard Version A story pattern. Unlike the two other Italian Version A redactions (the Italian Prose A and Storia favolosa di Stefano) this version maintains all fifteen expected stories, in the order in which the appear in most French Version A manuscripts - unsurprising, given that the presumed source material for this text is a French A text.

The dating of this version is currently unclear. In the description given in Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), the authors suggest that d'Ancona 'ascribes the text he edited... to the end of the 13th century' (p. 128). As far as I can discover, d'Ancona situates the text in the 'buon secolo della lingua', the golden age of Italian vernacular literature between c. 1220-1350 (vii), but does not offer a specific date. However, Wikeley (1983) suggests (in passing) a fifteenth century date for this text, which corresponds with the date for Florence Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Palatino 680 - the supplemental text d'Ancona used as an appendix. However, d'Ancona's primary text, Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166, may have a distinct date, of course; the online catalogue for the Laurenziana library is not currently available, and thus more confirmation is needed.


[Added by Jane Bonsall]

Identification and general Information
Reference Number
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages
Version Number
Title
Author
Tradition and Lineage
Branch of the tradition West
Adapted from (version) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information Wikeley (1983)
Recorded secondary versions
Connected manuscripts
Language and Composition
Original language of version Italian
Language of text Italian
Regional or specific language of version
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition
Date of composition 1250 - 1500
Islamic date of composition
Hebrew date of composition
Source for date of composition
Modern Scholarship and Editions
Modern research literature D'Ancona (1864)Wikeley (1983)Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984)
Modern Editions D'Ancona, Il Libro dei Sette Savj (1864)
Notes and Commentary
Note
Notes on motifs
Notes on the frame
Pattern of embedded stories in this version
Has Short TitleHas Sequence NumberHas NarratorHas Name Variation
Arbor1Empress 
Canis2BancillasBaucilasse
Aper3Empress 
Medicus4AnxillesAusiles
Gaza5Empress 
Mercator6LentulusLitalus
Senescalcus7Empress 
Tentamina8Innachindas 
Virgilius9Empress 
Avis10CatonCato
Sapientes11Empress 
Vidua12JesseGiesse
Roma13Empress 
Inclusa14Marco 

Connected prints

No connected prints