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Ludovico Lazzarelli's text from 1477 (or 1480 - 1485) (?)
- Fasti christianae religionis (description)

The following is a commentary to an article of Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (source, see complete article). The commenting text is written in bold, specific important informations are given in red.

The text refers to MS 391 Italy, s. XV^^ex, Ludovico Lazzarelli:, Fasti christianae religionis, a later edition of the Fasti , which - according to the Beinecke report - was written 1481 - 1485, but it might be suspected, that the work on it already started 1477. The text contains worthful informations about "poetical friends" of Lazzarelli, whose "Lazzarelli's praising poems" appeared as an addendum in the manuscript. By this we know, who were this friends and from their identity it seems obvious, that Lazzarelli was a well known person in the Accademia Romana.

The Fasti present Lazzarelli's attempt to establish a calendar, which united Christian and Pagan festivities during the year.


.....

3. ff. 7r-42rLodouici Lazarelli Septempedani Poetae Christiani Ad Pios Ac Inuictos Principes Ferdinandum De Aragonia Siciliae Regem Eiusque Primogenitum Alphonsum Calabriae Ducem Fastorum Christianae Religionis Liber Primus. O bruta mens curis vanos depone labores/ Et tibi nunc subeant que meliora uides/...Dixerit et primi consumpta parte laboris/ Me laetum linquens Pieris alma volat.

Books 1-3 on methods of counting time, moveable feasts, the ages of the world, the Jewish patriarchs, popes (the latest, Paul II, 1464-71), etc.

Personal Comment: Sixtus IV (1471 - 1484) is still living, so it is normal, that Lazzarelli didn't include him.

4. ff. 42v-44vHi sunt menses in quibus Christianae religionis mobilia festa cadunt descripti secundum formam anni 1476... [f. 43:] Describuntur in his mensibus exempli gratia festa mobilia iuxta usum ecclesie colore rubeo iuxta decreta patrum colore nigro uelut in anno 1477 contigerit [with calendar of moveable feasts for November-June].

Personal Comment: According to this the suspected production date for Lazzarelli's text should be 1477 (or little later), however, in the later comment of the text the date 1481 - 1485 is noted.

.....

7. ff. 243r-246r [Thirteen poems by others in honor of Lazarelli:]

  • Fabritius Varaneus: Nunc celebrare facit consumpti nomen homeri/ Ilias aeneis uirgiliumque refert/...Altius extollent tanto te laude minores/ Materia quanto clarius extat opus. [8 verses].
    The poet is identified as Fabrizius Varano or Fabritius Varaneus or Fabrizio Varano - bishop of Camerino (+ 1513)
  • Platyn: Nunc liquido apparet sententia uera platonis/ Alternas rerum iam remeare uices...Hunc mage commendat sed Christi uerior aetas/ Et scriptum uere religionis opus.[12 verses];
    the poet is identified as the well known Platina, librarian of the Vatican (+ 1482)
  • Sulpitius Verulanus: O cui caelesti conflagrat pectus amore/ Et qui cum signis annua festa canis/...Mistica non uulgo sic tu sanctissime uates/ Vnica Piceni fama perennis agri. [6 verses].
    Giovanni Sulpizio da Veroli (in Campania), a well known grammarian.
  • Idem. Loris aetherei tonantis actus/ Missis prodigijs iocisque uatum/...Hoc uerum est sapere haud labore uano/ Tot nugas aperire fabularum. [8 verses];
  • Paulus Marsus: Sic uicina mihi quamuis Nasonis alumni/ Natalis tellus dux sit et ille mihi/...Si caneretis idem veterumque abscederet error/ Equatum parili lance sederet onus. [16 verses]
    Paolo Marsi, well known poet
  • Astreus: Quid proceres populis tribuit quibus ampla regendis/ Sceptra deus largas quiue tenetis opes/...At tibi si desint nunc dona solubilis evi/ Praemia perpetui te lodouice manent. [16 verses];
    P. Astreus da Perugia
  • Ex C. Laurentij Eustothij silua qua plurimi recentiores poetae laudantur recitata romae in Symposio domini Francisci Diedi oratoris ueneti ad Sixtum iiii^^m Pontificem Maximum. Sed mens expectat uates seque inserit ultro/ Lazarellus inops fastos namque ipse per omnes/...Ad tua iam Brenti proauus cui caerula uentit/ Equor in adriacum turbatis flumina lymphis. [38 verses];
    C. Laurentius Eustothius
  • Lippus: Hec uates nostri modo suscipe pignus amoris/ Carmina si nostrum pignore pectus eget/...Duremus tamen his etiam finem afferet aetas/ Saepe redit pulsa nube serena dies. [28 verses];
    Lippus / Lorenzo de' Lippi from Colle near Florence
  • Sinthius: Maxima iuliacis creuere uolumina sacris/ Multaque telchinum mystica sacra notant/...Auguror a Sixto dabitur tibi mitra bicuspis/ Et tua nec fugiet plectra secundus honor. 20 verses];
    Sinthius / Pietro Leoni Cinzio from Ceneda in the province of Treviso
  • Pamphilus: Temporis o nostri uates clarissime carmen/ Hoc nostrum expleto perlege iudicio/...Hinc tibi fama decus nummi noua gloria surget / Sic tu defunctus nomine uiuus eris. [10 verses]
    Pamphilus / wrote an epitaph on Aesop published in Rome 1475 - a riddle is around his identity
  • Macharius Camers eques et Poeta. Clara nouis caelo properat septempeda fastis/ Aurea dum festos iungit ad astra dies/ Irrita cum causis valeant tua tempora sulmo/ Editur aeternae relligionis [sic] opus. [4 verses, complete here]
    Macharius Camers
  • Fabritius Varaneus Presul camerin[us?]: Qui ueteres adamas tamen relegisque poetas/ Vatibus ingenium credis abesse nouis/...Vincere materia non inficiabere nostrum/ Et rerum et serie carminis ire pares. [14 verses];
    Already mentioned above
  • Io. Georgius Cassianus Quondam iuliaco suffusi flamine uates/ Non nisi quod sacrum est explicuere pii/... Sic natale solum ciue hoc Septempeda gaude/ Huius et exemplo quisque poeta mere [20 verses].
    Iohannes Georgius Cassianus

The analysing researcher of the article adds:

Eleven poets are represented; most of those identified in Cosenza are associated with the Accademia Pomponiana in Rome in the 1480's; they are: Fabrizio Varano, bishop of Camerino, fl. 1503-13; Bartolomeo Scacchi Platina, historian of the papacy, 1421-81; Giovanni Sulpizio da Veroli (in Campania), grammarian, fl. s. xv^^ex; Paolo Marsi, poet, 1440-84; P. Astreus da Perugia, fl. s. xv^^ex; "Laurentius Eustothius's" poem recited in Rome before Sixtus IV (1471-84); Lorenzo de' Lippi from Colle, near Florence, fl. s. xv^^ex; Pietro Leoni Cinzio from Ceneda in the province of Treviso, fl. s. xv; a "Pamphilus" wrote an epitaph on Aesop published in Rome 1475. All but the 38 verses by Laurentius Eustothius were published from this manuscript by G. F. Lancellotti, L. Lazzarelli poetae laureati Bombyx... (St. Jesi, 1765).

.... Later is added

Produced for Ferdinand of Aragon, King of Naples (arms on f. 7r: argent, a cross gules; type 2 in T. de Marinis, op. cit., v. 2, pl. A); illuminated perhaps in Northeast Italy according to A. C. de la Mare, although attribution to a specific artist or locale has proven difficult (see above). The text of the Fasti was begun by Lazarelli in 1480, and completed in 1485 (f. 230r: "Si seriem annorum diuinae prolis ab ortu/ Nunc cupis ad nostros lector habere dies/ Mille quatringentis iunge octoginta sciesque/ Tempore in hoc fastis imposuisse mouerim [?]/ Quinque prius sed nostra manus iam cepat annis/ Scribere..."). This copy was therefore begun between 1485 and 1494, the year of Ferdinand's death, and probably closer to 1494; several miniatures were left incomplete, presumably when the news of Ferdinand's death was announced. The planned date of completion was possibly 1495, since the entry in the calendar for Rosh Hashana ("Festum Hebreorum quod dicitur rosc Hasana" on f.237v) is on 1 September, and occurred on that date in 1495.