Egerton MS 3764

PRIORISTA FIORENTINO; a chronological list by Angelo and Francesco Gaddi of the priors of Florence from 1282 to 1532, with extensive marginal notes; aft. 1495-16th cent. Italian. Copied from the autograph MS. partly in the hand of Francesco Gaddi, now Florence, Archivio di Stato, Tratte 132 bis, shortly after Francesco had completed his section covering the years from 1477 to 1495, with later additions. Also lists other officials, especially members of balìe, accoppiatori, etc., appointed from 1433 to 1494. Preceded (ff. 1-3b) by a preface, beg. 'Fu edifichata la citta di firenze la prima volta per gli romani anni secento ottantadua', summarising Florentine history from its origins up to 1282, when the first priors were elected. The preface and marginal notes for the earlier period derive closely from the Villani Cronache, but for the later period, notably from 1433 to 1494, they are evidently based on first hand information and are of much greater value. Other MSS. are Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence, II, 1, 242, 243, an 18th cent. copy here referred to on f. xi, and an unlocated MS. originally owned by O. Aiazzi from which an extract describing the entry of Charles VIII into Florence in 1494, found at ff. 226b-229 in Eg. 3764, was published in Archivio Storico Italiano, IV, 2, 1853, pp. 41-9. See also D. Marzi, La Cancelleria della Repubblica Fiorentina, 1910, p. 266, note I. Contains historical notes which are not in the autograph. Belonged to Kirkup in Florence, 1849. Bought by J. Molini of Florence for Francis Capper Brooke at Kirkup's sale, 1871. Sotheby's, 11 Dec. 1871, lot 1674. See B.M.Q., xxii, 1960, pp. 62-4. From the Bridgewater Fund.

Paper; ff. xiv+285. Aft. 1495-XVI cent. Not in the hand of Francesco Gaddi, as stated (ff. iv, vi, ix) by Seymour Kirkup, but in three hands, the main Florentine Chancery hand to 1495 being followed by additions from 1495 to 1507 (ff. 234b-247) in a second hand, further additions from 1507 to 1532 (ff. 247-267) in a third, and a list of Florentine families on f. 267b in a fourth. Preceded by three letters of Seymour Stocker Kirkup to Francis Capper Brooke, 1873, with notes by Brooke (ff. iii-vii); notes by Kirkup on the Gaddi family (f. ix), and similar notes and extracts copied from the Priorista, mainly in an Italian hand (ff. x-xii). Gatherings of 8. Signatures of letters and numbers 1-4 on first half of each quire. Bookstamp of M[archese?] U[go?] S[tufa?] on f. 1. White vellum binding, tooled in gold by Riviere.