In 1924, the historian Luigi Schiaparelli he found to Chapter library of Verona theVeronese riddlea text written on the edge of another document: it is a small one enigmawritten by an unknown Amanuens, between the 8th century and the beginning of the IX, in the form of a annotation in one vulgar Italian formwhich tells of oxen that move the plow in a white field and spread a black seed
It is not immediately understood to what it alludes that text, certainly a little cryptic, but Schiaparelli, a great expert of palaeography – science thanks to which they are read, donate and contextualize ancient documents – e diplomatics – discipline that studies and ascertains the authenticity of the documents, to determine its value as a historical testimony – quickly realizes to be in front of something precious. The dating between theVIII and the IX century AD makes the document the First form of vulgar Italianthe ancestor of the language we speak today.
The story of the indovinel: who wrote it as it has come down to us
That text certainly no longer belongs to Latin: the scholar deals with his dating, and discovers to be preceding the Placito Capuanodated 960 AD and considered, until then, the oldest form of Italian. The text is then accompanied by a Note in pure Latinhowever written by another hand, a sort of sacred invocation: “Gratias Tibi Agimus Omnipoten Semppirene Deus”Meaning what “We make you thank you, omnipotent and eternal God”.
The riddle, in fact, is placed between theVIII and the IX century ADperiod in which it was composed – or perhaps transcribed – by a unknown amanuensis. The origin of the parchment is Toledoin Spain, was then brought to Cagliarireached Pisa and then Verona. According to Schiaparelli there is no doubt: we are in front of the first form of romance in vulgar form, That is the form of ancient Italian closest to what we speak today. But what those short sentences mean, which speak of oxen, of a plow, of a white field and a black seed?
What the Veronese riddle tells and its translation into Italian
Two years after the discovery of the text Vincenzo de Bartholomaeisprofessor of comparative history and neolatine literatures atUniversity of Bolognacites the text of the indovinel in lessons:
If Boves / Alba Pratolia Araba / Et Albo Versorio Tentaba / et Negro Semen Semenba
that in Italian Italian it can be translated as follows:
He held the oxen / prava white meadows
According to what he testified by the professor himself, he was a first year student in name Liana socks to find the solution. What did Liana suggest?
The solution of the Veronese IndoVinello
Liana socks – which then graduated in 1930, according to what reported byHistorical Archive of the University – he knew the solution of the indovinel because it was one popular nursery rhyme who had learned as a child.
The Veronese riddle is one writing metaphorcompared to the farmer’s work. The oxen represent the fingersthe white meadows le pagesthe plow there goosen pen and the black seed theink. The parchment with the riddle can still be admired today at the Chapter Library of Verona, the oldest library in the world still in activity.
