Per la storia umanistica del Laur. 49, 9. Cencio de’ Rustici e i graeca delle Familiares di Cicerone

The 15th-century history of the distinguished Carolingian codex of Cicero’s Epistulae ad familiares Laur. 49, 9 (also known as M) has remained partially obscure. This study proposes identifying the hand responsible for restoring and interpreting several graeca in M as that of Cencio de’ Rustici. Cencio’s intervention appears entirely independent from the more renowned restoration undertaken by Manuel Chrysoloras on Laur. 49, 7 (P), which became widely influential in humanist manuscripts and early printed editions. Furthermore, the analysis of a second manuscript copied by Cencio, ms. Berol. lat. fol. 609 (B), reveals that his engagement with M yielded further outcomes. The identification of Cencio’s hand in M challenges the communis opinio that M led a wholly isolated existence during the Renaissance and played no role in the humanistic transmission of Cicero’s correspondence.