One of the rarest and most beautiful illuminated manscripts dating from the 12th century is missing from the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It is the Codex Calixtinus. The miniature of Saint Jacob above is from this guidebook. It is a book that will literally take your breath away with it’s beauty.  Here is the link to the story on the BBC News site.

Here is a second link to the story in the Guardian with a beautiful leaf from the codex.

I want to  share a link on the NY Times site to an Op-Ed article by Sara Lipton on Anthony Weiner and other public figures with the same propensities. Lipton is an associate professor of history at SUNY-Stonybrook. I think it is an interesting and humorous perspective.

Also, I’m working on the next tutorial on illuminated writing and I should have it up very soon.

Enjoy.

I hope everyone stayed tuned to CBS after the Masters yesterday to watch 60 Minutes. They did a marvelous piece on the Vatican Library with Morely Safer as host.  In case you missed it, video is available at CBS News.

Here is a quick link to a very interesting project. A team has worked to recreate a medieval organ. None survived the reformation so they’ve faced enormous obstacles researching this project. A story on the BBC lets you hear a sound that has not been heard for centuries.

First, a bit of an apology for having been away for so long but life does intrude. Next, a promise, we have tons of new images from books of hours for the gallery. We’ll be uploading them soon.  Finally, we’re thinking of providing some video tutorials on recreating the lettering and art from medieval times with modern tools and materials for art journaling or other popular craft applications.  We would appreciate your imput on this idea.

In the medieval sanitation and recycling department, here is a fine list of why medieval London probably smelled worse than we can imagine from our place in time.  From, The Telegraph,  “Medieval London: 10 disgusting facts:”

1. The inhabitants of medieval London (human and animal) produced 50 tons of excrement a day.

2. In medieval London, there were no pavements – people had to walk on the bare earth. Except, unfortunately, it wasn’t bare earth – the ground was covered with the excrement of both people and animals, as well as animal entrails and rotting food.