The Resurfaced Medieval Manuscript Codex Filippi and the Zadar redaction of the Passion of St Anastasia

This paper brings the most recent research results on a fragment from Zadar's medieval manuscript known as Cod. Lat. Iaderensis Filippi (S. Mariae). Its discovery in London (after a period of almost half a century during which its whereabouts was unknown) allows for a renewed interest in the hagiography of Zadar's patron saints, St Anastasia (Stosija) and St Chrysogonus (Krsevan). Based on a codicological and palaeographic analysis of the manuscript (which contains two legends: Passio Sanctae Anastasiae and Translatio Beati Grisogoni), the author has indicated a series of open questions linked to the provenance and nature of the given codex. Referring to the previously voiced opinions regarding the age and function of this multiply revised and reutilized codex, it has been established that it was a liturgical book that, even though used for different purposes, may be described as a legendarium. Previous estimates regarding the dating and age of the codex varied between the 12th and 15th centuries. However, taking into account the observed palaeographic and stylistic features, the author has compared it with similar liturgical books from a wider northern Adriatic area, suggesting the limitation of the proposed dating to the period between the late 13th and late 14th centuries. Eventually, based on the analogies with a group of manuscripts from a wider Aquileian area, the author has suggested a link between the Passio Sanctae Anastasiae preserved in the manuscript and a northern Italian redaction of the legend.