Alchemical Hands in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili

Marginalia, Scholarship & Reception

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Signature B1v

Folio 181r, Quire b

Folio B1v
Biblioteca degli Intronati, Siena — O.III.38 HIGH Unverified
Folio B1v
Biblioteca degli Intronati, Siena — O.III.38 HIGH Unverified

Vision Reading (Phase 3 deep analysis)

Primary hand: Multiple (at least 3) · Hands: 3 · Type: text_page · Sig: b4r

Transcription Attempts

top_left · Latin · LOW
lates belli [...] tuto [...] era [...] gratia [...]
Top annotations partially cropped
left_margin · Latin · MEDIUM
[...] Nota de [...] 0 [...] oram gratia [...] novem [...] Octonario [...] Pyramides [...] Gigantomachiae [...] bus nulla [...]
'Octonario' (octave/eight), 'Pyramides', 'Gigantomachiae' (battle of giants). Reader is cross-referencing the pyramid description with classical mythology. The Gigantomachy reference connects the HP's architecture to mythological precedent — giants who built towers to challenge the gods
left_margin_lower · Latin · LOW
A [...] 497 [...] Mercenario [...]
'497' may be a page cross-reference or date. 'Mercenario' (mercenary) is unexpected in this context
bottom · Latin · LOW
[...] erat otos[...] [...] quodam [...] Licentia [...] divus sortes [...]
'Licentia' (license/freedom), 'divus sortes' (divine lots/fates). Below the printed text which includes Greek and Latin inscriptions: ΛΙΧΑΣ ΛΙΒΥΚΟΣ ΑΡΧΙΔΟΜΟΣ / ΑΡΘΟ ΕΧΜΕ / LICHAS LIBYCVS ARCHITECTVS ME REXIT
printed_inscription · Latin · HIGH
LICHAS LIBYCVS ARCHITECTVS ME REXIT
PRINTED: 'Lichas the Libyan architect built me' — the pyramid's architect inscription. Colonna invents a Libyan architect for his fantasy pyramid, connecting to the ancient tradition of Libyan (= African) pyramid-builders

Scholarly Significance

This page shows readers connecting the HP's fantasy architecture to classical mythological precedent through the Gigantomachy reference. The printed architect inscription (LICHAS LIBYCVS) places the HP in dialogue with ancient Egyptian/Libyan architectural traditions. The reader's cross-referencing (p.497?) suggests extensive use of the volume as a scholarly reference text.

Cross-references: Photo 27 (p.14, Descriptio Pyramidis), Photo 29 (p.16, pyramid woodcut), Russell thesis Ch. 4
Vision reading (Claude Code, Phase 3)

Annotations

MARGINAL_NOTE (1)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Marginal Note
“Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata”
94 The annotator also shows an ability to correctly recognize allusions to Boccaccio as well as to the classics. A reference to ‘il nobile Ravennate’ acts a challenge to Benedetto to identify the alluded figure to be Nastagio degli Onesti from the eighth day of the Decameron. 20. 2 B1v: ‘Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata’ The nobleman of Ravenna, [from the] novella of Boccaccio, the eighth [story] of the fifth day incominciai di sentire quello ch...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 105 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Marginal Note
“Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata”
94 The annotator also shows an ability to correctly recognize allusions to Boccaccio as well as to the classics. A reference to ‘il nobile Ravennate’ acts a challenge to Benedetto to identify the alluded figure to be Nastagio degli Onesti from the eighth day of the Decameron. 20. 2 B1v: ‘Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata’ The nobleman of Ravenna, [from the] novella of Boccaccio, the eighth [story] of the fifth day incominciai di sentire quello ch...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 105 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Marginal Note
“Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata”
94 The annotator also shows an ability to correctly recognize allusions to Boccaccio as well as to the classics. A reference to ‘il nobile Ravennate’ acts a challenge to Benedetto to identify the alluded figure to be Nastagio degli Onesti from the eighth day of the Decameron. 20. 2 B1v: ‘Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata’ The nobleman of Ravenna, [from the] novella of Boccaccio, the eighth [story] of the fifth day incominciai di sentire quello ch...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 105 (Ch. 5)
Hand Primary: Benedetto Giovio
Marginal Note
“Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata”
94 The annotator also shows an ability to correctly recognize allusions to Boccaccio as well as to the classics. A reference to ‘il nobile Ravennate’ acts a challenge to Benedetto to identify the alluded figure to be Nastagio degli Onesti from the eighth day of the Decameron. 20. 2 B1v: ‘Il nobil Rauenate, nouella del Boccac. ottaua della quinta giornata’ The nobleman of Ravenna, [from the] novella of Boccaccio, the eighth [story] of the fifth day incominciai di sentire quello ch...
Russell, PhD Thesis, p. 105 (Ch. 5)