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ОглавлениеIlluminated codices from the library of the Bratislava Chapter House
Inscribed 1997
What is it
A collection of 101 early books, or codices, containing numerous illuminations and illustrations and dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
Why was it inscribed
The collection, from the former Chapter House library, is the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, influential and historically and artistically valuable set of medieval manuscript books in Slovakia.
Where is it
Slovak National Archives, Bratislava, Slovakia
The territory of Slovakia has historically been a meeting ground of political and cultural influences from Central, Eastern and Western Europe. The Bratislava Antiphonaries, as the codices are known, are among the most important religious documents in Central Europe.
Archival documents reveal that the library of the Bratislava Chapter of canons was created and grew during the 13th century. The Chapter itself was an important institution of the Church in Bratislava with legal and cultural as well as religious responsibilities.
Antiphons are chants sung at certain parts of the Roman Catholic Mass and the Bratislava Antiphonaries were in active use in church services for several centuries. This constant use over such a long period put them at the centre of worship in the region and made them one of the foremost religious and spiritual influences of Central Europe.
The illuminations in the antiphonaries are the central resource of information and knowledge of the history of medieval book painting in the Central European area. In addition, they are also among the most important music books of the region and allow an insight into its medieval music culture.
The musical codices of the collection dating from the 15th and 16th centuries are assumed to have been created in the scriptorium at St Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava. The work of several illuminators and scribes, they contain numerous lavish, ornate and colourful illuminations and illustrations and are of central importance in the history of books in Central Europe.
The complete collection is the most wide-ranging and comprehensive set of medieval manuscript books in Slovakia. In 1988 it was acknowledged by the government as one of the cultural monuments of the nation.
St Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava, where the musical codices of the collection are believed to have been created.
