A new two-part version of the “Ave maris stella” hymn in a psalter-hymnal preserved in the Biblioteca Municipale, Palombara Sabina: more on the “cantus planus binatim”

Abstract

The Palombara Sabina City Library, Rome, hosts three liturgical books that have so far escaped scholars, namely, two manuscripts — the late-15th-century psalter-hymnal discussed here and a later kyriale-gradual — plus an 18th-century edition. They most likely come from the 15th-century Franciscan convent built by the powerful Roman Savelli family. The city, called Palumbaria since the 11th century, had been under their rule since 1270 and their ancient castle can still be admired. The psalter-hymnal is made of parchment, with both wooden covers wrapped in dark brown leather. It consists of 79 sheets but must have had more, as the last one is No. 91. It is partly mutilated, but its content was reconstructed after some in-depth study. From c. 72 on, each parchment sheet has a paper sheet pasted on, where only hymns are copied. Of course, the glued paper sheets will have to be detached for the underlying ones to be read. Interestingly, the Ave maris stella is in an otherwise unattested two-part version. Its style is cantus planus binatim, but also rich in dissonance.