Freiburg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg, Stadtsachen A 596, p. V7 – «Schulordnung und Satzungen der neuaufgerichteten und reformierten Schule zu Freiburg im Üchtland»

The current update includes the addition of 53 new manuscripts from 13 different libraries. Among these are no fewer than 22 manuscripts from the Abbey Library of St. Gall, as well as seven manuscripts from the Fondation Martin Bodmer, and six additional manuscripts from the Universitätsbibliothek Basel.

In Switzerland there are some 7,500 medieval codices, in 25 larger collections (with over 20 manuscripts) and more than 60 smaller collections. Over time, e-codices has entered into cooperative arrangements with all of the larger collections and many of the smaller ones. Due to intensive efforts over the past nine years, so far more than 12% of all medieval manuscripts in Swiss collections have been digitally published. The goal of e-codices is to provide access to all medieval and selected early modern manuscripts of Switzerland.

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 205, p. 1 – Odo of Cluny, Gregorii M. expositio libri Job in compendium redacta

The Abbey Library of St. Gall owns 1,050 manuscripts dated before 1500. Since 2005 we have been digitizing the manuscripts on site at the Abbey Library of St. Gall, in a digitalization studio built exclusively for this project. At the University of Fribourg the e-codices team has prepared facsimiles and metadata for the internet.

An additional 22 of the St. Gall manuscripts are being published in the December 2013 update, thus completing the online presentation of all 370 St. Gall manuscripts dated before the year 1000. As of now, 500 manuscripts from Switzerland's most important and most famous manuscript collection are online at http://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/csg/Shelfmark/20/0.

Genève, Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. gr. 44, p. 1 – Homer, Iliad with scholia and an interlinear paraphrase of Books I to XII

The “Geneva Iliad” was most likely produced in Constantinople in the 13th century. The manuscript was purchased in the 16th century, probably in Venice, by Henri Estienne, who used this manuscript as a basis for his 1566 edition of the Iliad, which remained the standard edition into the 18th century. This manuscript is unique for numerous scholia, which are not found in any other similar manuscript.

The digital publication of this manuscript was requested in 2010 by the “Homer Multitext”, a project of the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, which uses digital techniques to facilitate research regarding the multiformity of the textual tradition in Homeric epics.

Restoration and digitalization are two complimentary approaches to manuscript study. The current update includes the online publication by e-codices of the complete restoration report on the carefully restored “Geneva Iliad” (Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. gr. 44) by Andrea Giovannini. The report both describes a model of modern restoration technique and contains a great deal of codicological information:

• Genève, Bibliothèque de Genève, Ms. gr. 44: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 2011 (4.58 MB)

• Orselina, Convento della Madonna del Sasso, Codice I: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1993 (1.8 MB)
• ---, Codice II: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1997 (2.04 MB)
• ---, Codice III: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1999 (2.37 MB)
• ---, Codice IV: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1995 (1.87 MB)
• Fribourg/Freiburg, Archives de l'Etat de Fribourg/Staatsarchiv Freiburg, Archives du Chapitre St. Nicolas/Kapitelsarchiv St. Niklaus, CSN III.3.1: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1995 (1.31 MB)
• ---, CSN III.3.3: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 2003 (1.16 MB)
• ---, CSN III.3.5: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1998 (1.73 MB)
• ---, CSN III.3.7: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 1993 (79 KB)
• ---.,Législation et variétés 53/Gesetzgebung und Verschiedenes 53: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 2002 (396 KB)
• Neuchâtel, Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de Neuchâtel, A1: Restoration report by Andrea Giovannini, 2006 (1.97 MB)
• ---, A28: Restoration report by Martin Strebel, 1994 (2.35 MB)

Torre, Archivio parrocchiale, s. n., V1r – "Martirologio-inventario" of the Church of S. Stefano in Torre, 1569

Support for e-codices from the Rectors Conference of Swiss Universities (CRUS) has enabled us to undertake, in addition to many other sub-projects, one especially innovative sub-project, in which difficult-to-access manuscripts, some of them in hidden or unknown collections, could be digitalized and made publicly available on the internet for all to see. Early this year, Dr. Marina Bernasconi Reusser, editor of e-codices, stumbled upon two martyrologies in the parish archives of Torre, frazione of the comune Blenio in the Blenio Valley. The martyrologies had been carefully kept there since the 16th and 17th centuries respectively, and had been in use up to the early 20th century, as evidenced by continued entries up to 1924.
Next year the search for small and hidden collections as well as for manuscripts from private collections will continue. We would like to take this opportunity to encourage owners of such treasures to contact us!

Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, F III 15b, f. 1r – Ps. Isidorus Hispalensis, De ordine creaturarum • Vita Antigoni et s. Eupraxiae • Vita s. Goaris

The early medieval library of Fulda, famous until the Humanistic period, was almost completely destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. During the 16th century, a number of Fulda codices were brought to Switzerland to serve as sources for print editions produced in Basel. Because some of these manuscripts never made it back to Fulda, one of the largest groups of surviving Fulda manuscripts and fragments can be found in Switzerland, particularly in Basel. Moreover, several Swiss collections include products of the Fulda scriptorium that for one reason or another were never delivered to their destinations. This project, a collaboration of e-codices and the 'Institut Bibliotheca Fuldensis', will provide digital access to the Fulda Manuscripts of Switzerland, in hopes of providing new impetus for investigating this scriptorium and library.

Last year e-codices had a total of 205,762 visits and 4,239,461 page views. Of these, 22,54% came from within Switzerland. This count is based on analysis of visitor statistics using Google Analytics.

This year we expect visits to substantially exceed the 2012 figures. Meanwhile, we have visitors from 191 countries, and the number of visits using mobile devices has greatly increased. In 2012 mobile access counted for an average 3.43% of visits, but has by now increased to more than 10%.

Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 30, f. 9v - Calendarium, Biblia latina, 13th/14th centuries

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 341, p. 59 - Calendar, Sacramentary, about 1070

Sarnen, Benediktinerkollegium, Cod. membr. 8, f. 10v - Speculum Humanae Salvationis, 1427

e-codices wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year