Artistic

Medieval Hungary: Medieval Manuscripts in Esztergom

Mildred K. Pearson 2 years ago

From the 11th to the 31st of March, an exhibition presents the medieval manuscripts of the Cathedral Libray of Esztergom. Titled “For They Enjoy for Your Souls…” – Codices in the Cathedral Library of Esztergom, the exhibition is on view in the newly restored exhibition rooms of the Bibliotheca.

The Cathedral Library of Esztergom preserves forty-5 medieval manuscript books, which are displayed with each other for the very first time now, in March 2022. The exhibition honors the archbishops and canons of Esztergom as perfectly as the donators and past homeowners of the manuscripts, by whose generosity the library became the largest assortment of codices amid ecclesiastical libraries of Hungary. The penned society of medieval Hungary is represented by fourteen codices copied in numerous Hungarian scriptoria. Two old Hungarian manuscripts – early linguistic documents – stand out from among the the Latin publications on account of their distinctive price. The Nagyszombat Codex was organized in the monastery of the Weak Clares in Óbuda. It incorporates meditations and guides for penance and confession. The Jordánszky Codex is the most full medieval Bible translation into Hungarian, and is named after is former operator, Elek Jordánszky, a canon of Esztergom. Out of the codices preserved in the Cathedral Library of Esztergom, with no a doubt three were utilized in Esztergom in advance of 1543. These are the 12th-century Expositiones tremendous Cantica Canticorum, László Szalkai’s (1475-1526) schoolbook penned by the long run archbishop between 1489 and 1490, and the codex of vicar-standard Albert Pesthy. The manuscript collection owned by the Archbishop and the Chapter of Esztergom was additional enriched throughout the sojourn of the Archbishopric in Nagyszombat (Trnava, Slovakia). Liturgical books and astronomical works were being acquired, as perfectly as a manuscript that contains letters by Saint Gregory the Wonderful, copied in the Benedictine Abbey of Moissac in the 11th century. In 1555, Nicholaus Olah )1493-1568), archbishop of Esztergom, donated the two-quantity Bakócs Gradual to the church of Esztergom The high-class Wladislav Gradual originates from Prague from the very first decade of the 16th century. It holds Bohemian musical materials, richly illuminated with historiated initials as effectively as border decorations with floral motifs, animal figures, and scenes from daily life.

After the library moved back again to Esztergom in 1853, János Scitovszky (1785-1866), archbishop of Esztergom, József Dankó and Nándor Knauz, canons of Esztergom just about every bequeathed 4 codices to the selection. Amongst these, there was a 12th-century cathedral schoolbook that contains a commentary of the Track of Music among other texts, and numerous manuscripts of Bohemian origin.

Most codices in the library originated and were utilised in Central Europe, in Bohemia, Vienna, and Southern Germany. Nevertheless, some of the manuscripts arrived from the English, Italian, and French territories. The decoration of Peter Lombard’s commentary on the Psalms is a superior-high-quality merchandise of English miniature portray. The exhibited manuscripts current a extensive range of medieval ecclesiastical literature encompassing books on liturgy, theology, church law, astronomy, lexicography, as very well as sermon collections, prayer books, and schoolbooks. 

The exhibition coincides with the publication of a catalog describing with fantastic erudition the medieval manuscripts preserved in the Esztergom e book collections (The Codices of the Cathedral Library of Esztergom, the Archiepiscopal Simor Library, and the Esztergom Town Library). The e book was edited by Edit Madas and penned by Kinga Körmendy, Judit Lauf, Edit Madas, and Gábor Sarbak. Kinga Körmendy’s comprehensive introduction presents the background of the collections and the in depth descriptions are accompanied by a variety of indices, appendices, a bibliography, and color plates. The ebook is the most modern volume of the Fragmenta et codices in bibliothecis Hungariae collection. The reserve can be ordered right here: [email protected]. A German-language model of the catalog is forthcoming.

(Text and pictures by the Cathedral Library of Esztergom) 

Mildred K. Pearson

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