Una scienza per la rinascita. Note su Paolo dell’Abaco e la matematica abacistica fiorentina

Florence, one of the capitals of the commercial revolution, was also the capital of the so-called tradition of abacus mathematics. The paper focuses on Paolo dell’Abaco, arguably the most prominent Florentine abacus master of the 14th century. Although not new to the literature, Paolo dell’Abaco’s works have not yet been published in their entirety, nor thoroughly studied. The analysis concentrates on Paolo’s main work, the unpublished Trattato di tutta l’arte dell’abacho, offering an overview of what is probably the earliest surviving manuscript preserving the text (BNCF, Fondo Nazionale II. IX. 57). This manuscript is a valuable source for outlining the distinctive features of practical mathematics in 14th century Florence, providing a significant case-study in the reception and vulgarization of Leonardo Fibonacci’s mathematical heritage.