Record

MS LAT - Latin Manuscripts

StorageSite	UCL Special Collections
Level	Item
Reference Number	MS LAT/23
Title	Saint Bonaventure's Life of St Francis
Date	12th century
Date2	1532
Description	Manuscript volume, 1532, containing St Bonaventure's 'Legenda Beatissimi patris nostri Francisci' (Life of St Francis). Text in red and black with red or blue initials. Written in Germany. The front and rear boards have impressions of manuscript fragment waste pastedowns that have been removed (and since lost). The pastedowns were two leaves of a 12th-century homiliary. Parchment manuscript in original binding of stamped pigskin over oak boards, with metal corner pieces. Rust and two large holes at the top of the rear board indicate that it was once chained. Had 2 brass and leather clasps, of which fragments remain. Both boards affected by woodworm. 29cm.
Extent	1 volume containing 81 leaves
AdminHistory	Saint Bonaventure (San Bonaventura): born, c1217; original name Giovanni Di Fidanza (John of Fidanza); entered the University of Paris, 1235; received the master of arts degree, 1243; joined the Franciscan order; studied theology in the Franciscan school at Paris, 1243-1248; named Bonaventure, 1244; leading theologian, minister general of the Franciscan order, and cardinal bishop of Albano; author of several works on the spiritual life; recodified the constitution of his order, 1260; died, 1274.
CustodialHistory	The volume belonged in the 17th century to the Franciscan convent at Saverne (Zabern), near Strasbourg, Alsace. It bears the bookplate of the Hopetoun Library and the pressmark T 9, and the bookplate of Walter Seton, former College Secretary. Following Seton's death, a fund was raised to buy books of Franciscan interest from his collection
Acquisition	Purchased at the Seton sale at Sotheby's in 1927 and presented to University College London by the British Society of Franciscan Studies and others. A loose page from a sale catalogue inside the front cover also includes this manuscript, and is annotated "Library of Mr Henry Walker. 23 Jan 1922".
AccessStatus	Open
AccessConditions	The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.
FindingAids	N R Ker, 'Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries' (London and Oxford, 1969); list at University College London Special Collections.

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