Thursday, March 29, 2012

Glossed Manuscript of Boethius, Prudentius, and Martianus Capella now Catalogued

Naples IV.G.68, produced at St Gall in the later ninth century, contains several works of Boethius (including the famous Consolation of Philosophy), Prudentius' Psychomachia, and the fourth book of Martianus Capella's De Nuptiis.  It also contains many smaller works, including excerpts from Bede, Virgil, Lupus of Ferrières and Walafrid Strabo, as well as many hymns and poems with neumes added.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Hagiographical / Exegetical Manuscript Catalogued

Karlsruhe Aug. Perg. 202, a manuscript of biblical exegesis and saints' lives and passions, has now been catalogued on the website.  It includes a preface by Reginbert.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

New Website

The project now has a new website, which better reflects the current reality of our work.  Now it is split into two halves: virtual library of St Gall & Reichenau on one side, St Gall plan material on the other.

German versions have been included on a limited basis, with more to follow!

Virtual tours are also beginning to be available on the website, here.

All within a pleasing new design, thanks to Brett Landenberger.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Two Important Copies of Adomnán's Life of Columba Now Catalogued

Schaffhausen, Stadtbibliothek, Gen. 1 is the oldest surviving copy of Adomnán of Iona's Life of Columba, and undoubtedly its single most important witness.  It was copied at Iona during (or shortly after) Adomnán's lifetime, and is also a splendid example of early medieval insular bookmaking, having been colorfully described by E. A. Lowe as embodying the "pure milk of Irish calligraphy" (CLA VII, p. xii).

St. Gall, Stiftsbibliothek, 555 contains another version of the Life, a redaction (BHL 1887) of Adomnán's text that seems to have been made at St. Gall for the purpose of public reading.  Together, therefore, these two manuscripts constitute the primary physical evidence for the Life's origins and early circulation, its transmission to the Continent, and the Carolingian reception of St. Columba's cult.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Paris Evangeliary now Catalogued

New metadata has been added for Paris, BnF Lat. 9453, an 'evangeliary'.  This was a liturgical book, with readings from the Gospels arranged according to the liturgical year.  The manuscript is beautiful not only for its illumination, but also for its wonderful ivory cover.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Manuscript of Jerome's Letters Catalogued

One of the most valuable and comprehensive manuscripts of Jerome's letters, Karlsruhe Aug. Perg. 105, now has a full description and bibliography on the website.  The manuscript was produced at Lorsch, but later came to Reichenau.

Our description was compiled with the help of the excellent resources on the new Bibliotheca Laureshamensis digital, which also provides a digital copy and description for this manuscript.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Three-volume copy of Cassian's Conferences described

Csg 574-576 is a three-volume set from St. Gall containing one of the classic texts of monastic spirituality, John Cassian's Conlationes. Like so many other manuscripts from St. Gall, these volumes were used in the critical edition of the text they contain. Detailed descriptions of all three manuscripts are now available on the project website.