Il "copista di Parm"
Abstract
The present research focuses on the tradition of the Commedia ascribed to the "copyist
of Parm", active in Florence from the middle of the third decade of the fourteenth century to
the end of the fourth.
After having reviewed the most ancient attestations of the Commedia that have come
down to us, a chronology of the surviving codes transcribed between 1325/6 and 1339/40 is
traced and, therefore, of the codes ascribed to the "copyist of Parm". The codes in question
have been stripped on the critical loci of Michele Barbi and Giorgio Petrocchi and, on the
basis of the chronology of the witnesses, their innovations have been indicated. However,
considering the poor agreements of the group that emerged from the collations and the recent
chronological redevelopment of the Rehd. 227 (Marin 2017), the complete review of the code
was carried out. The use of the Lucca form giouo (i.e. giovo, 'giogo' mount; cf. Castellani
2000: 338 note 166) in Inf. XXVII 30 is remarkable. Among the agreements with the Parm
group, the compa – or co(m)pa – lesson, in Par. VIII 12 is particularly noteworthy, an error
which clearly shows the existence of an antigraph common to the group.
The last part deals with the analysis of the language of the Parm code. The forms,
derived from Francesca Geymonat's study (2007) on the language of Francesco di ser Nardo
da Barberino, have been identified in all occurrences of the Petrocchi edition. Although Parm
appears in line with the Florentine phenomena of the fourteenth century (Manni 2003: 35-41),
some western, or at least extra-Florentine traits emerge. In any case, the full collation of the
witness will be able to bring greater clarity and highlight further traits common to the western
area.
In the Appendix the diplomatic-interpretative transcription of Inferno in the Parm code. 3285
and the comparison between the edition of Inferno by Federico Sanguineti (2020) and the ms.
Parm. 3285. [edited by Author]