Durazzo Book of Hours

Books of hours were handwritten and illuminated codices that were used for prayer and private devotion. The valuable, well-appointed manuscripts were mostly commissioned by members of the nobility. Books of hours rose to become the overall most-beloved book genre of the Middle Ages. The Durazzo Book of Hours, which was named after its last owner, is one of the most unusual masterpieces of this genre. The valuable codex was composed in golden script on purple vellum. No other book of hours boasts these characteristics. Six astonishing, full-page miniatures and over 200 decorative initials additionally adorn the special manuscript.

A Universal Talent

The artist Francesco Marmitta was responsible for the thrilling design of the splendid codex. Marmitta was an unusually talented Italian illuminator and calligrapher. The versatile artist from Parma was famous for his work as a painter, sculptor, and goldsmith. He displayed his prowess in world-renowned luxury manuscripts such as the Missale Domenico della Rovere, for example. The painter’s refined pictures distinguish themselves through a sensible layout of the line and through the pronounced talent of the master in the field of landscape painting. His special preference for realistic depictions of jewels, precious stones, and medallions lends the miniatures an incomparably sumptuous flavor.

A Unique Book Treasure

The precious manuscript’s purple pages with gold script are reminiscent in their style of royal robes and garments. The truly kingly impression that the work leaves behind in its beholders, is further strengthened by the many refined depictions of valuable gems and noble stones. The elegant, unusually-designed binding of the book is no less splendid. It consists of a bed of purple velvet and is decorated with chiseled elements of silver and gold. Two silver clasps embellished with small rubies round out the binding of the truly majestic work.