Visigothic-Mozarabic Bible of St. Isidore

Visigothic-Mozarabic Bible of St. Isidore

A Spanish Bible so old, the monastery where it was made disappeared over one thousand years ago: the Visigothic-Mozarabic Bible of St. Isidore, also known as the León Bible of 960 or Codex Biblicus Legionensis. We do not know under what circumstances the Valeránica Monastery was wiped out, perhaps in a Moorish raid, nor do we know under what circumstances the codex came to its current residence, the monastery of San Isidoro de León, although King Ferdinand I of Leon (ca. 1015–65) and his wife Sancha are hypothesized as donors. It is one of the rarest manuscripts, coveted by university researchers and museum curators across the world, and is significant for a number of reasons. Uncommon for a manuscript of this period, the exact date of its completion is recorded in a colophon: June 19th, 960. Two men, a calligrapher named Sancho and a miniaturist named Florencio are given credit for this magnificent work. Although we know nothing more of the former, the Master Florencio was originally from Moorish southern Spain before coming north and has at least six codices attributed to him while other documents indicate that he was a notary for the counts of Castile. This incredible manuscript is a priceless specimen of the Christian realms of the Iberian Peninsula from a time when they were under siege by the forces of Al-Andalus (Moorish Spain) and is distinguished from among the hybrid Visigothic-Mozarabic works to survive to the present.

A Wonderful Artistic Hybrid

The Visigoths were a Germanic people who dominated the Iberian Peninsula from their invasion in 415 until the destruction of their kingdom in the course of the Moorish invasion in 711, reducing them to a series of rump states in the mountainous north of what is modern Spain. The Visigothic artistic style, the temporal and aesthetic contemporary of the Insular and Carolingian styles of illumination, is similarly characterized by highly refined calligraphy, striking colors, and figures with large eyes and clearly gesturing hands. Developed among Christians living in Al-Andalus who adopted some of the conquerors’ customs without embracing their religion, Mozarabic art is itself a hybrid of Islamic and Christian art. Its influences appear in the miniatures, as do those from the more far flung Islamic and Sassanid artistic traditions. Later driven north by the increasingly difficulty of life under Moorish rule, these Christians brought the artistic traditions of Islam with them. The manuscript additionally bears clear influences from Insular Illumination, particularly in the Celtic-knot initials. 100+ episodes from the Bible are illustrated in the text, in addition to numerous embellishing features. The miniatures are valued both for the quality of their artistry and for their detailed depictions of life in 10th century Spain: churches, palaces, household goods, civil and military costume, armor, even bull-fighting from horseback are all depicted. Finally, the text features numerous marginal notes in both Latin and Arabic. Thus, the manuscript is an incomparable source for paleographers and historians of art and culture.