Lo scriptorium di San Domenico e la miniatura a Genova nel Duecento: un riesame e aggiunte al corpus

This thesis is aimed at a reconsideration of the last quarter of XIII century Genoese illuminating painting related to the scriptorium of St. Domenico monastery and characterized by the style of the so-called Master of the ms. Lat. 42. The analysis of manuscripts, already identified as Genoese but which needed further research, and previously unknown or attributed to another context allowed me not only to enrich the Ligurian corpus but also to open new frontiers of research. In particular I have analyzed types of books not yet considered in the Genoese production, such as philosophical and legal texts, and I have not only focused on stylistic aspects but also on the mise en page, the mise en teste, iconographic details and the construction of the image painted along the borders of the page and in the historiated initials. The work has been organized in this way. Chapter 1 introduces the theme of the research, giving a reconstruction of the critical history of the last quarter of XIII century Genoese illuminating painting, and focusing on questions which need further research, in particular the relationship between the Dominican scriptorium and the activities of Pisa scribes and illuminators, who were in Genoa as prisoners after the Battle of Meloria (1284). Chapter 2 deals with the value of books for the Dominicans in order to understand more deeply the possible role of this order in the circulation, execution, and production of manuscripts in Genoa. Chapters 3-5 focus on liturgical, legal and medieval manuscripts respectively. Each chapter essay is followed by the catalogue proper with an entry for each manuscript I saw directly. Chapters 6-9 expand upon specific texts, situating their creation and function more fully within their social and political context, with a special focus on the meaning of iconographical programs, compositions and motifs in the last Thirteenth century Genoese society.