Italian Version A: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:48, 14 November 2025

The Italian branch of the Version A pattern, sometimes referred to in scholarship as the versione francese-italica (by e.g. Cesari), exists in a few different redactions. All of these follow, or nearly follow, the story-order set by the Old French Version A, and are presumed to be (direct or indirect) translations of French iterations of the narrative.

These redactions are:

Libro dei Sette Savj (A), edited by d'Ancona (1864)
Italian Prose (V), edited by Varnhagen (1881)
Storia favolosa di Stefano (S), edited by Bozzoli (1999); first discussed in Cesari (1896).

All of these redactions have complex inheritances. Of the three versions, the Libro dei Sette Savj (A) is most closely related to its French Version A source-text, and the only one to maintain all fifteen stories. The Italian Prose (V) betrays the influence of Version L (Sept Sages de Rome), perhaps suggesting that a French A/L Overlap text was its source. The Storia favolosa di Stefano has historically been designated part of Version A, but also evidences influences of I (Versio Italico). Some scholarship (D'Agostino, 2022) therefore groups it with other anomalous Version I texts instead of with the A branch.

Both the Prose (V) and the Storia favolosa replace the story Puteus with Mercator, a story that clearly mirrors the frame-tale's structure and concerns. Mercator is found only in these two Italian redactions, and in the anomalous Latin (and later German) translations of Version A known as the Allegatio septem sapientum or Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus. The Latin Allegatio also replaces Puteus with Mercator, and was composed sometime in the 14th century, in Northern Italy - making it roughly contemporary with these Italian Version A redactions.

General Information

Parent Versions

A (Seven Sages)

Branch of the tradition

West

Language & Composition

Translated into (languages)

Veneto, Toscano

Place of composition

Italy

Date of Composition

1250 - 1400

Literature & Editions

Modern research literature

Mussafia (1867), D'Ancona (1864), D'Agostino (2022), Giannetti (2012), Giannetti (1996), Bozzoli (1999), Bianchi (2014-2015), Varnhagen (1881), Cesari (1896), Capelli (1865), Segre (1959), Bozzoli (1997), Comparetti (1869)

Adaptations

Adapted from (version)

French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages

Adapted into (version)

Italian Prose (V), Libro dei Sette Savj (A), Storia favolosa di Stefano (S)

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Arbor – The Tree	1	Empress
Canis – The Faithful Dog	2	Bancillas	Bencillas
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	3	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	4	Anxilles	Auxlex
Gaza – The Treasure	5	Empress
Mercator	6	Lentulus	Litalus
Senescalcus – The Seneschal	7	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	8	Malquidras	Malchidras
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Cato
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Vidua – The Widow	12	Jesse	Fifth Master
Roma – Rome Besieged	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Arcius

Connected Manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production
Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166	Italian	Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana	1274 - 1500
Florence Biblioteca nazionale centrale, Palatino 680	Italian	Florence, Biblioteca nazionale centrale	1401 - 1500
London British Library Add. MS. 27429	Italian	London, British Library	1301 - 1325

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Secondary Version
-|Has Description=The Italian branch of the Version A pattern, sometimes referred to in scholarship as the ''versione francese-italica'' (by e.g. [[Cesari (1896)|Cesari]]), exists in a few different redactions. All of these follow, or nearly follow, the story-order set by the [[French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages|Old French Version A,]] and are presumed to be indirect translations of French iterations of the narrative.
+|Has Description=The Italian branch of the Version A pattern, sometimes referred to in scholarship as the ''versione francese-italica'' (by e.g. [[Cesari (1896)|Cesari]]), exists in a few different redactions. All of these follow, or nearly follow, the story-order set by the [[French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages|Old French Version A,]] and are presumed to be (direct or indirect) translations of French iterations of the narrative.
-These redactions are :
+These redactions are:
 * [[Libro dei Sette Savj (A)]], edited by [[d'Ancona (1864)]]
 * [[Italian Prose (V)]], edited by [[Varnhagen (1881)]]
 * [[Storia favolosa di Stefano (S)]], edited by [[Bozzoli (1999)]]; first discussed in [[Cesari (1896)]].
-All of these texts have complex inheritances, and none appear to be a straight translation of an individual text. For example, the Italian Prose (V) betrays the influence of [[L (Sept Sages de Rome)]], perhaps suggesting that an [[French A/L Overlap]] text was the source. The ''Storia favolosa di Stefano'' has historically been designated part of Version A, but also evidences influences of [[I (Versio Italico)]]. Some scholarship ([[D'Agostino (2022)]] therefore groups it with other Version I texts instead of with the A branch.
+All of these redactions have complex inheritances. Of the three versions, the [[Libro dei Sette Savj (A)]] is most closely related to its French Version A source-text, and the only one to maintain all fifteen stories. The Italian Prose (V) betrays the influence of Version [[L (Sept Sages de Rome)]], perhaps suggesting that a [[French A/L Overlap]] text was its source. The ''Storia favolosa di Stefano'' has historically been designated part of Version A, but also evidences influences of [[I (Versio Italico)]]. Some scholarship [[D'Agostino (2022)|(D'Agostino, 2022)]] therefore groups it with other anomalous Version I texts instead of with the A branch.
+Both the Prose (V) and the ''Storia favolosa'' replace the story [[Puteus]] with [[Mercator]], a story that clearly mirrors the frame-tale's structure and concerns. Mercator is found only in these two Italian redactions, and in the anomalous [[Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus|Latin]] (and later [[German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus|German]]) translations of Version A known as the ''Allegatio septem sapientum'' or ''Libellus muliebri nequitia plenus.'' The Latin ''Allegatio'' also replaces Puteus with Mercator, and was composed sometime in the 14th century, in Northern Italy - making it roughly contemporary with these Italian Version A redactions.
 |Has Parent Version=A (Seven Sages)
 |Has Branch Of Tradition=West
+|Is Adapted From=French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages
+|Is Adapted Into=Italian Prose (V); Libro dei Sette Savj (A); Storia favolosa di Stefano (S)
+|Has Original Language Of Version=Italian
+|Is Translated Into Languages=Veneto; Toscano
+|Has Place Of Text Composition=Italy
+|Has Start Date Of Composition=1250
+|Has End Date Of Composition=1400
 |Has Text Language=Italian
 |Has Modern Research Literature=Mussafia (1867); D'Ancona (1864); D'Agostino (2022); Giannetti (2012); Giannetti (1996); Bozzoli (1999); Bianchi (2014-2015); Varnhagen (1881); Cesari (1896); Capelli (1865); Segre (1959); Bozzoli (1997); Comparetti (1869)