Libro dei Sette Savj (A): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:35, 18 February 2026

The Italian text titled Il Libro dei Sette Savj, edited by Alessandro d'Ancona (1864), from whom it takes its siglum 'A', adheres closely to the standard Version A story pattern. Unlike the two other Italian Version A redactions (the Italian Prose (V) 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. Wikeley (1983) suggests that the Old French source text for this Italian redaction appears to have been quite similar to Paris BNF, fr. 2137 - the same text partially edited by Le Roux de Lincy, Roman des Sept Sages de Rome (1838).

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). 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. D'Agostino (2022) comments on the 'problema cronologico', noting that it is difficult to say whether this is a 13th or 14th century codex; it follows the pattern of the 13th century French texts, however (p. 179). 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, it seems Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166 predates this.

It is worth noting that this redaction appears to be, out of all the Italian Version A texts, most closely related to the French Version A tradition. D'Agostino notes that this version is celebrated for its proximity to the 'lingua d'oïl' of the time, and is famous as one of the texts 'piú ricchi di francesismi' in Italian medieval literature (p. 179) (see also Bianchi (2014-2015)).

[Added by Jane Bonsall]

Tradition & Lineage

Branch of the tradition

Seven Sages of Rome

Adapted from (version)

French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages

Source for composition and adaptation information

Wikeley (1983)

Connected Manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production
Florence Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Gaddiano 166	Italian	Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana	1274 - 1500

Language & Composition

Language of version

Italian

Place of composition

Tuscany, Italy

Date of Composition

1250 - 1400

Source for date of composition

D'Agostino (2022)

Modern Scholarship & Editions

Modern research literature

D'Ancona (1864), Wikeley (1983), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), D'Agostino (2022), Segre (1959), Bozzoli (1999), Comparetti (1869), Bianchi (2014-2015)

Modern Editions

D'Ancona, Il Libro dei Sette Savj (1864), Bianchi, Libro dei sette savi di Roma (2014-2015), Giannetti, Libro dei Sette Savi di Roma (2012)

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	Baucilasse
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	3	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	4	Anxilles	Ausiles
Gaza – The Treasure	5	Empress
Mercator	6	Lentulus	Litalus
Senescalcus – The Seneschal	7	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	8	Innachindas
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Caton	Cato
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Vidua – The Widow	12	Jesse	Giesse
Roma – Rome Besieged	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Marco

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 [Added by Jane Bonsall]
+|Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome
 |Has Parent Version=Italian Version A
-|Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome
 |Is Adapted From=French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages
 |Has Source For Composition And Adaption Information=Wikeley (1983)
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |Has End Date Of Composition=1400
 |Has Source For Date Of Text Composition=D'Agostino (2022)
-|Has Text Language=Italian
 |Has Modern Research Literature=D'Ancona (1864); Wikeley (1983); Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984); D'Agostino (2022); Segre (1959); Bozzoli (1999); Comparetti (1869); Bianchi (2014-2015)
 |Has Modern Edition=D'Ancona, Il Libro dei Sette Savj (1864); Bianchi, Libro dei sette savi di Roma (2014-2015); Giannetti, Libro dei Sette Savi di Roma (2012)