A 13th century illuminated codex from Verona: the life of the Blessed Virgin and various saints in captivating pictures
Prayer to the Virgin
Verona (Italy) — Second half of the 13th century

Prayer to the Virgin
Verona (Italy) — Second half of the 13th century
A truly special illuminated manuscript originated in the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Verona
Each page is illuminated and contains 78 enthralling miniatures, which closely follow events in the text
The Vitae of various saints are presented within the framework of this colorful, gilded artistry

Prayer to the Virgin
Christ Benedictory
Flanked by the Evangelist Symbols for St. Matthew and St. John, Christ is pictured giving the sign of benediction. Rather than a simple eagle, St. John is represented by a drollery – a hybrid creature with the body of a man and the head of an eagle. Christ is shown with porcelain skin and rosy cheeks, which contrast with his deep red cloak and green tunic. This fine work of Italian Gothic exhibits influences from Byzantine art with respect to its expressive gestures and standardized forms.
Prayer to the Virgin
- Preghiera alla Vergine e Leggende di San Giorgio e Santa Margherita
- Prayer to the Vergin and legends of St. George and St. Margaret
- Gebet zur Jungfrau Maria und die Legenden des Hl. Georg und der Hl. Margarete
Short Description
The Prayer to the Virgin is a codex containing an appeal to the Virgin Mary as well as the legends of St. George and St. Margaret. The work was created in the second half of the 13th century and each page of the manuscript is illuminated in the Gothic style. It is noteworthy that the miniatures reflected the events in the text. Consequently, the reader is given an understanding of the dramatic events in the lives of saints in exciting pictures.
Prayer to the Virgin
A truly special illuminated manuscript was manufactured in the second half of the 13th century in the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Verona. The Prayer to the Virgin, which also contained the Invocation of the Blessed Virgin and the legends of St. George and St. Margaret, is notable for its elaborate book decoration. Each page of the splendid work is illuminated. Altogether, the manuscript contains 78 enthralling miniatures, which closely correspond to the events in the text. This enables the reader to comprehend the touching descriptions from the lives of saints in fascinating pictures.
Illumination from Verona
The first two pages of the manuscript contain the text of the Prayer to the Virgin, one of the oldest lauds in the vernacular of Verona. The following pages, all of them illuminated, are divided between the legends of St. George of Cappadocia and St. Margaret of Antioch. The legends are decorated with miniatures, which exerted great influence on medieval artists across the world. A particularly famous image shows St. George on the back of a horse as he kills a dragon with a lance. A princess holds on to the dragon with a tether. This precise image scene was painted by the great Italian Renaissance artist Pisanello for his fresco in the Church of St. Anastasia in Verona.
Two Great Saint’s Legends of Christendom
In the Middle Ages, the legend of St. George as well as that of St. Margaret were among the most-beloved stories of the Christian world. The history of George of Cappadocia is illustrated with 55 miniatures in the Verona codex. The legend tells of how George refused to foreswear his Christian faith in spite of the Emperor Diocletian’s decree and was executed by the Prefect Dacian. The legend of St. Margaret of Antioch was also one of the most beloved motifs of Christian artwork. It concerns the young shepherdess Margaret of Antioch, whom the Roman Governor Olybrius fell in love with. Since she rejected the statesman, she was sentenced to a painful death as a rebel against the power of Rome. The tragic history of Margaret is made comprehensible to the beholder through 21 fascinating and impressive pictorial scenes in the Gothic style.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Preghiera alla Vergine e Leggende di San Giorgio e Santa Margherita
Prayer to the Vergin and legends of St. George and St. Margaret
Gebet zur Jungfrau Maria und die Legenden des Hl. Georg und der Hl. Margarete - Size / Format
- 84 pages / 24.0 x 17.0 cm
- Origin
- Verona (Italy)
- Date
- Second half of the 13th century
- Epochs
- Style
- Illustrations
- 78 miniatures
- Artist / School
- Connections with frescoes of the same period in Verona and evident influence of Bolognese painting

Prayer to the Virgin
St. George and the Dragon
The popular patron saint of warriors, especially venerated by Crusaders, is depicted here in this pastel-colored Gothic miniature. St. George, wearing a green tunic with blue tights and a red cloak lined with a white and blue pattern, tramples the dragon astride a gray-blue horse with white spots. Unlike most depictions, St. George’s cross is depicted as white on a field of red.
Although in the moment of defeat, the dragon looks directly and defiantly at St. George as he drives a spear into its flaming mouth. Its folded wings and clawed feet are rendered in a lovely shade of pink, which contrasts with the green scaly body of the beast. The princess´, who was going to be the next offering for the dragon, holds it by the neck with a red tether.
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Prayer to the Virgin“
Preghiera alla Vergine
- Publisher
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte – Modena, 2006
- Limited Edition
- 600 copies
- Binding
- Wooden boards covered with red leather with straps and clasps
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Daniele Bini, Agostino Contò and Giuseppa Z. Zanichelli
- 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.
Matching Works
Petites Prières of Renée de France
Stolen in 1994 and missing to this day: the beautiful prayer book of a French princess
Experience MoreVatican Book of Hours from the Circle of Jean Bourdichon
Employed at the court of three French kings: Jean Bourdichon and his Gothic masterpiece
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Saints' Lives
How does one become a saint? Find out by reading about the lives of the saints and the example they set through their...Experience moreBooks of Hours
What is a book of hours? A prayer book for personal use based upon the “offices” or official prayers that were to be said...Experience moreGothic
Gothic illumination is some of the most spectacular and iconic imagery of medieval art and first emerged in Northern...Experience morePrayer Books
Interested in a personal glimpse into the personality of a famous medieval figure? Prayer books were small codices...Experience more
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Popyläen Verlag
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Yushodo