Kroměříž Castle Library III. Manuscripts of the 9th - 16th centuries
The exhibition presents medieval and early modern manuscripts stored in the library of the Archbishop’s Castle in Kroměříž. Many of them have been newly discovered, authored or dated as part of a detailed study of the collection, resulting in a catalogue prepared by a team of specialists. The oldest manuscript in the castle library is the Gregorian Sacramentary from the second half of the 9th century, an elegant codex written in Carolingian minuscule. Liturgical manuscripts are the most frequently represented in the collection. These include missals, chant books, bibles, as well as small-format prayer books intended for private contemplation. The library also holds theological manuscripts, legal codices and books on astrology, logic and medicine. Many manuscripts are richly decorated with illuminations. Due to the sensitivity of medieval books to climatic and lighting conditions, each manuscript can only be displayed for one month, so the exhibition will take place in two stages, during which the books will be rotated. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the ambulatory of St. Wenceslas Cathedral was built in the first half of the 15th century as a chapter library. The exhibition takes us back in time to the time when the chapel housed the oldest book treasures of the Olomouc diocese.
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