Peter of Zittau, Chronica Aulae regiae; autographs; Pal. Lat. 950; medieval chronicles;

Chronica Aulae regiae (also known as the Zbraslav Chronicle), the largest and most important Latin chronicle written in medieval Bohemia, is one of the few works of Bohemian medieval literature that has (at least partially) survived in the form of an autograph (Cod. Pal. Lat. 950, held at the Bibliotheca apostolica Vaticana in Rome). This manuscript contains numerous alterations made by the author of the chronicle – Peter of Zittau (died 1339), the Abbot of the Zbraslav Monastery – to the text of the second book when formulating the text and transcribing it into the codex. The article presents an analysis of these instances of authorial proofreading, exploring how the various crossings-out, insertions and other alterations to the original text of the second book provide insights into Peter of Zittau’s creative process, his literary ambitions, his critical attitude to the events described in the text, and his suppressed emotions.