Vol I (A) 1992 : De archivis et bibliothecis

De archivis et bibliothecis

Le P.Vicaire dit: Les Archives de la cathédrale d'Osma ayant été en bonne partie détruites, on doit se contenter pour faire l'histoire du diocèse et du chapitre cathédral de ce qu'ont publié ou cité les historiens antérieurs au XIX^e siècle. Il se trouve cependant que les Archives de la cathédrale primatiale de Tolède possèdent de nombreux documents où il est question du diocèse d'Osma. Ces archives sont riches et peu connues. L'archiviste Juan Francisco Rivero Recio en a cité bon nombre d'actes en 1962 ('Cabildos regulares en la Provincia eclesiástica de Toledo durante el siglo XII', in La vita comune del clero nei secoli XI e XII (Milano 1962) 220-237, et 1966, La eclesia de Toledo en el siglo XII (1086-1208) (Roma 1966). Il a même transcrit, à partir des Archives et de la Bibliothèque capitulaires de Tolède, un ensemble de 176 bulles et chartes, non seulement inédites, mais même inconnues de Jaffé, qu'il se proposait d'éditer (cf. La vita comune del clero p.238). Il est malheureusement décédé en 1990 sans avoir réalisé son dessein. Ses informations et citations, cependant, apportent une lumière nouvelle sur la vie du chapitre d'Osma au XII^e siècle; en particulier sur les réformes successives qui ont aboutit à l'instauration de la pleine régularité au chapitre en 1199, au temps où S.Dominique y était sacristain; j'ai pu sur ses indications obtenir une bulle inconnue d'Alexandre III à l'archevêque de Tolède au sujet de la réforme du chapitre d'Osma sous l'évêque Tellez (en 1160?), qui préparait celle de 1199. De son côté, l'archiviste du chapitre d'Osma, Teófilo Portillo Capilla a publié et étudié les 'Statuts de réforme' de l'évêque Pierre de Montaya de 1461 (cf. Bibliographiae A), qui apportent des documents de valeur sur les traditions anciennes et même primitives du chapitre d'Osma. Ces données, et d'autres encore, ont permis une étude plus détailléee que ne l'était le chapitree III de l'Histoire de saint Dominique, sur ce que Dominique a reçu et gardé de sa vie canoniale dans la fondation des Prêcheurs. Un article a ce sujet va paraître en 1993 dans AFP ('Saint Dominique, chanoine d'Osma').

The provincial archives of the province of St Joseph, USA, are now located at Providence College, Rhode Island, and welcome researchers interested in the history of Dominicans in the USA. See RP Forster. The archives contain numerous unpublished manuscripts, sermons, dissertations, personal papers, diaries etc. written by members of the province, and a number of documents pertaining to the establishment of the Order in the USA, and an extensive collection of published works by members of the province, and older journals (especially Dominican journals), and information on foreign missions (e.g. China, Peru, Kenya and Pakistan) and records on members of the province.

The Dominican College Library (487 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington DC 20017-1584) has a notable Dominican Collection (approximately 1400 titles) housed separately from the rest of the library. The library of the late W.A.Hinnebusch OP greatly enhanced the Collection, for he had taken pains to procure every available title relating to the history of the Order.

Prof. Dr. L.Hödl (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) (Heinrich König Str. 38, 463 Bochum, Deutschland) announces that he is concerned with the exploitation and development of the published and unpublished material of the late Prof. Schneyer. The university of Bochum possesses the copious notes Prof. Schneyer had made in view of the continuation of his Repertorium der lateinischen Sermones for the period 1350-1500 (in which many Dominicans feature: Antoninus, Bartholomaeus of Ferrara, Benedictus (Gregorius) Britannicus, Franciscus de Retz, Gabriel Barletta, Guillelmus Parisiensis, Henricus of Bitterfeld, Henricus Kalteisen, Hieronymus Johannis of Florence, Ingoldus Wild, Jacobus Arrigoni Laudensis, Jacobus de Regno, Jacobus Petri of Venice, Johannes Arnaldi de Spira, Johannes Brasiator of Frankenstein, Johannes of Halberstadt, Johannes de Montenigro, Johannes of Naples, Johannes Iordanis de Pistorio, Johannes Dominici, Johannes Kusin of Mainz, Johannes Nider, Johannes Niger (Schwarz), Johannes Part, John Bromyard, Leonardus de Datis Statii, Leonardus de Utino, Nicolaus Barletarii de Senis, Nicolaus of Pisa, Nicolaus Jaqri, Nicolaus Perenkla of Troppau, Petrus Aldeberti, Petrus Galdini, Petrus Hieremiae, Vincentius Ferrer) as well as additional material for the period 1100-1350. Although much of the material is not yet catalogued, it is hoped that the rich documentation assembled by Prof. Schneyer can be made available to scholars. Prof. Hödl also invites people who discover pertinent information on medieval sermons to communicate it to him.

Dr Northey OP has prepared an annotated list of documents entitled 'historical' and held in the archives of Holy Cross Dominican Congregation (Cabra), South Australia, which can be made available to bona fide scholars.

The Dominican sisters of San Rafael possess some interesting liturgical manuscripts: a volume of Horae, use of Autun, produced in Paris c.1480-90, with 33 miniatures and numerous decorative margins and initials. The 5-volume Lucca antiphonal, presented to the sisters by Bede Jarrett OP, illuminated by Sr. Eufrasia Burlamacchi OP of Lucca, completed in 1515. These volumes were in S.Giorgio, Lucca, until the 1920s, when the poverty of the nuns forced them to sell them. Bede Jarrett bought them, and in 1929, after preaching a retreat at San Rafael, donated them to the sisters. [Note from Sr M.Martin Barry OP]

Mr Ian Gardner (72 Church Road, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford OX4 4YB) notes that he has the following archives of the English Dominican laity: registers of tertiaries from the late 19th century up to the present; a register of the Hove Chapter 1951-1956; records of current membership are now stored on a computer database. Other archival material is to be found in the provincial archives.

The provincial archives of the English province are now housed at Blackfriars, 25 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD, Scotland, UK.

The archives of the Dominican sisters of the Cabra Congregation (Ireland) are now at Dominican Convent, Taylor's Hill, Galway, Ireland.

Owing to the appointment of Father Tugwell as Director of the Historical Institute, the Dominican Historical Centre in Oxford is being 'moth-balled'; but two 'caretakers' will be responsible for looking after some of the material it possesses at Blackfriars, 64 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LY, England. Contact Father Robert Ombres OP or Father Allan White OP.