Codicological analysis and conservation treatment of the Cantilena manuscript

Abstract

The Cantilena was found on the last leaf of Brandano Caxaro鈥檚 notarial deeds, dating from 1533 to 1536. Brandano was Pietro Caxaro鈥檚 relative, and it should come as no surprise that he randomly includes a poetic piece of his work as a graceful concluding note to one of his legal documents. More than the poem itself, it is the language in which it is written that comes to us as a surprise, particularly because of its location within a manuscript that contains notarial contracts and deeds. All notarial deeds at the time were written in Latin, Italian or Sicilian. Brandano wrote his 277 leaves in Latin. The exception is only on the leaf that contains the Cantilena which is written in Maltese.