Am Rand. Marginalien in Handschriften der Descriptio Terrae Sanctae

Abstract

Manon Koch: Marginal notes. Annotations in manuscripts of the Descriptio Terrae Sanctae

This paper asks how marginal annotations found in the manuscripts of Burchard of Mount Sion’s Descriptio Terrae Sanctae can illuminate the text’s production, reception, and intended functions over the centuries. The paper argues that marginalia can reveal the evolving purposes of the text and illuminate the interactions between its readers and its depiction of the Holy Land. Employing Claudine Moulin’s multidi-mensional approach, the marginalia of four manuscripts from Rubin’s d family, linked to medieval Florence, are analysed as examples. After a description that emphasizes the uniqueness of the marginal annotations, the author delves into these findings, demonstrating how they can facilitate an exploration of the individual manuscripts’ histories.
Furthermore, marginalia provide a lens through which we can discern the functions that Burchard’s work might have served during its production and throughout its reception. The paper concludes that further examination of marginalia in Burchard’s Descriptio Terrae Sanctae has exceptional potential to enhance our understanding of its material and intellectual history. Moreover, the development of this methodological approach could enable its application to additional travel accounts and descriptions of the Holy Land.