The University of Valencia’s Historical Library guards singular works of an essential value for the knowledge of Valencian history and culture. Manuscripts and some unique incunabula. In order to make all this bibliographical patrimony known, the Office of the Vice-Principal or Culture and Equality of the University of Valencia and the Academia Valenciana de la Lengua have started the cycle ‘Clàssics a La Nau’ (‘Classics at La Nau’) through which 15 works from the University’s bibliographical treasure encompassing from the 15th until the 17th Century were selected. All these works are representative of diverse facets of social, political, scientific and cultural life.
The cycle will be developed in 15 sessions from September 2014 until February 2016, which will be celebrated on the last Thursday of each month at the Aula Magna of La Nau building at 19:00 (free entrance until full capacity is reached).
The cycle will open tomorrow Thursday 25, with the conference ‘Belli in superlativo grado’ (Beautiful in a superlative level) under Francisco M. Gimeno Blay’s charge, who will analyse medieval and renaissance manuscripts of the University of Valencia.
The act will be headed by Esteban Morcillo, University of Valencia’s rector and by Ramon Ferrer, president of the AVL.
Among the medieval and renaissance manuscripts of the University of Valencia we could highlight luxury works on vellum, others with magnificent calligraphy with a rich decoration and which preserve their original binding as seen in the case of Francesco Filelfo’s codex ‘Satyrarum hecatostichon’, from the Library of Calabria’s Dutch. It is a luxury sample the author himself offered to Alfonso the Magnanimous.
The second of the manuscripts, with the same origin as the former, is ‘Nomina et virtutes balneorum Putheoli et Baiarum’, a medical work on balneotherapy in the Medieval Era, will be analysed next 30 October in the frame of the conference cycle. In this section we can also find a ‘Receptari mèdic medieval’, of an unknown author, which was bequeathed to the university library on the 19th, and the ‘Diari del Compromís de Casp’ among others.
Within the incunabula universe, or the first printed books, which will be presented on this cycle we find the famous ‘Tirant lo Blanch’ by Joanot Martorell, extremely rare sample and emblematic work for all Valencians as there are only three existing copies in the world and one of them is at the University of Valencia.
In the selection of works to present in the sessions we find included the first incunabulum literary character printed in Spain 1474, whose only known sample is at the University of Valencia; it is ‘Obres o trobes en lahors de la Verge Maria’ which collects poems by celebrated characters such as Jaume Roig, Lluís Alcanyís, Joan Roís de Corella, etcetera.
From the 16th Century prints, ‘Dialogues’ by Joan Lluís Vives (internationally-known Valencian humanist) will come to light as they try to teach Latin in an entertaining and didactic way. Similarly, the ‘Crónica de Jaume I’ or ‘Llibre dels fets’ will be presented; they narrate the lives and achievements of the king, and also ’Crónica’ by Ramon Muntaner, printed in Valencia in 1558.
Lastly, a fundamental juridical piece for the University of Valencia has been added: ‘Constitucions del Estudi Gerneral de la insigne ciutat de València’, printed in 1611 was the normative that governed university life valid al through the 17th Century.
The university wants to show their bibliographical patrimony not only to researchers but also to students, professors, lecturers and the curious. The entrance to these conferences is free until full capacity is reached at the Aula Magna, but for those interested on assisting to the totality of the conferences, the Libraries and Documentation Service of the University offers the possibility of enrolling in a 30-hours course which will end with the handing of an assistance certificate.
Course enrolment and certificate: http://links.uv.es/1Yh0sP9
All sessions: http://www.uv.es/culturaweb/activitats/classicsnau.pdf
Last update: 24 de september de 2014 11:09.
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