The ''Annales florentini'' (Florentine annals, Italian ''Annali fiorentini'') are the earliest annals of the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

commune of Florence. They are written in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. There are two sets of annals overlapping in coverage: the ''Annales florentini primi'' covering the period 1110–1173 and the ''Annales florentini secundi'' covering 1107–1247. A later set covers the period 1288–1431. The ''Annales florentini primi'' constitute the earliest, tentative attempt to keep a yearly record of events in Florence. It was discovered on the back ( verso) of the 91st

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

of Codex 772 in the Vatican Palatine Library by the librarian, who brought it to the attention of scholars. It does not contain a record for every year between 1110 and 1173. There are only eighteen records in several different handwritings and not arranged chronologically. The writing is clearly from the twelfth century. The ''Annales florentini secundi'' date to the thirteenth century. There are 46 records between the years 1107 and 1247. They are found in a manuscript originating in the monastery of

Santa Maria Novella Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city's main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church. The chu ...

, now No. 776 E. A. in the Suppressed Monasteries series of the Magliabecchian Library, now part of the National Library at Florence. This same manuscript contains a list of Florentine consuls and ''

podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

''s from 1196 to 1267.

Notes

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Editions

"Annales Florentini, a. 1110–1173"
In Georg Heinrich Pertz, ed., MGH, ''Scriptores'', vol. 19, pp. 223–224. Hanover: 1866. *"Annales Florentini, 1288–1431". In Johannes F. Boehmer, ed., ''Fontes Rerum Germanicarum'', vol. 4, pp. 672–86. Stuttgart: 1868. *"Annales Florentini". In Otto Hartwig, ed., ''Quellen und Forschungen zur altesten Geschichte der Stadt Florenz'', vol. 2. Marburg: 1880. History books about Florence Italian chronicles 12th-century history books 13th-century history books 14th-century history books 15th-century history books