Condaghe
Encyclopedia
A condaghe from the medieval Sardinian
kondake (from Byzantine Greek κοντάκιον, kontákion
, "the pole around which a scroll is wound"), was an administrative document in use in Sardinia
between the 11th and 13th centuries. They are one of the earliest witnesses for the development of the Sardinian language and are an important source for historians of medieval Sardinia.
The original condaghi were collections of acts of donations to churches or monasteries. Later condaghes were kept by noble families for recording inheritances, purchases, donations (datura), transactions (tramutu) and litigation (kertu), principally when relating to the church. The chief object of such records was to provide precise dates in case of legal dispute.
Physically, the first condaghi were scrolls: overlapping parchment manuscripts wound tightly around a kontákion. Over time they took on the familiar form of a codex
(like modern books). They were produced in the scriptoria of monasteries and cathedrals, but the great majority have been lost. Only the condaghi of the monasteries of Santa Maria di Bonarcado, San Michele di Salvennor, San Nicola di Trullas
and San Pietro in Silki and of the Basilica of San Gavino are preserved from among the ecclesiastical kind. There is only one surviving lay condaghe, that of Judge Barisone II of Logudoro.
Sardinian language
Sardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
kondake (from Byzantine Greek κοντάκιον, kontákion
Kontakion
Kontakion is a form of hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word derives from the Greek word kontax , meaning pole, specifically the pole around which a scroll is wound. The term describes the way in which the words on a scroll unfurl as it is read...
, "the pole around which a scroll is wound"), was an administrative document in use in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
between the 11th and 13th centuries. They are one of the earliest witnesses for the development of the Sardinian language and are an important source for historians of medieval Sardinia.
The original condaghi were collections of acts of donations to churches or monasteries. Later condaghes were kept by noble families for recording inheritances, purchases, donations (datura), transactions (tramutu) and litigation (kertu), principally when relating to the church. The chief object of such records was to provide precise dates in case of legal dispute.
Physically, the first condaghi were scrolls: overlapping parchment manuscripts wound tightly around a kontákion. Over time they took on the familiar form of a codex
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
(like modern books). They were produced in the scriptoria of monasteries and cathedrals, but the great majority have been lost. Only the condaghi of the monasteries of Santa Maria di Bonarcado, San Michele di Salvennor, San Nicola di Trullas
San Nicola di Trullas
San Nicola di Trullas is a countryside church between the communes of Semestene and Pozzomaggiore, in the province of Sassari, Sardinia, ItalyIt belonged to a local influential family and in 1113 it was assigned to Camaldolese monks....
and San Pietro in Silki and of the Basilica of San Gavino are preserved from among the ecclesiastical kind. There is only one surviving lay condaghe, that of Judge Barisone II of Logudoro.
Further reading
- Graziano FOIS and Mauro MAXIA. Il condaghe di Luogosanto. Olbia: Editrice Taphros, 2009. ISBN 978-88-7432-073-8
- Giuseppe MELONI and Andrea DESSÌ FULGHERI. Mondo rurale e Sardegna del XII secolo: Il Condaghe di Barisone II. Naples: Liguori, 1994.
- Giuseppe MELONI. Il Condaghe di San Gavino. Cagliari: Centro di Studi Filologici Sardi CUEC, 2005.
- Paolo MERCI. Il Condaghe di San Nicola di Trullas. Nuoro: Ilisso edizioni, 2001. ISBN 88-87825-26-2
- Maurizio VIRDIS. Il Condaghe di Santa Maria di Bonarcado. Nuoro: Ilisso edizioni, 2003. ISBN 88-87825-74-2