DE MAGNALIBUS Mediolani (The Wonders of Milan)
Bonvesin de la Riva
Milanese resident near the bank of Ticinese, master of grammar, services of the religious lowly, in 1288 Bonvesin decided to write the text of De Magnalibus Mediolani.
The praise to the city of Mediolanum, our old Milan, was born with the aim of awakening from ignorance, not only foreigners, but fellow citizens, that he realizes the dignity and admiration that the city could offer.
The consequences of reading this text should emphasize in thanking and praising God for the wonders created, that foreigners respect, honor and defend the Milanese, after acknowledging their nobility and dignity that the citizens do not ever leave the nobility and remain tied to their homeland.
The chapters that make up the text 8:
- praise of Milan and its suburbs for its position
- praise for his homes
- praise for its inhabitants
- praise for its fertility and the abundance of all good
- praise for his strength
- praise for his constant fidelity
- praise for his freedom
- praise for his dignity
The decision was made to celebrate the glories and local socio-economic framework for a city, sometimes with a streak too much, almost invented.
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| Alba in Mediolanum Galvano Fiamma, Chronica de antiquitatibus civitatis Mediolani first half of the fourteenth century., Library Trivulziana, Milan |
Chapter II - XII
Who will look closely and diligently with his eyes all these things, will never find, even turning the entire world, such a paradise of delights.
Chapter III -
The native of Milan, of both sexes are of a particular size, they look rather benevolent and smiling, no trick, cunning use less of other peoples, so that they are distinguishable even more than others from the remaining populations. They live with dignity, order, width, dignity, wearing ladies clothes, wherever they are, at home and abroad, are quite free in spending, honor and do justice, and are urban in the way they behave and live. As their language, the different languages \u200b\u200bwe speak and understand more easily than any other, so they themselves, among any people, are recognizable only by their appearance. They are religious more than all the others ...
Chapter VIII - VIIII
You are the characteristics for which Milan is superior in a particular way, it seems to me, in every city. First, the abundance of good water. Second, the abundance of religious and honesty. Third, the high number of scholars in the college of jurists. Fourth, the particular rite divine distinguished from any other ecclesiastical rite Christian cities, and also for the carnival. Fifth, for the dignity of his episcopate. Sixth, for the incomparable fidelity it, how can we evaluate the description of his exploits, has consistently pointed towards the Church.
Chapter VIII - X
There are two particular defects, whether it was permissible to say, of our city: the absence of civil concord, and lack of a port that allows the arrival of ships from the sea and if could make up for both, would follow a wonderful utility and an increase of glory. To remedy the first defect I hope it will be worth the prayers of the righteous, the latter might make up for if the mighty of our land dedicated to the completion of that work in those energies that seek to destroy each other and nell'estorcere money to their fellow citizens to feed their evil companies. is evident from what has been said that our city, all things considered, has no equal in the world, it is clear that it's like another world separate from the rest, it is clear that not only deserves to be called second Rome, but, if I was allowed to say what I like without being accused of presumption, to I believe it would seem fitting and right that the papacy and other dignity were all transferred here from you.
Chapter VIII - XII
From the interpretation of his name can be known in our city. Indeed MEDIOLANUM begins with M and ends with the same letter. In between there are two letters, ie O and L. The first and last letter, M, being larger than the other, it means the width of the glory of Milan, widespread throughout the world. With the M placed at the beginning and end means the number one thousand, beyond which there is no single number that can indicate a single word, and so it expresses a perfect number in its uniqueness, meaning that from the beginning to the end of the world Milan has been and will be counted on the list of perfect cities. O, one of the two letters are in the middle of the word, round and perfect and more noble and more beautiful than any other, expresses, in Milan, the roundness, the beauty, dignity and perfection. Our city is literally round and beautiful and more perfect than any other city. The L means but also the length and the height of his nobility and glory, because, thanks to the prayers and merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints and the Blessed Ambrogio, whose bodies lie here, and holy religious, its nobility and its glory will remain until the end of the world, by the grace of God
Chapter VIII - XIII
It should also be noted that in this word we have all five vowels, each occupying a place in every syllable. This suggests that, as the word of our city does not lack any voice, so the city does not lack any good they need the five human senses. And as the words of all the other cities lack any of the five vowels, so those cities compared to Milan lack any good. Since then such and so great our city, as was evident, I think it necessarily follows that those who can, respecting the truth, say city of Milan, home of so much glory. Provided, however, that does not degenerate from the natural strain, otherwise it would seem to cause shame, not glory, not only to himself but to his homeland. In fact, the nobility of any large family or home, once the probity of morals degenerate nobility, falls below that the lack of nobility.
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