Medici-Rothschild Hours

Medici-Rothschild Hours

In the year 1485, the great Renaissance prince Lorenzo de Medici commissioned three luxurious books of hours. Each of these was to be given to his three daughters as wedding gifts. One of these three codices eclipses the overwhelming beauty of the remaining manuscripts. It is the book which was manufactured for Magdalena de Medici. The codex is the masterpiece of Florence’s most gifted illuminators and represents an absolute highpoint of Italian book art at the end of the 15th century. It is illustrated with 27 miniatures that enchant every beholder with their unique quality.

The Daughter of the Medici Family

Of the three books of hours, which the loving father Lorenzo had made for his daughters, the first was given to Lucrezia. Lucrezia married the politician Jacopo Salviati, their wedding present is housed today in the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich. The book of hours for his daughter Luisa, who was betrothed with Giovanni di Pierfrancesco, is found today in the Biblioteca Laurenziana in Florence. The second born daughter of the Medici, Maria Magdalena, was the most beloved child of the father. Her nuptials were of fundamental importance to the ruling family. She married the illegitimate son of Pope Innocent VIII, Franceschetto Cybo. The wedding did not just bring the Medici prestige and honor. It also allowed Lorenzo de Medici to build a good relationship with the pontiff and thereby with the ecclesiastical and temporal leader of the medieval world. The unbelievable richly designed book of hours, that was presented to Magdalena for her prestigious marriage, is found today in Waddesdon Manor in England and is part of the famous Rothschild Collection.

Book Adornment of a Unique Quality

The personal prayer book of Magdalena de Medici is one of the most beautiful books of hours that was produced during the Italian Renaissance. It was furnished with breathtaking illustrations in an outstanding collaboration by some of the greatest Florentine illuminators, Mariano del Buono among them. 27 full-page miniatures adorn the splendid manuscript. 12 pages are dedicated to a wondrous calendar. The months show various agricultural labors and additional activities typical for the month before a picturesque background of the Italian alpine landscape. The book opens with a true firework of color on the first seven pages. The motif of a beautiful peacock, the Cybo family symbol, continuously surfaces. The Medici were also symbolized through the depiction of a wild horse and a diamond ring. Numerous historicized initials, richly adorned with silver and gold, round out the decoration of the exceedingly splendid manuscript.