Partial Bibles in Southern Italy: the Case of Montecassino

The biblical manuscript collection kept in Montecassino constitutes an exemplary case study for the tradition of the Latin Bible, both for the large number of preserved testimonies and for the variety of typologies attested. Particularly significant is the presence of an important nucleus of codices in Beneventan minuscule (21 out of a total of 48), produced at the Abbey in a time span centered on the eleventh century and still kept in situ. They are analyzed in the present contribution through an integrated approach, which ranges from the in-depth study of their structure and contents, to a first examination of the paratexts, such as prologues, chapter lists (capitula) and titles (tituli).