From Manuscript to Print: the Evolution of the Medieval Book

 

Daily Mass
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The liturgy was the communal observance of formal prayers–especially the Mass–in which priests re-enacted the sacrifice of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Manuals like this one provided the daily formula for the liturgy.

This well-worn manuscript obviously saw heavy use. The page on the left presents the end of a calendar that indicates which saints to commemorate on any given day. Many of the saints were martyrs from ancient times, but the calendar also includes more recent saints, including St. Thomas Aquinas, who was canonized in 1323, making him the newest saint at the time this manuscript was copied.

Purchased in 1885 by A.D. White.

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Ordo Manualis Ferrariensis Ecclesiae. Italy (Ferrara), second quarter of the 14th century.
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Introduction
the Sacred Word
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Private Prayer
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Leather and Chains
Medieval Music
Schoolbooks
How the Classics Survived
Manuscripts in the Age of Print
Evolution of the Book
Appetite for Destruction
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