The book from which the following two texts come is rather unique: it is the fictitious account of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai which the Florentine goldsmith Marco di Bartolomeo Rustici is presumed to have undertaken. Starting with a detailed description of his hometown – extensively illustrated with drawings – Rustici begins an imagined itinerary that leads him along the Ligurian and Tuscan coast, across the Mediterranean and finally to the Holy Land. The Camposanto is mentioned at two points: when the group stops at Pisa at the beginning of their journey, and when Rustici gives a description of the Christian pilgrim cemetery in Jerusalem, the Akeldama. Interestingly, this text which Rustici obviously compiled from other pilgrim accounts at his disposal, indicates two different sites from where the Pisans had taken the holy earth: the Holy Sepulchre and the Akeldama, which also appears in the travel and pilgrim accounts of Pero Tafur, Felix Fabri and Fadrique Enríquez de Ribera. / DG

Rustici_Akeldama_markiert

Source: Manuscript, 1442-1455, Florence, Biblioteca del Seminario Arcivescovile Maggiore, Codice Rustici

Edition: Kathleen Olive and Nerida Newbigin, eds., Il Codice Rustici. Edizione critica, in: Dimostrazione dell’andata, o viaggio al Santo Sepolcro e al Monte Sinai di Marco di Bartolomeo Rustici (Florence: Leo S. Olschki, 2015), 1:95-298.

Il secondo libro del Santo Sepolcro e del monte Sinai
9. Partìmoci de la cità di Firenze, io Marco con mia compagnia, per montare in galea

 

“Dirimpetto, a non tropi pasi, v’è un cimitero, chiamasi il Campo Santo, magnifico e bello, coperto di piombo; e nel mezo è pieno di sipulture di rilievo, intagliate di nobile istorie, il quale i Pisani dificorono e fondorono della terra la quale egli arecorono per zacora da’ navili di Gerusaleme dal Santo Sipolcro.” (171 (fol. 89v))

The second book of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Sinai
9. We depart from the city of Florence, me, Marco, and my company, in order to board the ship.

In front of this, in a distance of not too many footsteps, there is a cemetery which is called Camposanto, magnificent and beautiful, covered with lead. And in the center it is full of sculptured sepulchres, incised with noble stories. The Pisans built it and founded it with the earth that they brought with [??] ships from the Holy Spulchre of Jerusalem.

2. Istoria del santo viagio in Gerusaleme ed al monte Sinai e in Arabia
49. I dodici apostoli feciono il Credo

“Salendo sù pel muro inverso levante, sendo in cima èvi piano coperto di terra. Ha di sopra VI finestre; guatando di quindi ivi si vede quel campo il quale i Giudei comperarono de’ XXX danari di Cristo che Giuda il vendé e quel campo è pien di sipulture di pelegrini. Chiamasi il detto campo Acheldama. Tutti i pelegrini vi sono sopeliti. Chi vàe in detto campo si dice sua orazione co riverenzia e co requiem etternam per l’anime di coloro che sopeliti vi sono Cristiani. Chiamasi Campo Santo. Ècci di perdono anni VII dìe LXX.

 

E i Pisani anticamente signoregiorono il Sipolcro e per vettoria e trionfo recorono di quella terra di quello campo; con divozione dificorono nella città di Pisa uno cimitero chiamato Campo Santo magnifico e bello, coperto di piombo, a grolia di Dio.” (264 (fol. 237v))

History of the holy travel to Jerusalem, to mount Sinai and to Arabia
49. The twelve apostles did the Creed

Climbing up on the wall towards the east, there is on top an area which is covered with earth. There are six windows, and from there the field can be seen which the Jews bought with the 30 coins of Christ when sold him. And this field is full of sepulchres of pilgrims. And this field is called Acheldama. All the pilgrims are buried there. Whoever goes to this field says his prayer with reverence and with requiem aeternam for the souls of the Christians who are buried there. It is called Campo Santo. And the indulgence is seven years and seventy days.

In ancient times the Pisans ruled over the Sepulchre and, as a sign of victory and triumph, they brought some earth from that field. In Pisa, they devoutly built up a wonderful and beautiful, lead-covered cemetery called Campo Santo for God’s glory.