Libro dei Sette Savj (A)

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
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
A (Seven Sages) Dutch Version A Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Group U Group V Group W Group X Group Y Group Z Gaelic Version A German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus Italian Version A Italian Prose (V) Libro dei Sette Savj (A) Storia favolosa di Stefano (S) Latin Version A Latin Version A: Allegatio / Libellus Middle English Version A Midland Version Y Group Northern English Southern English Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare Old Swedish Redaction A Old Swedish Redaction B Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Middle Welsh Version A

Connected manuscripts

Language and Composition
Language of version
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), D'Agostino (2022), Segre (1959), Bozzoli (1999), Comparetti (1869)
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)

Notes and Commentary
Note

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 Beseiged	13	Empress
Inclusa – The Imprisoned Wife	14	Marco

Connected prints
No connected prints