Manuscript Collections of Galileo and his Disciples Braccio Manetti and Vincenzo Viviani
|
|
|
Manuscript Collections of Galileo and his Disciples Braccio Manetti and Vincenzo Viviani |
|
|
|
Galileo Galilei: a folder with manuscripts pertaining to motion
It is very likely that Galileo himself gathered the writings of Codex 72 in a sort of folder. It was indeed not an unusual practice for him to collect his studies together according to their subject. Thus, for example, Ms. Gal. 42, which holds the papers dealing with the controversy concerning hydrostatics of the years 1611-1615, has a folio bearing what probably was the title of the gathered papers: "Several fragments pertaining to the treatise on bodies in water" ("Diversi fragmenti attenenti al trattato delle cose che stanno su l'acqua"); see Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze, Ms. 42, folio 19v. Similarly, the present Ms. Gal. 71 was probably designated by the (now lost) title "De motu antiquiora," see VIVIANI 1674, p. 104; Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze, Ms. Gal. 11, f. 144v; NELLI 1793, II, p. 759. The same perhaps occurred in the case of Ms. 72, whose f. 61r displays the autograph entry: "Attinentia ad motum" ("Things pertaining to motion").
Most probably, the folder of the studies on motion was among those Galilean papers and books which, in 1633, were temporarily entrusted to Niccolò Aggiunti and Geri Bocchineri, for fear that they could fall into the hands of the Florentine Inquisition. From a letter written by Aggiunti, we learn that, after the return of the volumes, Galileo complained of the loss of a manuscript, so that, as Aggiunti tells us, he felt "an unbearable sorrow and affliction." ("un dolore e afflizione intollerabile." Letter of Aggiunti to Galileo, December 27, 1633, in Opere, XV, 364-365.) In a later letter, Aggiunti communicated that the manuscript was readily found; see letter of Aggiunti to Galileo, January 4, 1634, in Opere, XVI, pp. 13-14.
According to Antonio Favaro, the manuscript contained "writings pertaining to the Discorsi." FAVARO 1886-87, p. 46. It is impossible to say if the original folder held more papers than the present codex. Favaro thought so, claiming that the folios in the manuscript "should have been originally of a much larger number." ("...in origine devono essere stati in molto maggiore numero." FAVARO Avvertimento, in Opere, VIII, p. 35.) The loss of several Galilean autographs, whose copies by Arrighetti and Guiducci are presently included in the codex, seems to support this thesis, since in some cases both copy and original are still existent. Favaro noted : "when we have a given fragment only in the hand of the disciples, we are allowed to surmise that they limited themselves to transcribing from a Galilean original which now is lost. ("...quando possediamo un dato frammento soltanto per mano dei discepoli, [è] lecito congetturare che essi si siano limitati a trascrivere da un originale di Galileo oggi smarrito.", Avvertimento, in Opere, VIII, p. 34.)
Braccio Manetti: the first owner after Galileo
After Galileo's death in 1642, the writings on motion now preserved in the Ms. 72 were possibly first owned by Braccio Manetti, a Florentine nobleman whom Viviani (in his Galilean biography) numbered among Galileo's disciples; see VIVIANI, Racconto istorico della vita di Galileo, in Opere, XIX, 628. This fact is suggested by an autographed note of Viviani´s.
Vincenzo Viviani: the first collector of Galileo's manuscripts
Most of Galileo's manuscripts eventually came into the possession of Vincenzo Viviani, Galileo's last disciple, see Avvertimento, in Opere, VIII, 35. He probably also collected manuscripts from other disciples and friends, such as Braccio Manetti. Although, unfortunately, we do not have any catalogue of the Galilean autographs owned by Viviani, nevertheless, according to Antonio Favaro, the present Ms. Gal. 72 must have been, at some point, in the library of Viviani. In his testament, Viviani left two inventaries of his library, but none of them reports a list of Galileo's manuscripts in his possesion.
The vicissitudes of Galileo's notes on motion and mechanics after Viviani's death are told in the history of the manuscript in the 18th century. Back to the overview of the history of the manuscript.
|
|
|
Manuscript Collections of Galileo and his Disciples Braccio Manetti and Vincenzo Viviani |
|
|
|