Book of the Wisdom of Astrology Facsimile Edition

The manuscript MS 156, known as "Libro del saber de astrología," is a fascinating blend of medieval astronomical texts. Its pages are adorned with Gothic script, initially penned by an archaic hand until folio 109r, where it transitions to a more fractured style. The manuscript entices with vibrant red and blue initials and delicate filigree decorations. It is structured in two columns with red rubrics and illuminated illustrations, albeit some are damaged.

Written between 1276 and 1279, possibly in Burgos or Seville, it includes notable works like the "Libro de la ochava esfera" and "Libro de la espera" which was later used as model for Ms 1197 preserved in the Biblioteca Nacional de España.

The manuscript contains sixteen treatises dedicated to the science of the stars and the instruments for their study, translated from Aramaic and Arabic by scholars including Jehudá ha-Cohen and Abraham de Burgos.

Celestial Themes and Tools Explored

Commissioned directly by king Alfonso X, the text aimed for a refined Castilian language. It covers three thematic areas: astronomy, detailed in the first treatise with descriptions of celestial spheres and zodiac signs; the construction and use of various astronomical observation instruments in treatises II to X; and time-measuring devices in treatises XI to XV.

Toledo, Burgos, and Seville are indicated as potential writing locations, with most experts favoring Seville between 1276 and 1279 due to the establishment of the Alfonsine scriptorium there.

Artistry and Script

The codex, a hallmark of the Alfonsine workshop's craftsmanship, comprises 201 folios of well-prepared parchment, featuring a uniform Gothic script in brown ink with red chapter epigraphs. Red calderons signal paragraph beginnings, with decorated initials in the same hue. It is structured into two-columns per page, regardless of illustrations.

The manuscript's refined artistry includes initial letters, marginal orles, line ends, illustrative panels, and didactic figures, totaling 162, some full-page. Decorated in Gothic and Mudejar styles using red and blue filigree, the artwork enhances its instructional purpose.

Originating from Queen Isabella the Catholic's library and later sold to Cardinal Cisneros by King Ferdinand, it became part of the University Complutense's foundational collection. Nine later copies help supplement the original manuscript's textual losses.