The MS. Queriniano D II 21 as pre-definitive edition of the Rvf

All the features of the manuscript lead to conclude that the it was kept open waiting for additions promised by the author. Feo thinks it was prepared while the poet was still alive (Feo, “In vetustissimis cedulis” 133-134). However, this circumstance is questioned by the very late gothic writing. Nonetheless, the history of ms. Queriniano D II 21 intersects with that one of the ms. Laurenziano XL 17 (Malatesta edition).

Feo suggests that Petrarch released the Queriniano edition immediately after the Laurenziano and subsequently released three supplements to both editions in distinct emissions. In any case, both the Laurentiano and the Queriniano mss. were not prepared with the direct supervision of Petrarch and in the last analysis they do not represent two distinct “forms” or “editions” of the Rvf. Instead, Feo suggests that these two mss. are the most precious witnesses of the history of the Rvf.

They are contiguous to what so far has been called “forma or edition Malatesta” but in reality they represents a pre-definitive edition of the Rvf, released by Petrarch with the warning to leave blank spaces in order to include the supplements that he still intended to write (143). In this perspective Feo proposes to eliminate the idea of a “forma Malatesta” and speak of a “forma Laurenziana” instead (Feo 140; Pancheri 59).