Manuscript Libraries and Latin Names
Most of the older and more famous manuscripts are named for the libraries in which they are found -- e.g. the Codex Vaticanus is, unsurprisingly, named after the Vatican library.
This clearly presents no problem when the library is as well-known as the Vatican's. But is it really self-evident that "Codex Haunienses" was originally located at Copenhagen, Denmark? And there aren't many bilingual Latin/English atlases to consult. The following tables allow conversion of codex names to city names and vice versa.
Note that a manuscript may still be called after its original library long after it has been moved (as, e.g. Codex Sinaiticus is still named for Sinai, not Saint Petersburg or the British Museum).
The list is not comprehensive. The primary sources are Latin Manvscripts by Harold W. Johnston and Fifteenth Century Books by Robert Alexander Peddie.
The first list is alphabetical by Latin title, the second by city or collection name.
| Manuscript Title | English City Name |
|---|---|
| Alexandrini | For the Vatican collection by this name, see Reginenses |
| Ambrosiani | Milan, Ambrosian collection |
| Amstelodamenses | Amsterdam |
| Argentoratenses/Argentinae | University Library, Strassbourg |
| Ashburnhamii | Florence, Ashburnham collection (formerly in Britain) |
| Augustae Tiberii | Regensburg |
| Augustae Trevoririi | Trier |
| Augustae Vindelicorum | Augsburg |
| Avenione | Avignon |
| Babenbergae/Bambergae | Bamburg |
| Basilienses | Basle |
| Bernenses | Berne |
| Berolinenses | Berlin |
| Bliaudifontani | Fontainbleau |
| Bodleiani | Bodleian Library, Oxford |
| Borbonici | Naples, Bourbon collection |
| Britannici | (usually) British Museum, London |
| Cæsaraugustæ | Zaragossa |
| Cagliari | Calaris |
| Cantabrigienses | Cambridge |
| Capuæ | Capua |
| Cluniacense Monast. | Cluni |
| Cremonæ | Cremona |
| Dresdenses | Dresden |
| Einsidlenses | Einsiedeln |
| Florentini | Florence (also sometimes Firenze) |
| Gandavenses | Ghent |
| Gebennis | Geneva |
| Genuæ | Genova |
| Gothani | Gotha |
| Granatæ | Granada |
| Gratianopolis | Grenoble |
| Hafniae | Copenhagen |
| Hamburgi | Hamburg |
| Harleiani | Harley collection, London |
| Haunienses | Copenhagen |
| Heildelberga(e) | Heidelberg |
| Herbipolæ | Würzburg |
| Hispali | Sevilla |
| Holmiæ | Stockholm |
| Ingolstadii | Inglostadt |
| Laurentiani | Florence, Laurentian collection |
| Leidenses | Leyden |
| Leodicences | Liège |
| Leopoldiana | Florence, Leopoldo collection |
| Londinenses or Londinii | London |
| Lugduni | Lyon |
| Lugdunenses Batavi | Leyden |
| Luneburgi | Lüneburg |
| Lyptzyck | Leipzig |
| Magdeburgii | Magdeburg |
| Maguntinæ | Mainz |
| Mantuæ | Mantua |
| Marciani | Venice (Marcian Library) |
| Medicei | Florence, Medici collection |
| Medliolanenses | Milan |
| Messanæ | Messina |
| Mettensis Civitas | Metz |
| Monacenses | Munich |
| Monachii | Munich |
| Monast. Westfalii | Münster/Westfalia |
| Montpessulani | Montpellier |
| Mutinæ | Modena |
| Namnetii | Nantes |
| Neapoli | Naples |
| Neapolitani | Naples |
| Norimbergæ | Nürnberg |
| Oxonienses | Oxford |
| Oxonii | Oxford |
| Paduæ | Padua |
| Palatini | Palatine Library, Heidelberg |
| Parisiaci | Paris |
| Parisini | Paris |
| Parisiis | Paris |
| Panormitii | Palermo |
| Perpiniani | Perpignan |
| Perusiæ | Perugia |
| Pragenses | Prague |
| Ratisponæ | Regensburg |
| Regii | Paris (formerly French Royal Library) |
| Reginenses | Vatican (formerly Sweden, bought by Pope Alexander VIII from Queen Christina) |
| Riccardiani | Florence, Riccardi collection |
| Romæ | Rome |
| Romani | Rome (but may refer to Vatican manuscripts) |
| Rothomagi | Rouen |
| Salisburgenses | Salzburg |
| San Marci | Florence, San Marco collection |
| Sanctus Albanii | St. Albans |
| Sanctus Germanii | St. Germain |
| Sangallenses | St. Gall |
| Sangermanenses | St. Germain |
| Senis | Sienna |
| Slesvicii | Schleswig |
| Spiræ | Speier |
| Stutgardiæ | Stuttgart |
| Stuttgardia | Stuttgart |
| Taurinenses | Turin |
| Tholosanæ | Toulouse |
| Toleti | Toledo |
| Tolosae | Toulouse |
| Townleiani | Townley collection, London |
| Trecis | Troyes |
| Tubingæ | Tübingen |
| Turicenses | Zürich |
| Turonii | Tours |
| Ultrajecti | Utrecht |
| Urbinates | Vatican, Urbino collection |
| Ursiniani | Vatican, Orsini collection |
| Valentiæ | Valencia |
| Vaticani | Vatican |
| Veniti | Venice |
| Vercellensis | Vercelli |
| Vercellis | Vercelli |
| Veronenses | Verona |
| Viennæ Austriæ | Vienna |
| Vindobonensis | Vienna |
| Viterbii | Viterbo |
| Vratislaviæ | Wrocław (Breslau) |
| Westmonasterii | Westminster |
| English City Name | Manuscript Title |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Amstelodamenses |
| Augsburg | Augustae Vindelicorum |
| Avignon | Avenione |
| Bamberg | Babenbergae/Bambergae |
| Basle | Basilienses |
| Berlin | Berolinenses |
| Berne | Bernenses |
| Bodleian Library, Oxford | Bodleiani |
| (Breslau) | Vratislaviæ |
| British Museum, London | Britannici (if not otherwise specified; see also Harley, London, etc.) |
| Cagliari | Calariis |
| Cambridge | Cantabrigienses |
| Capua | Capuæ |
| Cluni | Cluniacense Monast. |
| Copenhagen | Haunienses or Hafniæ |
| Cremona | Cremonæ |
| Dresden | Dresdenses |
| Einsiedeln | Einsidlenses |
| Firene | Florentiæ |
| Florence (collection not specified) | Florentini |
| Florence, Ashburnham collection | Ashburnhamii |
| Florence, Laurentian collection | Laurentiani |
| Florence, Leopoldo collection | Leopoldiana |
| Florence, Medici collection | Medicei |
| Florence, Riccardi collection | Riccardiani |
| Florence, San Marco collection | San Marci |
| Fontainbleau | Bliaudifontani |
| Geneva | Gebennis |
| Genova | Genuæ |
| Ghent | Gandavenses |
| Gotha | Gothani |
| Granada | Granatæ |
| Hamburg | Hamburgi |
| Harley collection, London | Harleiani |
| Heidelberg | Heildelberga(e) |
| Ingolstadt | Ingolstadii |
| Leipzig | Lyptzck |
| Leyden | Lugdunenses Batavi, Leidenses |
| Liège | Leodicences |
| London | Londinenses or Londinii (see also British Museum, Townley Collection, etc.) |
| Lüneburg | Luneburgi |
| Lyon | Lugduni |
| Magdeburg | Magdeburgii |
| Mainz | Maguntinæ |
| Mantua | Mantuæ |
| Messina | Messanæ |
| Metz | Mettensis Civitas |
| Milan | Medliolanenses |
| Milan, Ambrosian collection | Ambrosiani |
| Modena | Mutinæ |
| Montpellier | Montpessulani |
| Munich | Monacenses, Munichii |
| Münster/Westfalia | Monast. Westfalii |
| Nantes | Namnetii |
| Naples | Nepoli, Neapolitani |
| Naples, Bourbon collection | Borbonici |
| Nürnberg | Norimbergae |
| Oxford (if not from Bodleian) | Oxonii, Oxonienses |
| Padua | Paduæ |
| Palatine Library, Heidelberg | Palatini |
| Palermo | Panormitii |
| Paris | Parisiaci, Parisini, Parisiis |
| Paris (from Royal Library) | Regii |
| Prague | Pragenses |
| Regensburg | Augustae Tiberii, Ratisponæ |
| Rome (may refer to Vatican mss.) | Romani, Romæ |
| Rouen | Rothomagi |
| Salzburg | Salisburgenses |
| St. Albans | Sanctus Albanii |
| St. Gall | Sangallenses |
| St. Germain | Sangermanenses/Sanctus Germanii |
| Schleswig | Slesvicii |
| Seville | Hispali |
| Sienna | Senis |
| Speier | Spiræ |
| Stockholm | Holmiæ |
| (University Library,) Strassbourg | Argentoratenses/Argentinae |
| Stuttgart | Stuttgardia, Stutgardiæ |
| Toledo | Toleti |
| Toulouse | Tholosanæ, Tolosæ |
| Tours | Turonii |
| Townley collection, London | Townleiani |
| Trier | Augustae Trevoririi |
| Troyes | Trecis |
| Tübingen | Tubingæ |
| Turin | Taurinenses |
| Utrecht | Ultrajecti |
| Valencia | Valentiæ |
| Vatican (unspecified) | Vaticani |
| Vatican (from Queen Christina of Sweden) | Reginenses |
| Vatican, Orsini collection | Ursiniani |
| Vatican, Urbino collection | Urbinates |
| Venice | Veniti |
| Venice (Marcian Library) | Marciani |
| Vercelli | Vercellis, Vercellensis |
| Verona | Veronenses |
| Vienna | Vindobonensis, Viennæ Austriæ |
| Vitterbo | Viterbii |
| Westminster | Westmonasterii |
| Wrocław (Breslau) | Vratislaviæ |
| Würzburg | Herbbipolæ |
| Zürich | Turicenses |
| Zaragossa | Cæsaraugustæ |