Add MS 8270

COLLECTION of letters, relazioni, and papal instructions relating to the Carafa war and to the papacies of Paul IV (1555-1559) and Sixtus IV (1471-1484); circa 1472-1568. Italian and Spanish. Copies, 17th cent. The first part of the MS. (ff. 3-97v, 113-126) is related to the so-called Carafa War between Philip II of Spain and Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, on one side and Pope Paul IV Carafa and Henry II of France on the other, which took place in the Lazio and in Naples in 1556-1557. The collection also includes (ff. 98-112v, 127-128) correspondence between Ferdinando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba and Viceroy of Naples, Paul IV, Cardinal Carlo Carafa and Cardinals Jean du Bellay, Dean of the Sacred College, and Juan Alvarez de Toledo, Archbishop of Compostella, and (ff. 113-126v) an anonymous relazione of the war, other copies of which in Add. 16397 (ff. 218-233v), and Royal 14.A.XXI (art. 5, ff. 181-195v). Similar collections in Add. 8262 (ff. 203-221v, 599-603v), 8271, 8295, 8296, 16397, and 16445. For chronicles of the war by Alessandro Andrea and Pietro De Nores see respectively Add. 8666 (Andrea) and 8689 (Book i), 10778, 21961, ff. 157-336v, 26858-26959 (De Nores). The second part of the MS. (ff. 140-245v) mostly contains instructions of Pope Sixtus IV to papal nuncios, circa 1472-1478, in Latin. The MS also includes: - (a) letter [from Bernardino Cirillo, abbot commendator of the Hospital of Santo Spirito at Rome] to Muzio Calini, Bishop of Terni, 1568 (ff. 129-139v), another copy of which in Add. 8312, art. 8, ff. 197-203; - (b) petition from the Emperor Charles V to Pope Paul III relating to the catholic league, circa 1534-1549, in Latin (ff. 246-251v); - (c) relazione of Constantinople by Bernardo Navagero, 1552 (ff. 252-346v), of which another copy in Egerton 1087, ff. 244-301 (previously pp. 512-626), published in Albèri, s. iii, v. i (Florence, 1840), pp. 33-110; - (d) relazione of Bologna by Fabio Mignanelli, Bishop of Grosseto, Prefect of the papal state, elected Cardinal in 1551, circa 1550 (ff. 347-352v): another copy in Add. 8262 (art. tt, ff. 585-586); - (e) relazione of France by Michele Soriano, 1561 (ff. 353-423), other copies of which in Add. 10172 (ff. 1-66v), 10176 (ff. 1-72), and 48148 (Yelverton MS. 160; art. 13, ff. 269-320v), Eg. 1087 (ff. 30-58, previously pp. 56-112), Lansdowne 840, vol. II (ff. 134-154v), Royal 14.A.XXI (art. 13, ff. 375-448), printed, incompletely, in Tesoro Politico... (Cologne, 1589, sig. Y-CC, B.L. copy 521.d.14; Cologne, 1598, pp. 234-282, B.L. copy 521.C.19; Milan, 1600, pp. 165-203, B.L. copy 29.b.13), the text ending 'che sia sana'; also published by Albèri, s. i, v. iv (Florence, 1860), pp. 103-149. Table of contents (ff. 1-2), added later. Marked '9' in ink at centre of lower edge. Stamp of the Colonna library 'Libraria Colonna' in red on ff. ii, 1, 422v, v (verso); for the Colonna library stamp see Bragaglia, vol. iii, T 32: circa 1750. From the library of Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, according to a note in Evans sale catalogue at lot 284. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '284' and 'Tomo IX / A' in pencil in lower right margin of f. ii. Purchased, together with Add. 8262-8269, 8271-8281, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 284 (part).

Paper; ff. 423+v, plus one unfoliated blank after ff. 97, 108, 139, 346, and two after f. 105. Old foliation in ink '1-428' (ff. 3-423, and f. iii), including blanks. 270 x 207mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Three Italian hands.