Golden Gospels of Henry III
The Speyer of Gospels, also Codex Aureus Spirensis or Codex Aureus Escorialensis, is a parchment manuscript Gospels, the order of the emperor Henry III. 1046 was probably made in the Echternach monastery, for the Speyer Cathedral. The Codex is one of the major works of Ottonian book illumination and is also under the names Salian emperors Gospels or Golden Book of Gospels of Henry III. known. Today it is preserved in the Escorial Library (El Escorial, Biblioteca Real, Cod Vitrina 17).
From the monastery of Echternach, known for his book Art, emerged a number of important works, of which ten liturgical manuscripts, the stylistic, iconographic and ornamental belong together intimately, are still preserved. The Speyer Gospel Book belongs to the pericope book of 1039 (Bremen ) and the Codex Caesareus of 1051 (Uppsala ) to the three works, commissioned by Henry III. were created. The occasion for the foundation of the Gospels in 1046 was the consecration of the high altar of the cathedral.
The work consists of " 340 ( 2) pages (170 1 sheet, 21 sites) in large format 500 x 350 mm with 13 full-page and 43 about half -page illustrations, 12 canon tables, 44 ornate decorative pages, 18 pages with two ornamental columns and 11 pages with a decorative column, 141 jewelry pages to 124 Vine initials; Any text page of the Gospels with running titles, including 50 with additional support figure ( Atlant ). Scripture: Carolingian minuscule in two columns on each 36 rows with the text written entirely in gold ink. Text area: 370 x 235 mm. Binding: Red leather, gilt tooled in pointillé style with brass fittings. "
The dedicatory ( fol. 3r ) showing Mary, patroness of the cathedral, in the center; left in the picture Henry III. , right his wife Empress Agnes. The medallions show the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and strength. In the upper half of the Speyer Cathedral is pictured.
The manuscript was later in the possession of Emperor Maximilian I, his daughter Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) and his granddaughter Mary of Hungary. From them she inherited Philip II, who fitted in with his Royal Library in the Escorial.
Do not confuse this with the Codex Speyer Evangelistar. This Gospel book was Konrad von Tann finished as custodian of the Cyriakus pin in Worms around 1197 and added it to the Cathedral at when he was bishop in Speyer. It is now also known as Codex Bruchsaliensis 1 in the Baden State Library of Karlsruhe.