The collection of the Marciana Library contains 4,639 manuscripts and 13,117 manuscript volumes. [1] Its historical nucleus is the private collection of Cardinal Bessarion, which was donated to the Republic of Venice in 1468.
Some significant manuscripts in the collection include:
Greek
Italian
Latin
Oriental languages
Old Testament
New Testament
There are some important music manuscripts. The composers represented include:
The Vergilius Augusteus is a manuscript from late antiquity, containing the works of the Roman author Virgil, written probably around the 4th century. There are two other collections of Virgil manuscripts, the Vergilius Vaticanus and the Vergilius Romanus. They are early examples of illuminated manuscripts; the Augusteus is not illuminated but has decorated initial letters at the top of each page. These letters do not mark divisions of the text, but rather are used at the beginning of whatever line happened to fall at the top of the page. These decorated initials are the earliest surviving such initials.
The Marciana Library or Library of Saint Mark is a public library in Venice, Italy. It is one of the earliest surviving public libraries and repositories for manuscripts in Italy and holds one of the world's most significant collections of classical texts. It is named after St Mark, the patron saint of the city.
Venetus A is the more common name for the 10th century AD manuscript codex catalogued in the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice as Codex Marcianus Graecus 454, now 822. Its name is Latin for "Venetian A."
Minuscule 205, δ 500 (Soden), 68 (Rahlfs), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the Old and the New Testament, on parchment, from the 15th century. It has some marginalia.
Minuscule 215 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), A134 (Soden), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 11th century. It has full marginalia.
Minuscule 354, Θε13 (Soden), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 11th century.
Minuscule 357 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), A135 (Soden), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 11th century. It has marginalia.
The Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books of the Austrian National Library in Vienna was formed in April 2008 by merging the departments of "Manuscripts, Autographs, and Closed Collections" and of "Incunabula, Old and Valuable Books".
Lectionary 108, designated by siglum ℓ108 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 11th-century.
Lectionary 110, designated by siglum ℓ110 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th-century.
Lectionary 139, designated by siglum ℓ139 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 10th or 11th century.
Lectionary 141, designated by sigla ℓ141 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 11th century.
Lectionary 142, designated by siglum ℓ142 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment leaves. Paleographically it has been assigned to the 14th century.
Minuscule 598, Aν31Νλ35, is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on paper. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th century. The manuscript has complex contents. It was labeled by Scrivener as 466.
Minuscule 599 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), A599 (von Soden), is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on paper. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 15th century. The manuscript has complex contents. It was labelled by Scrivener as 467. It has marginalia.
Minuscule 617, O 13, is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 11th century. The manuscript is lacunose. Tischendorf labeled it by 140a, 215p, and 74r.
Lectionary 273, designated by siglum ℓ273 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 13th century.
Lectionary 275, designated by siglum ℓ275 is a Greek manuscript of the New Testament, on parchment. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 12th century. Scrivener labelled it as 181e,
Minuscule 890, Θε426, is a 14th-century Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament on paper, with a commentary. It was prepared for liturgical use.
