14th century account book of the Church of Sant'Andrea

[Church of Sant'Andrea]. Account book of the Church of Sant'Andrea in Mels.

€ 12,500.00

A fascinating medieval account book of the Church of Sant'Andrea in Mels, a village in the northern Italian province of Udine. The manuscript, with dated entries spanning from 13 August 1271 to 17 August 1335, is copied in a single tidy, formal 14th century hand, placing the date of the manuscript sometime at or after 1335. It provides an intriguing insight into the economic life of the Church of Sant'Andrea in the small village of Mels, in Friuli, with mentions of other neighbouring villages in the province of Udine like Bicinicco, Vendoglio, Codugnella, and Lauzacco.

The first entry reads: "Imprimis ista s[un]t decima pr[es]biteri danielis de melso in baijda d[omi]ni francisci de coloreto unu[m] campu[m] solvit decimam soldos XVI". The original 12th century document from which this entry comes is mentioned by D. Piccini in her 2006 Dictionary of Medieval Latin in Friuli, found in MS Mels 47. This first line also provides a good example of what follows in the text, which, through a list of simple transactions, provides a rare glimpse into the day-to-day experience and economics of ecclesiastical life.

A few minor stains and wormholing, altogether beautifully preserved with pinpricks and later marginal notes still visible. Provenance: 1. The Church of Sant' Andrea at Mels, in Friuli; the inked title on front cover reads, "Rotulus antiquus introituum Capelle Sancti Andree Castri de Melso," and on f. 1 "Rotulus Introituum Castri Melsi." 2. Colker MS 248; acquired in 1974 from Renzo Rizzi.