Between Paleography and Heraldry: the Case of Urb. Gr. 141

Abstract

In this paper I focus on the Urbinas Graecus 141, one of the poetic manuscripts from the library of Federico da Montefeltro. I give a summary of the manuscript’s content and the main codicological and paleographical features, noting the presence of Angelo Vadio’s hand, a 15th-century humanist from Rimini. After carrying out a survey on the Federico’s heraldry and on the problematic aspects of dating methodologies based on the use of miniature, I focus on the coat of arms of the Urb. Gr. 141 to sheds light on the intricate history of its acquisition. For this aim, I carry out a comparison with Urb. gr. 111, which shares the same decorative pattern as Urb. gr. 141. Additionally, I also examine the miniature as a whole and consider its position within the manuscripts. Then, I extend the analysis to other Urbinates Graeci codices adorned with a coat of arms but not flanked by the letters F.C./F.D. or FE.DUX, of which Urb. gr. 111 and 141 are part. Through comparative analysis with such codices, I conclude that it is plausible to propose a ducal period acquisition for Urb. Gr. 141 and 111.