Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Officiis

Ms. parm. 896

Membranaceous, sec. XV, Latin, mm 254x173, following II, 120, II'.

Illuminated page is the opening to the valuable code "De officiis", spiritual testament of Cicero dedicated to his son Mario. It is framed by a border of white girari, on a red, green, blue background, on which rest, in the lower margin, two angels pointing to a coat of arms. At the center of the coat of arms, an ermine symbolizes virtues such as calmness, balance and moderation, typical of the "honest man", a theme dear to the author. A rare jewel and testimony to one of the most brilliant minds in Western history, it comes from the collection of counts Alessandro and Stefano Sanvitale in 1838.