Glossa ordinaria

work by Accursius

Also known as: “Glossa magna”, “Great Gloss”

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June 29, 2026

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The Glossa ordinaria was a monumental compilation of legal annotations created by Franciscus Accursius in the mid-13th century. Accursius, an Italian legal scholar and professor at the University of Bologna, was the last of the medieval legal glossators. His work synthesized and organized the vast number of marginal and interlinear notes made by earlier scholars on Justinian's compilation of Roman law.

This comprehensive collection, also known as the Glossa magna or "Great Gloss," became an indispensable supplement to Roman legal texts for nearly five centuries. Accursius's interpretations significantly influenced the study and development of law across Europe, laying groundwork for later legal systems and codes. The glossators' work, including Accursius', was crucial for the revival and dissemination of Roman law during the Middle Ages and beyond.12

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legal glossator
This compilation, the Glossa ordinaria, supplemented by the annotations of Accursius himself, was known as the Glossa magna (Great Gloss). For nearly a century its authority was no less than that of the original Roman texts.
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This compilation, the Glossa ordinaria, supplemented by the annotations of Accursius himself, was known as the Glossa magna (Great Gloss). For nearly a century its authority was no less than that of the original Roman texts.
Read More

Franciscus Accursius
…Accursius to compile the authoritative Glossa ordinaria, also called the Glossa magna (the “Great Gloss”; 1220–50), which so far surpassed the glosses of earlier scholars that those works were rendered obsolete. For the next 500 years the Glossa of Accursius remained an indispensable complement to the texts of Roman law.…
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…Accursius to compile the authoritative Glossa ordinaria, also called the Glossa magna (the “Great Gloss”; 1220–50), which so far surpassed the glosses of earlier scholars that those works were rendered obsolete. For the next 500 years the Glossa of Accursius remained an indispensable complement to the texts of Roman law.…
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