Book of Hours and The Military Codex of Christopher Columbus

Book of Hours and The Military Codex of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was probably one of the most significant seafarers in world history. Under the Spanish flag, he discovered a new continent: America. Additional adventurous expeditions and voyages of discovery served to increase this fame. As a historically significant legacy, he left behind two testaments after his death in 1506, one of which is preserved on the empty pages of a precious manuscript that he received as a gift from Pope Alexander VI.
##The Explorer and the Pope
The Book of Hours and Military Codex of Christopher Columbus was discovered at the end of the 18th century in the Biblioteca dell'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana in Rome, where it is stored to this day. Its title Officium B. Mariae Virginis dono datum ab Alexandro PP. VI Christophoro Columbo already betrays two significant names associated with this gem of illumination. The manuscript originated ca. 1500 at the behest of Pope Alexander VI, who gifted the book of hours to Christopher Columbus. Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgio, who served as pope from 1492–1503, has remained famous up to the present for his dissolute life as a prince of the church and a scrupulous proponent of power politics.

A Precious Manuscript

The book of hours’ 250 pages measuring 13 x 9 cm is gorgeously adorned with lavish, calligraphically-designed initials in red and blue. Furthermore, gorgeous floral ornamentation and friezes in the style of the Renaissance, generously furnished with gold leaf, additionally adorn all of the pages of text. This gorgeous and historically significant gem was additionally loaded with special content: the so-called Military Codex of Christopher Columbus.

An Important Codicil

This document from May 4th, 1506 is a codicil of Christopher Columbus. The famous seafarer died in Valladolid on May 20th, 1506. Columbus had already composed a testament in the year 1498. A few days before his death, he endorsed this testament in the so-called Military Codex, recorded in Latin in the precious book of hours. The concept of the Military Codex is lent to it by the writing, because it is recorded in the style of a will, which the soldiers would write down before battle. Discovered in Rome at the end of the 18th century, it was soon highly coveted by Columbus researchers and its authorship is disputed and hotly discussed.