Constitutiones Ordinis Fratrum Minorum

No known copyright restrictions

c. 15th century

Special Collections de Beer MS. 04

Unpublished

Written on vellum in Latin and Italian, this manuscript dates from the late 15th century. It consists of 87 leaves (1 blank) (26-27 lines; 11 x 8 cm.). Described in Manion, Vines and de Hamel's Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in New Zealand (1989) as 'written in a skilful rounded gothic bookhand'. The volume contains the Papal Bull of Honorius III (1150-1227) 'granting the rule of the Franciscan Order' and constitutions & interpretations by later Popes, the latest being Eugenius IV who was Pope from 1431 until 1447. It is bound in Italian red-brown sheep gilt with a binder’s title: Const. ord. min.; and it is also known as: Codex Primaditius.

Donated in 1946 by Dunedin businessman, Willi Fels (b. 1858) to the University of Otago.

Please contact Special Collections, specialcollections@otago.ac.nz to obtain a higher quality version of this manuscript.