The Middle Ages are still considered by most people to be a dark period. However, perceptions have been changing significantly in recent years, and it is beginning to reveal itself to us in a completely new light. If we delve into its mysteries and take a closer look, for example, at the surviving works of medieval art, we find that the “middle age” of human history was very diverse, full of fascinating symbolism and gestures.

Many works of art were created during the Middle Ages, of which unfortunately only a fraction has survived to the present day. Nevertheless, they allow us to form a certain idea of the Middle Ages as an important stage in human history, as well as about life and contemporary thinking at that time. One of the most beautiful sources of knowledge about life and thought in the Middle Ages are precious manuscripts.

The exhibition project “Beauty and Secrets of Medieval Manuscripts II” aims to bring the Middle Ages closer to us through these beautiful, often richly illuminated manuscripts. Unfortunately, the originals of individual manuscripts are kept in special “vaults,” so even experts who professionally study them often do not have access to them. They have to be content with photographs, digitized “versions,” or artistic copies and facsimiles.

The exhibition will gradually present several unique medieval manuscripts, some as complete facsimiles, others in the form of facsimile sheets. This will be supplemented by selected reproductions of other interesting monuments of book painting.

Visitors can look forward to, for example, the famous Jena Codex, the Bamberg Apocalypse, Gaston Fébus’s Book of Hunting, the Psalter of Saint Louis, or samples from the renowned Codex Manesse or the Bible of Wenceslas IV.

The individual exhibits, which will bring medieval manuscript treasures from the early 11th century to the second half of the 16th century closer to visitors, will be regularly changed.

Marek Zágora

Translated with the help of GPT chat.

Curator: Marek Zágora