Marcantonio Totila (Totile, Totili, Totellis, Totilae) was a merchant, a member of the guild of apothecaries (Compagnia de’ Speziali), one of the most prominent of the twelve guilds that formed the merchants’ tribunal (Foro dei Mercanti) in Bologna. In October 1529, he was the sole representative of the Speziali in a procession of high-ranking officials and “Massari delle Arti” sent to greet Pope Clement VII as he arrived in Bologna for the forthcoming coronation of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor. He was named in a criminal case in 1539, accused together with dozens of other Bolognese citizens of having lent to usury.2 Marcantonio appears in the accounts of the Fabbriceria di San Petronio in 1546, as a supplier of wine to the architects Giulio Romano and Cristoforo Lombardo.3 His son, Francesco (1503-1556), is mentioned in the same accounts, for facilitating payments in 1543 and 1546 for the rival project of Vignola.4 Francesco had received a degree in civil and canon law at Bologna (30 June 1531),5 and commenced a distinguished legal career in Bologna and in Rome.6 On his diploma, he is identified as “D[omi]n[u]s Franciscus filius Honesti uiri Marci antonij Totilae Ciuis Bononien[sis],” and incorporated in the border decoration is a shield displaying the family coat of arms: d’azzurro, ad un monte di tre cime d’argento, accompagnato in capo da tre stelle (8 raggi) dello stesso poste 2 e 1, ed in punta da una corona d’azzurro.7An inscription on Francesco’s tomb indicates that had been created a Count Palatine.8 None of the fourteen volumes appears to have any mark of Francesco Totila’s ownership.
The volumes of Dubois and the Dioscorides are relevant to Marcantonio’s profession; the latter volume subsequently belonged to a local aromatario (pharmacist), who inscribed it “A di 18 de Magio 1590 di me Fabian Beninij aromatarij Bologesse”.9 The other volumes presumably were acquired by Marcantonio for recreation.
1. Anthony Hobson, “Bookbinding in Bologna” in Schede umanistiche, n.s., 1 (1998), pp.147-176 (p.152); Anthony Hobson & Leonardo Quaquarelli, Legature bolognesi del rinascimento (Bologna 1998), pp.12-13, recording altogether seven bindings. Hobson’s 7th volume (Du Bois) was not assigned to a binder.
2. Massimo Fornasari, “Istituzioni, professionisti, privati: le reti del credito nella Bologna dell’età moderna” in Storia di Bologna: Bologna nell’età moderna (secoli XVI-XVIII). I. Istituzioni, forme del potere, economia e società (Bologna 2008), pp.791-856 (pp.814-815).
3. Giulio Romano: repertorio di fonti documentarie, edited by Daniela Ferrari (Rome 1992), p.1146.
4. Albano Sorbelli, “Giacomo Barozzi e la fabbrica di S. Petronio” in Memorie e studi intorno a Jacopo Barozzi pubblicati nel IV centenario dalla nascita (Vignola 1908), pp.257-292 (pp.277-278, 285).
5. Maria Teresa Guerrini, “Qui voluerit in iure promoveri…” I dottori in diritto nello Studio di Bologna (1501-1796) (Bologna 2005), p.154 no. 561. Francesco’s diploma is Bologna, Archivio di Stato, Codici miniati n. 92; see Francesco Malaguzzi-Valeri, Catalogo delle miniature e dei disegni posseduti dall’Archivio [di Stato di Bologna] (Bologna 1898), p.67 no. 91 [link]; L’Archivio di Stato di Bologna, edited by Isabella Zanni Rosiello (Fiesole 1995), p.81 Fig. 8; Petronio e Bologna: il volto di una storia: arte, storia e culto del santo patrono (Vicenza 2001), no. 21. The motto on Francesco’s diploma “Virtute duce comite Fortuna” is from a letter of Cicero to Lucius Munatius Plancus (Ad Familiares, 10).
6. Giovanni Alidosi, Li dottori bolognesi di legge canonica e ciuile (Bologna 1620), p.82 [link]; I signori anziani consoli, e gonfalonieri di giustizia della citta di Bologna (Bologna 1670), passim (1534-1554) [link]; Serafino Mazzetti, Repertorio di tutti i professori antichi, e moderni della famosa Università, e del celebre Istituto delle scienze di Bologna (Bologna 1847), p.307 no. 3008 [link].
7. Compare Blasone Bolognese, cioè arme gentilizie di famiglie Bolognesi, nobili, cittadinesche Tom. I, P. I: Arme gentilizie delle famiglie nobili bolognese paesane (Bologna 1791-1792), Pl. 63 no. 1001 [link, link]; Blasone Bolognese, Tom. IV, P. I: Supplemento alle arme gentilizie delle famiglie nobili Bolognesi (Bologna 1793), Pl. 10 no. 146 [link].
8. Francesco’s epitaph was once placed in S. Maria delle Gratie; see Alidosi, op. cit., for a transcription. He had married Helena Salimbeni; their only child, Ippolita, married Giacomo Venenti (d. 1584), professor of civil law at Bologna for 32 years, and Francesco is also named in his epitaph [link] [link].
9. Inscription transcribed by Hobson & Quaquarelli, op. cit., p.94.
(1) Luigi Alamanni, Opere toscane al christianissimo re Francesco primo (Lyon: Sébastien Gryphe, 1532-1533) [2 volumes in 1]
provenance
● Marcantonio Totila (fl. 1527-1550), supralibros, lettered: mar. an. totila on lower cover (opac)
● “initiales A B. ms.” (opac)
● Guglielmo Bruto Icilio Tirnoleone, Count Libri (Libri-Carrucci) (1803-1869)
● Commendeur & L.C. Silvestre with P. Jannet, Catalogue de la bibliothèque de M. L****, Paris, 28 June-4 August 1847, lot 865
● unidentified owner - bought in sale (FF 81)
● A. Franck, Catalogue d’une belle collection de livres rares et curieux principalement en langue Italienne, Espagnole, Provençale, Française, Grecque, Latine, etc. (Paris [1848]), p.2 item 10 (FF 100; “2 tom. en 1 vol. in-8. mar. brun à compart, large dent. tr. d. et gauf. Anc. rel. … La reliure de ce volume est magnifique: elle a dû être exécutée en Italie dans la première moitié du XVIe siècle. Les plats sont dorés entièrement, avec des arabesques pleines de gout. D’un côté il y a ces mots Luigi Alamanni, et de l’autre Mar. Ant. Totila. A en juger par ce volume, ce Totila devait être un amateur non mois distingue qué le fut Majoili.”)
● Florimond Lévêque & Victor Tilliard, Catalogue de livres, la plupart rares et curieux provenant de la bibliothèque de M. Libri Carucci, Paris, 12-28 April 1855, lot 711 (“mar. br. à comp., tr. d. et gauff. Belle reliure italienne du XVIe siècle. On lit sur l’un des plats: Mar. Ant. Totila”)
● Henri d’Orléans, duc d’Aumale (1822-1897)
● Chantilly, Bibliothèque du Château, VIII-C-030 (opac “Reliure italienne, 16e siècle, maroquin noir, décor doré: panneau rempli de fers pleins et bordure, tranches dorées et ciselées”; Richement doré. Sur l’un des plats, on lit: “mar. an. Totila”. Rarement complet.” (cat. du duc d’Aumale) Provenance: ? (initiales A B. ms.); Libri; duc d’Aumale (acq. vente Libri, avril 1855)”)
literature
Léopold Delisle, Chantilly. Le Cabinet des livres. Imprimés antérieurs au milieu du XVIe siècle (Paris 1905), nos. 28-29
(2) Colantonio Carmignano, Operette del Parthenopeo Suauio in uarij tempi & per diuersi subietti composte, et da Siluan Flammineo insiemi raccolte, et alla amorosa & moral sua calamita intitulate (Bari: Gilbert Nehou, 15 October 1535)
Images courtesy of Federico Macchi
provenance
● Marcantonio Totila (fl. 1527-1550), supralibros, lettered: mar: an. | totila on lower cover
● Abate Michele Colombo (1747-1838)
● presumably Giovanni Bonaventura Porta, purchaser in 1818 of his library; his widow, Sofia Bulgarini Porta, sale in 1843 to
● Biblioteca Palatina, inventario 216 (Catalogo Alvisi, q.v. Suavio [link])
● Parma, Biblioteca Palatina, GG. II.295. (PAL 216) (opac Sul verso della guardia anteriore nota mss. di Michele Colombo sulla rarità di questa edizione [link])
literature
Unpublished
(3) Antonio Cornazzano, De re militari (Florence: Heirs of Filippo Giunta, 15 May 1520)
Images courtesy of Federico Macchi
provenance
● Marcantonio Totila (fl. 1527-1550), supralibros, lettered: ma | rco | antonio | toti | la on lower cover
● Abate Michele Colombo (1747-1838)
● presumably Giovanni Bonaventura Porta, purchaser in 1818 of his library; his widow, Sofia Bulgarini Porta, sale in 1843 to
● Biblioteca Palatina, inventario 143 (Catalogo Alvisi, q.v. Bentivoglio [link])
● Parma, Biblioteca Palatina, GG. II.292 (opac All'inizio e alla fine del volume 2 carte + 2 carte con note manoscritte di Michele Colombo [link])
literature
Unpublished