Matricula Societatis Fabrorum Civitatis Bononiae

From pots and everyday tools to chain mail and swords: the Matricula Societatis Fabrorum Civitatis Bononiae is undoubtedly one of the most important textual and pictorial sources on late medieval blacksmithing and its urban organization. Begun in 1366, the 60-page manuscript contains the rules and regulations of the smiths' guild of the city of Bologna. It lists all the blacksmith's crafts and sets out the regulations that applied to them, ranging from the procurement of raw materials to inner-city logistics and trade. Almost every page begins with a corresponding miniature. Today, the images provide researchers with invaluable information about how each craft was carried out, which techniques were used, and the type of premises in which the work took place. In addition, a large miniature allows conclusions to be drawn about the location of the smiths within the urban structure of 14th-century Bologna. Furthermore, the images offer fascinating insights into late medieval everyday life and contemporary fashion. A real treasure of Trecento book illumination!