Statutes of the Ordre de Saint-Esprit au Droit Désir

Statutes of the Ordre de Saint-Esprit au Droit Désir

Chivalric orders were all the rage in the Late Middle Ages and various dynasties created their own orders, some of which still exist today like the Order of the Garter, founded in 1348 by King Edward III of England (1312-77). Doubtless inspired by this and other chivalric orders, King Louis I of Naples (1320-62), created the Ordre du Nœud or “Order of the Knot” in 1352. Although the order itself was not long lived, the manuscript containing the Statutes of the Ordre du Nœud has endured as a masterfully illuminated witness to the rituals and heroic deeds associated with any knightly order. 17 colorful miniatures with gold leaf reminiscent of Giotto (ca. 1267-1337), including a full-page Crucifixion scene, adorn the text along with gorgeous floral tendril borders filled with vases, animals, and birds.

A Neapolitan Chivalric Order

On Pentecost in the year 1352, Louis of Taranto was crowned King Louis I of Naples alongside his wife, Queen Joanna I (1325-82). To mark the occasion, he founded a chivalrous order – the Ordre du Nœud. Founding a chivalric order served to legitimize the King as a Christian ruler and defender of the Church, provide a core of 300 elite knights for his armies, and create a trusted group of advisors. The members of the order were chosen and dubbed solely by the King, who also served as the Order Master, and wore white habits to symbolize the faith and honor of the knights, who were also expected to fast on Fridays. A knot of purple and gold-red silk threads, which was fastened to the knight's chest or arm after the oath of allegiance, was their only decoration.

Images of Chivalry

According to the Statutes, certain acts of bravery could allow a knight to untie their knot. The untied knot was taken by the knight as a pilgrim to Jerusalem and placed at the Holy Sepulcher with the inscription of his name in a prominent place. Only then could the knot be tied again, with a tongue of fire on it, crowned with the knight's name under the new motto: a pleut à Dieu or “God has willed it”. However, this custom and other chivalric traditions were never fully realized because the order did not last long after the death of its founder in 1362. The Statutes of the Ordre du Nœud has nonetheless survived as a beautifully illuminated testimonial to chivalric orders in the Late Middle Ages. Scenes depicting various rituals and ceremonies offer a precious glimpse the inner workings of this order, which may be why the manuscript was once owned by King Henry III of France (1551-89).

Echoes of Giotto

Cristoforo Orimina was a 14th century Italian illuminator active at the royal court of Naples and was descended from a patrician Neapolitan family. Regarded as one of the great masters of the Trecento, the miniatures Orimina created for this manuscript are strongly reminiscent of the great Giotto. Furthermore, Orimina reinterprets Giotto according to the stylistic features of Pietro Cavallini (1259 – 1330), giving shape to a sumptuous and elegant visual language. From the plasticity of the figures to the spatiality of the scenes containing them, this is a unique and intact specimen that is exemplary of the art of medieval miniatures.