Bibliotheca Corviniana Online

Damascenus Corvina, Széchényi National Library, Budapest, Cod. Lat. 345

This a simple checklist of digitized manuscripts of the Bibliotheca Corviniana, the library put together by King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490), which was one of the largest libraries of medieval Europe. A humanist library, comprised largely of the works of classical authors, as well as modern historical and scientific works, the collection included a vast number of beautifully illuminated manuscripts. The library was dispersed soon after the death of the king, and today just over 200 volumes of it have been identified. An ambitious project aimed at the virtual reconstruction of the library has been started by the Széchényi National Library (Budapest). The Digital Corvina Library aims to gather all information and digital facsimiles of all of the surviving volumes from the library of King Matthias. Unfortunately, the site apparently has not been updated in several years. It now includes the digital facsimiles of all 36 Corvina volumes held at the National Library. Below you can find direct links to these, as well as to an additional 83 digitized Corvinian manuscripts, as well as to many additional images (total: 119 mss + 2 incunabula). Further information and bibliography is available on the Bibliotheca Corviniana Digitalis site. Additional bibliography at the bottom of the page. If you'd rather browse via images, this Pinterest board should get you started.

Latest additions (April 2015): Links to digitised manuscripts in the World Dgital Library (WDL) - mainly volumes kept in Italian libraries (Florence, Rome), plus individual volumes in Rome, Erlangen, as well as the 3 volume Florentine bible.
Do you know any more digitised Corvina manuscripts? Let me know!

Links to digitized manuscripts by country

Hungary

Budapest, Széchényi National Library
(34 Corvinian manuscripts, 2 incunabula)

Cod. Lat. 121; Augustinus: De civitate Dei libri XXII.
Cod. Lat. 160; Curtius Rufus: De gestis Alexandri Magni
Cod. Lat. 234; Polybius: Historiarum libri I-V.
Cod. Lat. 241; Plautus: Commoediae
Cod. Lat. 249; Ransanus: Epitome rerum Hungaricarum
Cod. Lat. 281; Trapezuntius: Rhetoricorum libri
Cod. Lat. 344; Iohanes Scholasticus: Spiritualis gradatio
Cod. Lat. 345; Damascenus: Sententiae
Cod. Lat. 346; Chrysostomus: Homiliae
Cod. Lat. 347; Hieronymus: Commentarii
Cod. Lat. 358; Cyrillus: Thesaurus
Cod. Lat. 370; Victorinus: Commentarium in Ciceronis librum de inventione
Cod. Lat. 378; Petancius: Genealogia
Cod. Lat. 412; Regiomontanus: Canones LXIII
Cod. Lat. 413; Agathias: De bello Gothorum
Cod. Lat. 414; Quintilianus: Institutionum oratoriarum libri XII
Cod. Lat. 415; Basilius Magnus: De divinitate
Cod. Lat. 417; Philostratus: Heroica
Cod. Lat. 418; Chalcidius Altividi de immortalitate animae liber
Cod. Lat. 421; Bonfini: Symposion
Cod. Lat. 422; Xenophon: De republica
Cod. Lat. 423; Poeta Christianus: Genealogiae deorum
Cod. Lat. 424; Graduale
Cod. Lat. 425; Boccaccio: De casibus virorum illustrium
Cod. Lat. 426; Baslius Magnus
Cod. Lat. 427; Asconius Pedianus: Commentaria in Ciceronis orationes
Cod. Lat. 428; Trapezuntius: Compendium grammaticae
Cod. Lat. 429; Bernardus Claravallensis: De consideratione
Cod. Lat. 430; Isocrates: Oratio
Cod. Lat. 434; Bonfini: Rerum Hungaricarum decades
Cod. Lat. 438; Bessarion: De ea parte Evangelii
Cod. Lat. 445; Baptista Mantuanus
Cod. Lat. 529; Cyprianus: Opera
Cod. Lat. 542; Bonfini, Antonio: Rerum Hungaricarum decades
Inc. 197; Nicolaus de Ausmo: Supplementum
Inc. 1143; Thuróczi: Chronica

Budapest, University Library, ELTE
(14 Corvinian manuscripts)
Unfortunately, image resolution in this database is way too low, plus the images are watermarked, making them quite useless for serious study.

Cod. Lat. 1; Theophrastos: Historia plantarum
Cod. Lat. 2; Cicero: Orationes VII ad Verrem
Cod. Lat. 3; Pseudo Clemes Romanus: Recognitionum libri X
Cod. Lat. 4; Curtius Rufus: De gestis Alexandri Magni
Cod. Lat. 5; Eusebius: Chronica cum interpretatione S. Hieronymi
Cod. Lat. 6; Eusebius: De evangelica preparatione
Cod. Lat. 7; Scriptores historiae Augustae
Cod. Lat. 8; Silius Italicus: De secundo bello Punico
Cod. Lat. 9; Tacitus: Annalium libri XI-XVII.
Cod. Lat. 10; Tertullianus: Adversus Marcionem Stoicum libri V.
Cod. Lat. 11; Caesar: Opera
Cod. Lat. 12; Panegyrici Latini XII
Cod. Lat. 13; Suetonius: Vitae caesarum
Cod. Lat. 31; Terentius: Comoediae

Budapest, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Digital facsimile of one manuscript, with transcription and translations of text, and with commentary:
K 397; Carbo, Ludovicus: De Divi Matthiae regis laudibus rebusque gestis dialogus


Austria

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
(38 Corvinian manuscripts - of which only a few have been digitised so far)
Cod. 24: Ptolemaeus, Magnae compositionis libri Georgio Trapezuntio interprete
Cod. 44: Regiomontanus: Epitome Almagesti
Cod. 224: Catullus: Carmina
Cod. 2485: Trapezuntius: Isagoge dialectica

Cod. Hist. gr. 1 Han: Ptolemaios: Geógraphiké hyphégésis
Cod. Hist. gr. 16: Johannes Zonares: Annales

Czech Republic

Praha, Národní knihovna České republiky (click on the 'facsimile' links)
Cod. Lat. VIII. H. 73: Thomas Aquinas: Commentarium in librum De coelo et mundo Aristotelis
Cod. Lat. VIII. H. 76: Nagonius: Ad divum Wladislaum regem pronostichon et panegyrichon

Olomouc, Zemský archiv Opava, pobočka Olomouc
CO. 330: Alberti, Leon Battista: De re aedificatoria, 1485-90


Poland

Toruń, Nicolaus Copernicus University Library
Rps 107: Naldus: Epistola de laudibus augustae bibliothecae

Wroclaw, University Library
R 492, Horologium, in Greek


Germany

Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek
(9 Corvinian manuscripts)
Cod. Guelf. 43 Aug 2°; Bartholomaeus Fontius, Opera, um 1488

Cod. Guelf. 69.9 Aug 2°; Johannes Regiomontanus, Tabulae
Cod. Guelf. 73 Aug 2°; Marsilio Ficino, Epistulae ad amicos
Cod. Guelf. 84.1 Aug 2°; Johannes Tolhopff, Stellarium
Cod. Guelf. 85.1.1 Aug 2°; Alexander Cortesius, De laudibus Matthiae Corvini regis
Cod. Guelf. 2 Aug. 4°; Synesius, De vaticinio somniorum
Cod. Guelf. 10 Aug. 4°; Priscianus Lydus, Kommentar zu Theophrast
Cod. Guelf. 12 Aug. 4°; Marsilio Ficino, Epistulae ad amicos et vita Platonis
Cod. Guelf. 39 Aug. 4°; Psalter of Queen Beatrice

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
(8 Corvinian manuscripts)
Clm 69; Celsus, Aulus Cornelius: De medicina libri VIII or WDL link
Clm 175; Beda / Seneca: De natura rerum liber or WDL link
Clm 294; Agathias : Historiarum libri I-V. or WDL link
Clm 310; Demosthenes: Orationes [u.a.] or WDL link
Clm 341; Thomas / Tribbrachus : Historiae Bononiensis libri IV. or WDL link
Clm 627; Aristeas: Epistula ad Philocratem or WDL link
Cod.graec. 157; Polybius / Herodianus / Heliodorus: Historiae libri I-V. or WDL link
Cod.graec. 449; Porphyrius / Plotinus: De vita Plotini. or WDL link

Dresden, Saxon State and University Library
Information on two damaged Corvina-manuscripts in Dresden

Erlangen, Universitätsbibliothek

Ms. 6; Biblia Sacra, first half of 14th century

Jena, Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek

Bos. o 1. Guarino: Libellus

Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek
Cod.theol.et.phil.fol.152: Agustinus: Enarrationes in psalmos I - LVI

Italy

Firenze, Bibliotheca Medicea-Laurenziana
(32 Corvinian manuscripts digitized)
The library holds over 30 codices which were originally ordered by King Matthias. Many of these manuscripts were still unfinished at the time when news of the king's death reached Florence (1490). The volumes have been incorporated into the Medici collections and it seems that most of them were only fully decorated and finished for Pope Leo X, at around 1513. For more information, descriptions, etc. use the website of the Laurenziana library (updated links!!).

Ac.et doni 233: Calderini, Commentarii in satiras Juvenalis or WDL link
Plut. 12.9; Augustinus: De Trinitate
Plut. 12.10; Augustinus: Quaestiones in Bibliam
Plut. 13.6; Agustinos: De verbis domini
Plut. 14.5; Ambrosius: De incarnationis Dominicae Sacramanto
Plut. 14.6; Ambrosius: Opera
Plut. 14.22; Ambrosius: Opera or WDL link
Plut. 15.15; Biblia, vol.I. or WDL link
Plut. 15.16; Biblia, vol.II. or WDL link
Plut. 15.17; Biblia, vol.III. (Psalterium) or WDL link
Plut. 16.4; Bernardus: Sermones super Cantica Canticorum
Plut. 16.18; Collectio Pseudoisidoriana
Plut. 16.32; Cassiano, Giovanni
Plut. 17.30; Abate, Giliberto
Plut. 18.3; Gregorius: Opera
Plut. 18.4; Gregorius: Moralia. Tom. I.
Plut. 18.5; Gregorius: Moralia. Tom. II.
Plut. 19.1; Hieronymus: Commentaria in duodecim minores prophetas
Plut. 19.6; Hieronymus: Opera
Plut. 20.15; Ioannes Duns Scotus: Questiones
Plut. 21.14; Leo papa, Sermones
Plut. 21.18; Caius or WDL link
Plut. 23.4; Pontificalis
Plut. 24.4; Remigio, S.
Plut. 26.8; Thomas Aquinas: Quaestiones de malo
Plut. 35.37; Martialis
Plut. 51.13; Martianus Capella: De nuptiis philologiae et Mercurii libri IX
Plut. 65.36; Macrobius: Saturnaliorum libri V or WDL link
Plut. 67.22; Cassiodorus: Historia ecclesiastica tripartita
Plut. 68.19; Appianus: Romanorum liber or WDL link
Plut. 73.4; Celsus: De medicina libri octo or WDL link
Plut. 73.39; Ficinus: De triplici vita or WDL link


Modena, Biblioteca Estense universitaria
The library holds 15 Corvinian manuscripts. As far as I can tell, they have not been digitized. In 2002, and exhibition was dedicated to the Modenese Corvina manuscript, the catalogue of which is available in a full text PDF version in Italian and in Hungarian.

Milano, Archivio storico civico e Biblioteca Trivulziana

Triv. 817: Miscallenea (description, with four photos)

Triv. 818: Porphyrio: Commentaria et interpretationes in opera Horatii (description, with three photos)

Rome, Biblioteca Casanatense
Cod. Lat. 459: Historia Plantarum (or alternate link / WDL), Lombardy, c. 1400 (from the library of King Wenceslas IV)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
Urb. lat. 110: Missale Romanum
Urb lat. 112: Breviary
Rossiana Cod. Lat. 1164: Rossiana Cod. Lat. 1164
Barb.Lat.168: Livius: Historiarum decas I

Ott. Lat.501: Pontificale
Pal.Lat.1587: Sidonius: Carmina

France

Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale
Holds a total of 9 Corvina manuscripts, of which five have been fully digitized so far.
Cod. Lat. 1767: Ambrosius: Sermones
Cod. Lat. 2129: Cassianus, De institutis coenobriorum, c. 1490, illuminated by the Cassianus master

Cod. Lat. 6390: Seneca, Varia opera philosophica. North Italy, late 14th c.
Cod. Lat. 7803; [Pseudo-] Quintilianus: Dexlamationes
Cod. Lat. 16839: Hieronymus, Breviarium in Psalmos David, 1488, illuminated by Attavante
Cod. Grec. 741: Chrysostomos: Herméneia

Besançon, Bibliotheque Municipale
MS 166: [Pseudo] Dionysius Areopagita: Opera e Graeco in Latinum traducta per Ambrosium Traversarii, 1457 (five photos only)


Belgium

Brussels, Royal Library of Belgium

Ms. 9008, Missal of King Matthias - Full digital facsimile of the Missal of Matthias, illuminated by Attavente. With commentary and studies on the manuscript.


United Kingdom

Cambridge, Trinity College Library
Cod. 1235. o. 4. 4Livius: Historiarum libri

United States

Cambridge, MA, Harvard University, Houghton Library
Ms Typ 91; Pius II, Epistolae familiares, c. 1470, from the library of Johannes Vitéz

New Haven, CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library
Ms 145; Tacitus: Annalium libri XI-XV
Ms. 284; Cicero: Opera Philosphica, c. 1470, from the library of Johannes Vitéz


New York, NY, The Morgan Library & Museum
Ms M.496: Didymus: Liber de Spiritu Sancto (photos of illuminated pages only)
Ms M.497: Cicero: Opera (illuminated pages only)

New York, NY, New York Public Library
Spencer Collection Ms. 27, Livius, Historiarum decas III, see a selection of images here.



Online publications about the Corvinian Library

Nel segno del corvo: libri e miniature della biblioteca di Mattia Corvino re d'Ungheria (1443-1490) / [com. org. Ernesto Milano et al.], Modena : Il Bulino, 2002 (via Széchényi National Library)

Ex Bibliotheca Corviniana. Die acht Münchener Handschriften aus dem Besitz von König Matthias Corvinus. Hrsg. von Claudia Fabian und Edina Zsupán. Budapest, Bibliotheca Nationalis Hungariae, BSB, UIM, 2008. (Bavarica et Hungarica 1–Supplementum Corvinianum 1)

Matthias Corvin, les bibliothèques princières et la genèse de l'État moderne / publiè par Jean-François Maillard, István Monok, Donatella Nebbiai. Budapest: OSZK, 2009 («Supplementum Corvinianum», 2)