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The place nowadays used as archives is a bulding from the XVIst century.
Due to the amount of printed books that began to accumulate, besides
the illuminated codex that already existed, the building of a space
for storing them was unavoidable. 1534 appears to be the beginning date
of this "temple of wisdom". The work is commanded to Juan de Badajoz,
jr.
A monument door opens on a right-angled room, divided in three spans.The
central vault is oval-shaped, and in the middle hangs a big lantern
decorated with biblical personages, skulls, flowers and pendants.
In the vault there are four medals with the portraits of the four gospel
writers, maybe done by Juan de Juni.
The wall is surveyed by a wide fringe engraved with praises to St.Isidoro.
The library custodies 155 codex (after some spoils and appropriations),
800 vellum documents, papal bulls, royal or ecclesiastic documents,
etc.
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Miniaturist
Florencio and priest Sancho toast from the colophon of the visigothic-mozarab
Bible
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Miniature
of the XIIth
century Bible
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Miniature
of the XIIth
century Bible
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Miniature
of the
visigothic-mozarab Bible
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Miniature
of the
visigothic-mozarab Bible
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Gothic
breviary
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St.
Martino in the initial I of the codex written by himself
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Initial
H from the Chants Book by Nicolas Frances
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Some
books:
ST. MARTINO CODEX
In this codex, written by St. Martino, we can read the so called
"Concordia": a series of sermons for exalting the priests' moral. The
decoration is quite rich.The miniatures are notorious because of the
colours and the drawing.
CHANTS BOOK
This page belongs to the Chants Book Nº 5, drawed by Nicolas
Frances (circa 1450). It contains Advent, Christmas and Epiphany scenes.
VISIGOTHIC-MOZARAB BIBLE
The so-called Codex Goticus Legionensis (960), was written in the
Monastery of Valeranica (Burgos) by the priest Sancho, and illuminated
by Florencio; they both appear at the colophon, toasting health to each
other. It has several miniatures with biblical scenes. It has
been published a facsimilar edition of this Bible, and twenty critical
articles about different aspects of the codex.
BIBLE FROM 1162
This bible was written in St. Isidoro, following the one from 960.
The Bible copies the miniatures and biblical stories from the elder,
adapting to the new style the buildings, apparel, dresses and arms,
and the very drawing and colours. Besides the illuminated scenes, the
artist illuminated the initials into the new style.
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