What Wilfrid Voynich claimed in 1912 — and what 113 years of research has failed to verify
In 1912, Polish antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid Voynich announced his acquisition of a mysterious illustrated manuscript. He claimed to have purchased it from an Italian Jesuit college—specifically the Villa Mondragone near Rome—where it had supposedly been stored for centuries.
Despite 113 years of research since Voynich's announcement, no contemporary documentation has ever been found to support the Italian provenance narrative.
Between the 1666 Marci letter (the only verified document mentioning the manuscript) and 1912 when Voynich appeared with it, there is a complete documentary void. Where was the manuscript for 246 years? No answer from the official narrative.
Later research found no records at Villa Mondragone of the manuscript ever being there, of any sale to Voynich, or of any communication with Voynich. The institution has no documentation of this supposedly major transaction.
Voynich's own accounts of the acquisition varied over time and contained inconsistencies. He was protective about revealing details, which has led some researchers to question whether the "Italian Jesuit college" story was accurate.
Even if we accept the Rudolf II and Marci connections (which are themselves contested), there is no documented chain showing how the manuscript moved from owner to owner. Each claimed transfer is inference, not documentation.
The manuscript contains English Secretary Hand annotations from the 1620s-1640s period. Why would a manuscript supposedly in Prague and then Rome have English annotations added during this period? The official narrative offers no explanation.
That's it. Everything else in the "official narrative" is speculation, inference, or unverified claims.
Since 1912, researchers have:
Result: Zero contemporary documents confirming any part of Voynich's story beyond the 1666 Marci letter.
The Gidea Hall theory presents 30+ primary sources documenting a complete chain of custody from 1516 to 1912—all verifiable in census records, parish registers, electoral rolls, and historical documents.
📚 EXAMINE THE DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE