St. Louis Bible
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Bible is a 13th-century moralized Bible, produced in France. It appeared in three volumes, and is in the treasury of the Cathedral of Toledo
. It was apparently copied between 1226 and 1236, judging from the royal portraits, though its first documentary evidence is in Alfonso's testament in 1284. It is in excellent condition, missing only final quire of the third volume, which is in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York
; this was detached already in the fifteenth century.
The Bible is named for the King Louis IX of France
, later known as St. Louis, though it was executed while he was still a minor. It was apparently given to Alfonso X of Castile
as a gift, either for his coronation in 1252 or as a dynastic exchange gift in 1266 or 1269.
Each page contains space divided into four unequal columns, two of text and two of illustrations. There are four medallions in each illustration column. In all, there are over 13,000 miniatures
in the whole work.
It is being reproduced in facsimile by Moleiro Editor of Barcelona
.
Cathedral of Toledo
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo....
. It was apparently copied between 1226 and 1236, judging from the royal portraits, though its first documentary evidence is in Alfonso's testament in 1284. It is in excellent condition, missing only final quire of the third volume, which is in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; this was detached already in the fifteenth century.
The Bible is named for the King Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, later known as St. Louis, though it was executed while he was still a minor. It was apparently given to Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
as a gift, either for his coronation in 1252 or as a dynastic exchange gift in 1266 or 1269.
Each page contains space divided into four unequal columns, two of text and two of illustrations. There are four medallions in each illustration column. In all, there are over 13,000 miniatures
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
in the whole work.
It is being reproduced in facsimile by Moleiro Editor of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Reference
- George D. Greenia, "Bible in Spain, The Moralized." Medieval Iberia: an encyclopedia, E. Michael Gerli, Samuel G. Armistead, eds. Volume 8 of Routledge encyclopedias of the Middle Ages. Taylor & Francis, 2003. pp. 166-167.
External links
- Bible of St. Louis at the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
Special Collections - The Bible of St. Louis at Moleiro Editor