The medieval books of the saint martial limoges abbeyĪ first era, from the end of IX Century, corresponds to the reconstitution of the library, after the invasions, and to the development of studies during Abbot Aimon’s time, who died in 943. (Source - Manuscrits DRAC BNSA )Ī comprehensive study of Saint-Martial library as well as that of the whole of the Scriptorium’s production, highlighted several distinct periods. Moreover a Bible regarded as having belonged to an Evangelist Saint could be worshiped as would a relic or a reliquary casket and exhibited on the altar or preserved as a reliquary. Object of sacred nature, the Bible features within sacred images. Depictions of the Book are plentiful, in the hands of divine Majesties or those of Evangelists and in those of characters of the Old Testament, for example. In other words, Christianism did not make a difference between the Bible, bearer of a message and the message it conveyed, between the form and substance: the Bible, did not only contain the Gospel, it was the Gospel.Ī way to understand this importance is to examine the catalogue’s iconography. First among them, by order of importance, the Bible, the Book of all books, testified to the promise of Salvation, and, as such, was both a customary object of Liturgy and a sacred object, actor of this very Liturgy. Christian religion being a religion of the Book, medieval society gave a special value to religious books. The Bible was not, in the Middle-Ages, a mere customary object. It generally comes in a large format which can reach monumental dimensions these imposing formats testify both to its use in the liturgical ritual and to the special status of this book, the Book. Thus the Bible is the most copied book in the Occident, during the XI century. Teaching and meditation, specific to clerical and monastic culture, are based on the study of the Old and the New Testaments. (Source - "La décoration des manuscrits à Saint-Martial de Lomges et en Limousin) / GABORIT - CHOPINĭuring the Romanesque period, holy books constitute the core work of Scriptoria. Successive fires destroyed a number of precious books, nevertheless, today the testimony of the famous Scriptorium in the Abbey of Saint Martial of Limoges, rests through its 450 volumes that are among the masterpieces of Romanesque art. Saint Martial’s apostolicity, upheld by the chronicler A démar de Chabannes and stated during the council of 1031, urges monks to etch and rectify ancient books. The evolution of debates during the councils could cause it to modify and bring up to date liturgical books. Saint-Martial Scriptorium includes books coming from neighbouring communities: from Lesterps, Saint-Léonard de Noblat, Saint-Yrieix, Charroux, Saint-Jean d'Angély, Saintes, Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac, Saint-Pierre d'Uzerche and Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers.Īt an artistic level, the illuminators are fed by influences from manuscripts of the Ottonian style (inter-alia through the Cluniacs although their ties existed much before), of Saxon art (even before the Plantagenêts), of Byzantine art (via travels to Rome) and of Spanish art (through trade links and the military Reconquista). On this basis, the Abbey of Saint-Martial of Limoges develops strong networks of ties and linkages with the Monasteries of Cluny, Moissac, Conques, Saint-Victor de Marseille, Maillezais, Saint-Martin deTours, Saint-Benoît sur Loire and the Cathedrals of Bordeaux, Saintes, Poitiers, Bourges and Autun. The numerous journeys that Abbots and Bishops undertook outside the diocese of Limoges contributed to enrich the exchanges of manuscripts copies. Finally, they often are part of an Abbey’s treasure mostly because of their precious bindings as illustrated by the enamelled book-bindings from Limoges. They are sacred manuscripts, specific to liturgy, rare because of their cost and the length of time required to produce them. Throughout the Middle Ages, books were precious objects, mainly intended for religious orders.
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