Scala Dei (Eiximenis)

Scala Dei, also called Tractat de contemplació, is a literary work written by Francesc Eiximenis possibly in 1399 in Valencia in Catalan and dedicated to Maria de Luna, queen of the Crown of Aragon and wife of king Martin of Aragon.

Origin

Some parts of the Llibre de les dones, specifically the ones included in the Treaty of penance and the Treatise of contemplation, were included later in the book that Eiximenis probably offered to queen Maria de Luna when his husband Martin of Aragon was crowned, as Andreu Ivars pointed out. We know the king's coronation took place on 13 April 1399, and the queen's on 23 April 1399.

Content

Thus the book that is known as Scala Dei, would consist in parts of the above-mentioned Llibre de les dones. Together with the parts of this work that are literally transcribed, chapters 101 to 274 are summarized, as scholar Curt Wittlin showed. This book belongs to the genre of prayer books, which had a lot of success during the late Middle Ages and specially among the upper classes.

Digital editions

Manuscripts

Edition in the Biblioteca Virtual Joan Lluís Vives of the manuscript 86 from the University of Barcelona's Reserve Books.

Incunabula

Edition in the Memòria Digital de Catalunya of the incunabula edition, printed in Barcelona on 27 October 1494 by Diego de Gumiel.

Modern editions

Scala Dei. Barcelona. PAM. 1985. 100. Transcription of the ancient manuscript and preliminary notes by Curt Wittlin. Version into modern Catalan by Elisabet Ràfols.