MINIATURIST, Italian
(active 1325-50 in Florence)

Libro del Biadaiolo

1340s
Manuscript (Tempi 3), 385 x 270 mm
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence

The so-called Biadaiolo codex was composed by Domenico Lenzi, a grain merchant, who annotated on it the prices of cereals for the Florentine marketplace located at Orsanmichele between 1321 and 1335, together with bits of news, verses, and reflections of various sorts. The precious miniatures which decorate the codex are attributed to an anonymous artist, known as the Biadaiolo Master.

The representation of the expulsion of the poor from Siena and their entrance into Florence on folio 58 is of particular interest. This miniature shows numerous Florentine buildings: the city walls, the gate of the Bishop's Palace, the church of Santa Reparata, the Giotto campanile under construction, the Baptistery and the tower of the Bargello. From the architectural features shown in this miniature it is possible to date the manuscript to the years between 1344 and 1347.