The Verginelli-Rota Collection of alchemical books and manuscripts

This collection was lovingly gathered by Vinci Verginelli and Nino Rota (more known as being the famous composer of the sound tracks of Federico Fellini's movies than for their alchemical interests), spending many years (and money too!) in their quest until the collection arose to a "corpus" of nearly 400 volumes of ancient hermetic books from the 16th to the 18th century, nearly 60 ancient hermetic manuscripts from the 15th to the 19th century (many of them illuminated) and nearly 2,000 modern hermetic books from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Before the donation of the ancient part of the collection to the Library of the "Lincei" National Academy (Roma, Via della Lungara, Palazzo Corsini), Mr. Verginelli compiled a complete annotated catalogue , that in 1986 was printed in 1,000 numbered issues by Nardini, Florence. In fact, this catalogue provides more than the description of a rare collection, for the main interest of the catalogue lies in the erudite and passionate commentary Vinci Verginelli gave upon each item of the catalogue.

VERGINELLI, Vinci, Bibliotheca hermetica. Catalogo alquanto ragionato della raccolta Verginelli-Rota di antichi testi ermetici (secoli XV-XVIII), Firenze, Nardini editore - Centro internazionale del libro, 1986 [prima edizione in 1.000 esemplari nuerati].

Vinci Verginelli was disciple of Giuliano M. Kremmerz (1861-1930) who founded in Italy the Magic-Therapeutic Brotherhood of "Myriam", with branches in Bari (Accademia Pitagorica), Naples (Accademia Sebezia) and Rome (Circolo Virgiliano), the last one becoming entrusted with the modern part of the Collection, with the condition that in case of the dissolution of the "Circolo Virgiliano" all the books should be donated to the "Lincei" Academy.

The catalogue of the Collection Verginelli-Rota is the first Italian catalogue of alchemical and hermetic books belonging to a private collection.

Here is the exact amount of manuscripts of the collection:

4 from 15th century
4 from 16th century
11 from 17th century
17 from 18th century
22 from 19th century
2 from 20th century

I am indebted to Domenico Bogliolo, Centro Interdipartimentale per il Calcolo Scientifico (CICS), Universita' degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Citta' Universitaria - 00195 Roma - Italia, for the above information.
I have extracted the following descriptions of the manuscripts from the catalogue.

MS. Verginelli-Rota 1. 15th Century.
Dixit Salomon. [Alchemical MS. in Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 2. 15th Century. Parchment.
Grimoire Magico [In English.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 3. 16th Century. 41 folios. Parchment. 138x89mm.
Premier Chapitre [...] le quel a la teste. [With 'Donum Dei' series of watercolour illustrations.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 4. 15th Century.
Tractatula ex intentione sapientium in arte astrorum et scientiae stellarum.
[Miscellany by Guido Bonatti (?) from Albumasar (?)]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 5. 16th Century.
[Fragments of an alchemical text in Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 6. 15th Century [1597.]
Manuel de philosophie chymique. [With pen drawings of 'Rosarium Philosophorum' series.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 7. 15th Century [1599.]
1. Enseignemens philosophique de Jean Tachard a ses enfans.
2. Pratiqua de opera magna lapidis philosophorum extracta ex libro... De Rouillac Pedismontani. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 8. 17th Century.
Albamasia sive [Magia] Naturalis et Innaturalis. [Illustrated with sigils. Text in German. Author possibly Albumazar (?) or Herpentilo Pareja (anno 1489?)]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 9. 17th Century.
Aphorismes ou Canons de la Pierre Philosophique. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 10. 17th Century.
Breve compendio e prattica della pietra filosofica. [Partly in Latina and partly in Italian.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 11. 17th Century.
Del dragone filosophico e sua purga accidentali. [Text in Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 12. 17th Century.
[A few folios with alchemical figures and short instructions in Italian.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 13. 17th Century.
[Alchemical miscellany in Latin.]
1. Commentarii in Henrici Kunrathi Amphitheatrum ab Anonymo Philosopho doctissimo.
2. Vualerand du bus Robert, Epistola de Lapide, etc.
3. Sermo Alphidii Philosophi, etc.
4. Raymundi Lulli, quaestionis arboris philosophalis.
[With many geometric illustrations towards the end of the manuscript.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 14. 17th Century.
Serafino da Mantova. [Alchemical recipes in Italian.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 15, 16, 17. 17th Century.
Zoroaster des Rabbi und Juden Clavis Artis. [3 volumes.]
[In German with occasional Latin. With many coloured figures.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 18. 18th Century.
Georg Aurach. Libro intitulato preziosissimo dono di Dio. [In Italian. With coloured figures of the 'Donum Dei' series.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 19. 18th Century. Parchment.
Aureus hic liber est. [Anthology in Latin and Italian of various esoteric materials.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 20. 18th Century.
De Delook. La clef de la Pirothecnie. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 21. 18th Century.
Desiderabilia super aureum et lapidem preciosum. [In Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 22. 18th Century.
Gombert. Le thresor d'alchimie, ou les livres des arcanes des philosophes. [Collection of alchemical texts in French with illustrations.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 23. 18th Century.
1. Johann Grasshoff [Johannes Grasseus, alias Chortolasseus.]
Arche ou tresor du precieux arcane des sages. Secret Artificieux des souverains Mysteres de Nature de Jean Grossee dit autrement Cortolasse, docteur et insigne philosophe de notre Si�cle 1500. Tir� de son grand Petir Paysan.
[Collection and anthology of alchemical writings. In French.]
2. Le petit paysan ou le lis entre les �pines... Traduit de l'Allemand par Volachie.

MS. Verginelli-Rota 24. 18th Century.
Le tems serain ou clair jour phisique par Harprec fils de Sendivogius. Traduit de l'Allemand en Fran�ois par I.D.L.M. En l'ann�e 1738. a Parier (?)
[Collection of nine alchemical texts. In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 25. 18th Century.
Lemegeton or Clavicula Salomonis Rex or the Little Key of Solomon the King. [In English.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 26. 18th Century.
Philalethes. L'entr�e ouverte di palais ferm� du Roy, par Philalethe.
[Followed by another 5 tracts in French translated from the English of Thomas Vaughan or from Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 27. 18th Century.
Pratique de la v�g�tation mineral.
[Anonymous text in French, followed by other extracts from treatises of various origins.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 28. 18th Century.
Three ancient tracts concerning the transmutation of metals in French verse.]
1. Jean de a Fontaine. La Fontaine des amoureux de science.
2. Jean de Meung. Les remonstrances de nature � l'alchymiste errant, etc.
3. Nicholas Flamel. Petit traict� de alchymie intitul� le sommaire philosophique.
[p120 Text in French verse, excluding 'Il Testament attribue a Arnaud de Ville Neuve' [Villa Nova.]]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 29. 18th Century.
1. Comedia Famosa. La Piedra filosofal, de don Francisco Vances Candamo. [In verses of eight syllables.]
2. Philosophia natural de tres Antiguos Filosofos Nomados Arteophio, Flamel, y Synesio, que trata de Arte occulto, y de la trasmutacion de los Metales [Translation into Spanish from the French by Pierre Arnaud.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 30. 18th Century.
[La] Verite extraite des tenebres. La revelation de la parole cach�e par la Sagesse des anciens, ou la vraye genealogie de la mere du mercure des philosophes. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 31. 18th Century.
La clef du secret des secrets de philosophie... de Pierre Vicot Preste. {Work in three books entirely in French, with an extensive and precise sommary at the end.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 32. 19th Century.
Aerologie ou Abr�g� m�thodique de la science des airs. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 33. 18th Century.
[Chemical and alchemical recipes in Italian.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 34. 19th Century.
[Chemical and alchemical recipes in French.]
Grimoire.

MS. Verginelli-Rota 35. 19th Century.
[Les] arcanes ou Secrets de la Philosophie Herm�tique d�voil�s... Revue et corrig� par Lenain. Amiens 1832. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 36. 19th Century.
Calendarium Naturale Magicum Perpetuum Profundissimam Rerum Secretissimam Contemplationem, Totiusque Philosophiae Cognitionem Complectens. [In Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 36bis. 19th Century.
Charrot. Ampthitheatrum sapientiae aeternae. [Commentary (1898) on Khunrath's work of 1609.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 37. 19th Century.
Christophe Claudet. La Sagesse des Anciens. [In French, with 40 illustrations (of mediocre workmanship) of 'Crowning of Nature' series.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 38. 19th Century.
De la creation du monde materiel. [In French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 39. 19th Century.
Eliphas Ben Zahed. Le Tarot. [In French, with plates.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 40. 19th Century.
1. Jean d'Espagnet. L'ouvrage secret de la philosophie d'Hermez. [In French. From work anno 1651?]
2. Nicolas Valois. Trait� de Philosophie. [In French. From work anno 1420?]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 41. 19th Century.. Jean d'Espagnet. La physique detablie. [Text in French collated with Latin.]
2. [Anonymous] La philosophie Hermetique - Philosophie Hermetica. [Text in French collated with Latin.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 42. 19th Century.
Jean Pierre Fabre. L'Abreg� des secrets chimiques, o� toute la nature en general et en particular est decouverte. [Translation into French from the work of Fabre entitled 'Compendium Secretorum Chymicorum' pages 336-499 of the Latin edition of Fabre 'Opera Reliqua'.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 43. 19th Century.
1. Gerard of Cremona. Geomanzia Astronomica. [Italian translation of the 'Geomancie Astronomique de Gerard de Cremone... traduit par le Sieur de Salerne', Paris, 1669.]
2. Gerard of Cremona. La geomanzia e nomanzia cabalistica degli antichi coll'ora del pastore, Parigi MDCLXXXVII.

MS. Verginelli-Rota 44-50. 19th Century.
Lettres d'Eliphas L�vi au Baron Spedalieri. Volumes III-IX (I and II missing) from 1863 to 1866. [In French. Most likely a copy.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 51. 19th Century.
Eliphas Levi. Lettres � Charrot. [In French. Most likely a copy.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 52. 19th Century.
Le precieux don de Dieu. [In French. With watercoloured illustrattions of the 'Donum Dei' series, by Albert Poisson.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 53. 19th Century [1827.]
Johannes Reuchlin. De arte cabalistica. [In three books in Italian 'dal Dottor Fisico Antonio Avella'.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 54. 19th Century.
Philippe Rouillach. Trait� du Grand Oeuvre des philosophes.
[Contains other alchemical works entirely in French.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 55. 19th Century.
Via veritatis unicae, hoc est: elegans, perutile et praestans Opusculum Viam Veritatis Aperiens. [Translation of an anonymous work entitled 'Chemin de l'unique verite, etc'.]

MS. Verginelli-Rota 56. 20th Century.
Ercole Quadrelli. Excerpta ex alchymiae scriptoribus.

MS. Verginelli-Rota 57. 20th Century.
Giuliano Kremmerz. Autograph fragments of a 'Conversazione' with Kremmerz of the 'Accademia Pitagori de Bari', on 17th February 1921.]