Dante Bis

Divine Comedy Marciana

MARCIANA NATIONAL LIBRARY OF VENICE

It is a splendid Divine Comedy, now preserved in the prestigious Marciana Library in Venice. It was on his return from the Serenissima, where he had gone on a diplomatic mission, that the Supreme Poet met his death, consigning his masterpiece to eternity.

It is composed of the three complete cantos.

The manuscript’s pages contain over two hundred illustrative scenes that narratively follow the text. The full-page depiction of Lucifer at the end of the Inferno is particularly notable.

This manuscript has made an extraordinary journey: from Venice to Paris and back to Venice.

It was the Venetian patrician Gianfrancesco Loredan (1607-1661) who donated it to the Benedictines of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.

After the fall of the Republic in 1797, the manuscript entered the Paris Library, marked with the red seals of its new ownership. It was returned in 1816, but in the meantime the monastery had been suppressed: the manuscript became part of the holdings of the Library of San Marco.

A luxurious codex, with every page illuminated, combining Bolognese and Emilian narrative with Lombard refinement. Each page is the fruit of a 14th-century art that blends history, culture, and beauty.

Divine Commedy Parigi-Imola

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF FRANCE (MS Italian 2017) – IMOLA LIBRARY (MS 76)

L’Inferno (ms. 76) is one of the most sumptuous medieval copies of the Divine Comedy. It was created for Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, and is considered one of the finest works by the Master of the Vitae Imperatorum, one of the most prestigious illuminators in northern Italy in the first half of the fifteenth century.

What makes the Paris–Imola manuscript truly extraordinary is its impressive illustrative program: over 115 illuminated scenes, of which 72 survive today. On many pages, three or four miniatures can be admired per canto, an exceptional number when compared to most Dante manuscripts, in which illustrations are usually limited to a few ornate initials.

It cannot be ruled out that Guiniforte Barzizza, a refined humanist and advisor to the Visconti family, played a direct role in the conception of this rich iconographic apparatus.

The manuscript is currently held in two locations: Paris (France), Bibliothèque Nationale de France – ms. Italien 2017, with 59 miniatures; the only way to see the manuscript as it was originally created is to purchase our facsimile. For this reason, it has already been purchased by several institutional libraries.

Imola (Italy), Municipal Library – ms. 76, with 21 leaves and 13 miniatures.
This separation makes the facsimile reproduction even more valuable, allowing the public to admire the manuscript in its entirety, just as it was conceived in the 15th century.

Why buy the Divine Comedy and the Paris-Imola together?

1) I combine completeness and narrative

With the Marciana, I bring the entirety of the three canticles into the collection; by placing them alongside the Paris-Imola, I transform that completeness into a captivating story: a single manuscript divided between two cities, now symbolically reunited in a facsimile. I do not present two duplicates: I unite the entire text and a memorable narrative.

2) I design an experience that accompanies the visitor

With the Marciana Library, I invite readers to read: I show the incipit, select iconic passages, and convey the continuity of the three canticles. With the Paris-Imola Library, I narrate: I map Venice-Paris-Imola, explaining how and why a single manuscript exists in two locations, and identifying key dates and turning points. The reader’s gaze shifts from the pages to the story, the reading time is extended, and the reader leaves with a clear and engaging memory.

3) Increase the perceived cultural value

I don’t stop at beauty: I show how these codes are born and live. I connect pages, layout, initials, and notes; I narrate the stages of their journey and why they matter today. Thus, the combination unites the pleasure of vision and meaning: I look, I understand, I remember.

4) Enhance events and teaching

With the Marciana, I read the cantos and create thematic itineraries; with the Paris-Imola, I tell the story of the opera, separate from history. I program readings, conferences, and guided tours: the audience participates, asks questions, and shares. This combination transforms an exhibition into an experience.

5) I raise the positioning of the collection

Two codes allow me to curate a high-profile corner: plaque, panels, chronology, and a Venice-Paris-Imola map. I communicate a conscious choice and a careful investment; I open the way to collaborations with libraries, foundations, schools, hotels, and private banking.

6) I introduce visual and material variety

I don’t display two identical volumes: I alternate layouts, headings, initials, and apparatus. The display case breathes, avoids repetition, and highlights the craftsmanship of the facsimile. The eye moves, and the lingering time in front of the case increases: more time, more attention, more value.

7) I manage light and conservation better

With two works, I rotate the apertures and adjust the exposure. I always maintain an active focus on Dante, while giving the paper and gilding a rest. This combination reduces risk and stabilizes the display’s quality over time.

8) I make storytelling powerful

By tracing the Venice–Paris–Imola triangle, I create an immediately communicable geography. The phrase “reuniting what history has separated” speaks to the heart and seals the deal: I don’t just offer beauty, I restore unity to a masterpiece of European civilization.

9) Strengthen PR and relationships

With two titles, I gain more coverage for the press, social media, partners, and sponsors: I invite schools and universities (Marciana for the reading, Paris–Imola for the case study), I involve local institutions and brands (Venice, Paris, Imola), and I activate local synergies. The combination opens doors.

10) I optimize the investment

By purchasing together, I get a benefit over buying individually and can add a setup kit—a sign, information panels, gloves, and lights—that makes the corner immediately operational. The perceived value goes beyond simple savings: the combo elevates the collection.

Dante Bis — The Divine Comedy reunited between Venice, Paris, and Imola.
A perfect diptych: the Marciana offers the complete work; the Paris-Imola restores his legend. Together, they reunite Dante in a form that moves and convinces.

TECHNICAL DATA – MARCIANA’S DIVINE COMEDY

• Location of the original: Marciana National Library of Venice, Venice – Italy
• Signature: Cod. It. IX, 276 (=6902)
• Dating of the original: 14th century AD
• Page width: 27.5 cm
• Page length: 43 cm
• Manuscript width: 29.5 cm
• Manuscript length: 45 cm
• Maximum height: 3.5 cm
• Weight: approximately 1100 g
• Binding material: leather
• Number of pages: 156
• Number of pages with miniatures and drop caps: 156
• Number of gold-decorated pages: 30
• Historical importance: very important
• Number of specimens for exclusive Antiquus sale: 200
• Total number of units produced: 1.000
• Publishing House: Imago, Rimini
• Condition: New
• Every technical detail conveys a tangible value: the quality of the leather binding, the generous dimensions of the format, the gold pages that reflect the light. Everything contributes to recreating the feel of an authentic manuscript, not just a simple copy.
• Warranty: 60 mounth

WHAT YOU ARE PURCHASING

• Exact three-dimensional facsimile reproduction of the manuscript “Divine Comedy of St. Mark”
• Critical commentary
• Luxury box made of eco-sustainable cardboard or, optionally, plexiglass display case
• Certificate of the olive tree donated to Salento
• Certificate of authenticity, “colophon.” It contains the following information: title of the work, owner, print run, number of the work, date, followed by the stamp and signature of the owner (usually a public library), stamp and signature of the publisher, stamp and signature of a Notary Public of the Italian Republic.
• Exclusive access to the Antiquus reserved area with in-depth digital content

It is not just a purchase: it is a rite of belonging, an entrance into the Antiquus community, where each owner becomes the guardian of an eternal heritage.

STRUCTURE OF THE WORK

• 3 Canticles: Hell, Purgatory, Paradise
• Each canticle has 33 cantos, except the Inferno which has 34
• Total: 100 songs
• Written in Dantean tercets (three-line stanzas in linked rhyme: ABA BCB CDC…)

Dante recounts an imaginary journey to the afterlife, beginning on Good Friday in 1300. Lost in a “dark forest,” a symbol of spiritual loss, he is saved by Virgil, who guides him through Hell and Purgatory. He is then accompanied by Beatrice, a symbol of divine Grace, through Paradise.
The journey represents the soul’s path toward salvation and eternal bliss, and the St. Mark’s manuscript expresses its power with miniatures that become icons of contemplation.

TECHNICAL DATA – DIVINE COMEDY PARIS – IMOLA

• Places of conservation: Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Paris) –
• Municipal Library of Imola
• Segnature: MS Italien 2017 | MS 76
• Date: 1440
• Dimensions: pages 21.5 × 32 cm; manuscript 24 × 34 cm; maximum height 10 cm
• Weight: approximately 5,200 g
• Binding: leather
• Number of pages: 790
• Pages with thumbnails and initials: 156
• Pages decorated in gold: 140
• Number of copies produced: 1,000 (200 for exclusive sale)
• Publisher: Imago, Rimini
• Condition: new
• Every technical detail conveys a tangible value: the quality of the leather binding, the generous dimensions of the format, the gold pages that reflect the light. Everything contributes to recreating the feel of an authentic manuscript, not just a simple copy.
• Warranty: 60 mounth

WHAT YOU ARE PURCHASING

• Exact three-dimensional facsimile reproduction of the manuscript “Divine Comedy PARIS-IMOLA”
• Critical commentary
• Luxury box made of eco-sustainable cardboard or, optionally, plexiglass display case
• Certificate of the olive tree donated to Salento
• Certificate of authenticity, “colophon.” It contains the following information: title of the work, owner, print run, number of the work, date, followed by the stamp and signature of the owner (usually a public library), stamp and signature of the publisher, stamp and signature of a Notary Public of the Italian Republic.
• Exclusive access to the Antiquus reserved area with in-depth digital content.

It’s not just a purchase: it’s reuniting a work as it was created.

STRUCTURE OF THE WORK

The first canto, Inferno, is divided into 34 cantos written in tercets (ABA BCB CDC…). Dante describes an imaginary journey into the afterlife, which began on Good Friday in 1300, guided by Virgil through Hell and Purgatory and by Beatrice in Paradise.

The journey has a strong symbolic value: the initial “dark forest” represents spiritual loss, while the journey is a metaphor for the soul’s path to salvation.

In Inferno, Dante and Virgil descend through the nine circles, encountering sinners punished for their crimes: from lust to betrayal, from violence to fraud. At the center of the abyss, frozen in ice, Lucifer appears. The journey ends with the exit “to see the stars again.”

YOUR SEAL

To make your specimen unique, choose:

The number that best represents you
Storage method: a luxury, eco-friendly cardboard box or one of our plexiglass display cases, to display the manuscript as a collector’s item.

Your manuscript, your number, your display case: a unique legacy for you and for those who come after you.

Note: Each piece is created exclusively after purchase. During the process, we strive to keep the customer updated with photos and videos of the preparation stages of the purchased piece.

All this allows us to make your experience and the work you decide to purchase truly exclusive. For this reason, production will take 14 business days from the time of purchase. We will then ship the product via insured courier.