Study is not boring. Medieval manuscripts are not boring. Dan Brown seems to prove that things theological and medieval aren't even boring to to the least pious persons.
Last year about this time in my search for sources, I went to Germany and just missed meeting one of the only people who know my material. Unfortunately, he died before I could interview him--may the soul of Fr. Prof. Ludwig Hödl rest in peace! Also on the trail in Germany, I found the library I needed which houses one of the five manuscripts containing my text. They did not let me see the manuscript, however, as I had not given them sufficient notice of my arrival. Lesson learned--always write the library before traveling to find specific documents!
Fast forward almost a year, and once I cannot continue with the Rome manuscript, having run into insurmountable obstacles text in that alone, I must go ahead and seriously seek the same text in the other manuscripts to help overcome those obstacles. Thus, a trip to Nuremberg came first on the agenda.
Now I knew my way a little around that city, thanks to my reconnaissance mission last year. But I could not find a hotel within walking distance, so I took the overnight train from Rome, arrived in time for the library to open, and stayed until shortly before it closed, when I took the overnight train back down. I was able to study the codex, and to take photos of the text I would need to transcribe. However, I had trouble finding some of this text--particularly the question xii which was causing me trouble back in Rome. Never mind, there wasn't time to resolve that question there, so I saved that for later, and took photos from near the end of question xi onward. Back in Rome, I had a few days to examine the text more tranquilly before meeting my moderator and flying back home for Easter. My grand discovery was that no one seems to have noticed in the last six hundred years that question xii is entirely missing from that particular manuscript! (so, don't tell anyone else, this is my contribution!)
That trip was quite an adventure in itself, and perhaps I'll write it up one of these days. Then, home for Easter, back in Rome and scheduling more manuscript chases.
Next stop, Florence. Florence is a lovely town. I happen to speak the same language they do, which is convenient (as opposed to Nuremberg). I also happen to know people residing there or in the vicinity. So, it was a simple enough matter to find a place to stay, and a way up there. I had learned my lesson about writing the library first, and been reassured that I would be able to consult the desired manuscript. So, I arrived late one rainy evening last week, moved into a comfortable room a mere 10 paces or so from the chapel, and was ready to go to work at the library the following morning. The staff at the library was friendly and kind, and the manuscript magically appeared almost immediately after I requested it. It was a beautiful codex, too, that I much enjoyed poring over. Furthermore, question xii was present and accounted for!
The rest of the trip also proved to be an adventure, about which I may also write one of these days. But by now, you know that one of these days probably will not mean tomorrow, and may not mean next month. But perhaps if you remind me...
Then comes Paris for the final two manuscripts. This time, I remembered to pack a camera. I did not, however, find the library in a timely fashion, and by the time I did find it, it was too late to enter the manuscript room the first day. The second day, I arrived, and even succeeded in arriving at the manuscript room, where I was stopped and reminded that these two manuscripts may not be accessible just now, as there are technical problems with bringing them from their storage to the reading room. So, I was told to consult the librarian before signing in to the hall. Indeed, I was turned away. So, forget finding the question--finding the library was hard enough, and finding the manuscripts seems to be even harder!
Some photos to lighten the mood did not come up on my internet connection. Perhaps another time.
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