Login

Rafal · 13-06-2026, 05:49 PM

Quote:Could it be possible, that someone loaned the Palatino 766 to an itinerant clerigi, or perhaps allowed him/her to view it for a few days or hours?

I wonder how that would even be possible, these books were highly valued and guarded, probably.

I believe that it was possible around 1400 to borrow a book from university library for some time.
Thats what Gemini says:

-------------------------------
With the rise of universities in places like Paris, Oxford, and Bologna during the 13th century, the demand for books skyrocketed. Universities had to create highly strict, structured lending rules.
Universities typically split their libraries into two sections:

The Magna Latinitas (The Chain Library): The most important reference books were literally chained to desks or shelves so they couldn't leave the room.
The Parva Latinitas (The Lending Library): Duplicate copies or less critical texts that could be checked out.

To borrow from a university library, you usually had to follow a strict protocol:

The Security Deposit
To take a book, you had to leave an object of equal or greater value behind as collateral. This could be a valuable piece of jewelry, a silver cup, or even another rare book. If you didn't return the library's book, they kept your treasure.

Strict Time Limits
By the late Middle Ages, libraries used formal registers to log loans. For example, the University of Angers in 1431 charged a fine to anyone who kept a borrowed text for more than 30 days.

Anti-Fraud Protections
Because manuscripts looked different depending on the scribe, sneaky students would try to borrow a beautiful, expensive copy of a textbook and return a cheap, poorly written copy of the same text. To stop this, librarians started recording "identifying codes"—such as documenting the exact first few words written on the second page of the book—to ensure the exact same physical copy came back.

See also description of Sorbonne library: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

So to have access to cheaper manuscripts you didn't even have to be a student. It was enough if you knew some student.