At the behest of Charlemagne: a masterpiece concerning the power of efficacious plants
Herbolarium et Materia Medica
France — 9th century

Herbolarium et Materia Medica
France — 9th century
This 9th century medical manuscript was created at the behest of the Emperor Charlemagne (742–814)
The emperor induced the monks of his empire to study the healing arts and to cultivate medicinal plants
The monument of Carolingian illumination is one of the earliest examples of natural science worldwide
Herbolarium et Materia Medica
Short Description
In the 9th century, Charlemagne charged the monks of his empire with the task of studying medicinal botany. In the course of this task, the monks compiled the most varied growths and medicinal plants and documented what they learned in the manuscript Herbolarium et Materia Medica. The work is furnished with 122 colored, informative illustrations of plants as well as animals. It is the earliest medicinal treatise that was produced in medieval Europe.
Herbolarium et Materia Medica
The codex Herbolarium et Materia Medica is a medical anthology concerning the world of plants and animals as well as the healing arts of the Early Middle Ages. The 218-page work concerns itself with the description of the most varied growths, plants, and animals. It contains 122 richly-detailed, colored illustrations in the style of Carolingian Illumination. The manuscript was of immeasurable importance for the history of the natural sciences. It is one of the earliest examples of natural science worldwide and was considered to be the most important medical texts in Europe for a long time. Today, the precious original edition of the codex can be found in the Biblioteca Estatal in the Italian city of Lucca.
The Significance of Plants in the Early Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, plants were used, among other things, for cooking or as a seasoning in the kitchen. Equally so, they served as medicinal remedies, for the dying of fabrics and were also used in other various areas. It was often repeated that many plants were not only medicinal, but possessed mystical powers. In the 9th century, Charlemagne induced the monks of his empire to concern themselves with the healing arts and to cultivate medicinal plants. This very work is documented in the manuscript of the Herbolarium et Materia Medica. Additionally, the Carolingian monks described their experiences in animal husbandry and describe the biological characteristics of the animals, which had been heretofore unexplored.
Informative Illumination
The biological knowledge of the monks – considered modern for the time – was vividly explained with the help of enchanting illustrations. The 122 colored depictions of the plants and growths in the manuscript were drawn by the early-medieval illuminators as accurately as was possible at the time. The aplastic-looking depictions of the animals are particularly attractive, and still bring a smile to the face of some modern beholders. Today, there exists no earlier treatise concerning biology, natural history, and medicine that is so expressive and informative as the Herbolarium. This is why the manuscript possesses immeasurable worth for historical research.
Codicology
- Size / Format
- 218 pages / 24.0 × 17.8 cm
- Origin
- France
- Date
- 9th century
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Illustrations
- 122 illustrations of plants and animals
- Content
- Anthology of medical texts

Herbolarium et Materia Medica
Elephant and Lion
Herbal manuscripts like this also contained sections devoted to animals, dedicated either to the medicinal uses of their parts or to the practice of husbandry. It was also typical for medieval manuscripts of this type to use animals for allegorical purposes, thereby personifying and imbuing them with certain traits in a moralizing manner.
At the top of the page we see a miniature of an elephant without tusks, which is followed by an explanatory text in red and gold ink. These huge animals were particularly significant to the Carolingian dynasty because Charlemagne had a pet elephant named Abul-Abbas, a cherished gift from the Caliph in Baghdad. A lion, which often preys on baby elephants, is shown in the lower margin with its own text.
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Herbolarium et Materia Medica“
Herbolarium et Materia Medica
- Publisher
- AyN Ediciones – Madrid, 2007
- Limited Edition
- 995 copies
- Binding
- Leather
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Alain Touwaide and Arsenio Ferraces Rodríguez
Language: Spanish - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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