Vincenzo délia Greca: LťřřAwf AA 772e...
Italian Manuscript in the Archives of the East Slovakian Museum in Košice^

37777777777/q

The EVFftwf P^Fí* P% 7777*... is a manuscript written in
Italian. The document, which is a theoretical work
on architecture, is archived in the East Slovakian
Museum in Košice (Východoslovenské muzeum v
Košiciach) [Fig. 1]. Its existence was revealedthanks
only to a scant mention published by Ladislav Sášky
in 1958 in the journal 77 77777^fP (Historical
Monuments and Museums), which informs that "PA*
777T77777rr7qĎF U777rFrFt o/ 3T PoT/k^^r^P rF^fP 3Z3" x
22 7*777, 7777P T777oFúřr ú777orFpro^<%^ kA/7/%, iiTFrP P77P
/k/fr kř^77 r77F TP^ 777777777j*7*7ýbF Fr i^AFF^ h? 7 7^-r^/T/r)/
FF77prr, 7777p Po<?r 77oFýKF77rř 7777^ PřT7Tp'77g or 7777FP0A 7777777^,
77^7'FP 077/t / TM F77 Fpř ?pp/ o/' Fp^ pn*/
p^yř 7777k 77 777777^777 77<?Fř 77ČWF Fo Fp JpVTTg.' Ei*7Ïp777 p7?F[? pT7
777^ IK'77^77^0 PřPk G7TT27 MrrPFF^TYo PF AF.h.PP. OK77770
F Tíí. TPř 770T J* p7777p777pFF77g Fi PF/)9fč'77F /7U777 Fp7?F p Fp<?
fříF P /Pí* 777T77777J*7'7Tpp PčW<?M?7; FF Ft J*F7777'A7" FO FF." The
same source also informs us that "Fp<?7T 77f<? 770
77.ÁP f^T77"k Fo Po77^ 77777F 7^Pí*77 Fpř 77?77777/.77'7tpF T^^rP^P
7777P Fp^ 77777^77777f 777*rp7pK'. So far, this mention is the
only record in both Slovák and world literatuře on
the history of arts regarding the existence of the
EVF7P77F p77Fč" P77 777;?... manuscript.
The manuscript is divided into three parts. The
hrst part, up to page 26, is an introduction to the
actual work on architecture. It commences with
general geometrie définitions and concludes with
instructions on measuring planes and determming
the height of a tower. The second part consisting
of pages 27 through 34 is dedicated to descriptions
of columns ušed in ancient architecture. On pages
35 to 58, the third part deals in greater detail with
dispositions of palace constructions. All three parts
are îllustrated with numerous drawings.
Manuscript pages are numbered 1 to 58, always
in the upper right corner of each sheet of paper.
However, the opposite left sheets bear no marking
whatsoever. The sheets were numbered later than
at the time of the manuscript's origin; the numbers
were inscribed in pencil.

After a doser inspection of the manuscript in the
archives of the East Slovakian Museum in Košice, its
basic description can be further elaborated by stating
that its front page includes an inscription reading
"777FF77 777AF7277", with the word "777FF77" having been later
crossed out. The same page also bears a note reading
"K. TAm? ypTwf, signifying the manuscript came
into the museum's possession even prior to 1918.
The acquisitions log of the East Slovakian Museum
in Košice does not reveal any more regarding the
manuscript. The füll text of Sášky's short article from
the journal P727A77FA)/ 77 7777/^yP is a transcription from
the acquisitions log. This record, which describes the
tractate as an item of the museum's collection, dates
to a period after 1918. However, with respect to the
manuscript's provenance or the means of its acquisi-
tion for the museum's collection, the log provides
only the word "rFofTTgď, accompanied by a question
mark. Thus, any chance of directly determining
the work's origin end here, together with ail direct
information regarding the way the East Slovakian
Museum in Košice could hâve acquired it.
The East Slovakian Museum in Košice was
founded in 1872 as an association museum enti-
tled the Upper-Hungarian Museum Association in
Košice (Felsómagyarországi múzeum) on the basis
of an initiative by the Klimkovič brothers, František
and Vojtech, Viktor Myskovszky and Imrich Henszl-
mann. In 1899, the museum's administration was
transferred under the authority of the city of Košice,
hence the change of its title to the Museum of
Košice (Kassai múzeum). In 1901, Jozef Mihalik
was sent to Košice as a ministerial appointée (later
served as the museum's director from 1903 — 1907).

This study is based on a Thesis written at the Department
of History of Visual Arts, Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius
University m Bratislava in 2009. It was made possible also
thanks to the support from and coopération with the East
Slovakian Museum in Košice.

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