Our Personal Favorites

Made on behalf of Theophanus, adorned with a breathtakingly splendor cover, written entirely in gold: arguably the most magnificent and beautiful manuscript ever

Echternach Abbey (Luxembourg) — 1020–1050

Our picture of the Middle Ages, created by the Limbourg brothers for the Duke of Berry: one of the most beautiful, valuable, and famous manuscripts in the world

Paris and/or Bourges (France) — 1410–1416 and 1485–1489

A UNESCO World Heritage document and arguably the most famous manuscript in the world: the mystical masterpiece of insular illumination

Monastery of Iona (United Kingdom) — ca. 800

Made at Reichenau by order of Germany's only canonized emperor: one of the most beautiful, splendid, and largest masterpieces of Ottonian illumination

Monastery of Reichenau (Germany) — 1007–1012

A German Codex Aureus in the Mainz cathedral treasure: written with golden ink and adorned with bright miniatures in a jagged style

Mainz (Germany) — 1230–1250

Each one of the 1,200 pages has been masterfully illuminated with incredible attention to detail: the grandiose climax of the Renaissance

Ferrara or Modena (Italy) — 1455–1461

Black parchment and bright colors commissioned by Charles the Bold: one of only a handful of black manuscripts preserved

Bruges (Belgium) — 1466–1476

Each individual Psalm meticulously detailed and accurately illustrated: the most richly illuminated Psalter of the Carolingian era, which has survived to the present day

Scriptorium at St. Germain-des-Prés (Paris, France) — 820–830

The beginning of a new era in illumination: masterful, full-page miniatures in an abundantly illuminated book of hours

Paris or Angers (France) — 1430–1435

Decorated with over 100 golden miniatures: scenes from the Old and New Testaments combined into a single radiant picture cycle

London or Norwich (United Kindgom) — Around 1300

De arte venandi cum avibus, one of the most famous manuscripts of the Middle Ages: the masterpiece of falconry, written by the Staufer Emperor Frederick II

Rotunda or Naples (Italy) — ca. 1258–1266

From Louis the Saint to the Persian Shah to New York City: one of the most richly illuminated and famous manuscripts of the Middle Ages

Paris (France) — ca. 1250

The Bedford Master's magnum opus: one of the most spectacularly illuminated manuscripts of all time

Paris (France) — 1410-1430

Image strips for the Old Testament and full-page miniatures for the New Testament: a pictorial masterpiece with more than 200 golden miniatures, created by the greatest artists of the early Italian Renaissance

Naples (Italy) — 1340–1350

100 famous short stories with 100 perfectly matching miniatures: a large-format masterpiece commissioned by the Burgundian Duke Philip the Good

Gramont (France) and Ghent (Belgium) — 1445–1450

Magnificent miniatures on a golden background: one of the most beautiful Gothic manuscripts was used as a large choir book until the 19th century

Katharinenthal Abbey (Switzerland) — 1312

Breathtakingly beautiful, golden miniatures for the Pope: one of the most beautiful English apocalypse manuscripts of the early Gothic period

London (United Kingdom) — 1265–1270

One of the most beautiful books of hours in the history of illumination and at the same time a herbolarium: miniatures and paintings created by the great Jean Bourdichon for the French Queen

Tours (France) — 1503–1508

The famous great song manuscript from Heidelberg: a unique treasure of German literature, medieval history, and Gothic book illumination

Zurich/Lake Constance area (Zwitzerland) — After 1310 until ca. 1340

The most important archaeological find of the 20th century: the famous scrolls with 2,000 years old texts from the Bible

West Bank — ca. 120 BC – AD 70

A magnificently illuminated gift from Gian Galeazzo Visconti to King Wenceslas: Ibn Butlan's large and richly illustrated medical encyclopedia

Milan (Italy) — End of the 14th century