Bessarion gives Greek and Latin manuscripts to Venice
About this date: 1468 dates the legal donation; the library's records distinguish that act from later physical deliveries.
Bessarion donates his collection to St Mark's in Venice with conditions for its protection and use. Greek and Latin manuscripts become the foundation of an enduring public scholarly collection.
Historical context
The former metropolitan of Nicaea and later Roman cardinal seeks to preserve books and encourage encounter between Greek and Latin learning after Byzantium's political collapse.
Key points
- The deed survives as Marciana Lat. XIV, 14.
- A letter to the doge is dated 31 May 1468.
- Donation, acceptance, and shipment are separate stages.
People
- Bessarion
- Cristoforo Moro
- Pietro Morosini
Sources and further reading
- Bessarion bequest
Custodial institution describes the surviving donation documents and deliveries.