Scriptoria

On the Road of Manuscripts in Normandy

How were books made in the Middle Ages? Where were they produced and by whom? What materials, colors, and pigments were used, and which ones were the most valuable? What animals, creatures, or characters populated their decorations? How did artists mutually influence each other?

To explore these questions, an exceptional multisite exhibition will showcase the illuminated manuscripts produced in Normandy between 1000 and 1150, presented in Alençon, Avranches, Évreux, Le Havre, Rouen, and Sées, from March to December 2027. Created during the time of William the Conqueror and his descendants, these works, rarely shown and long kept confidential, are nevertheless the principal witnesses of the art of drawing, illumination, and painting of the Romanesque period (11th-12th centuries).

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to contemplate an exceptionally rich written and illuminated heritage, reflecting a flourishing artistic activity in the ducal Normandy of the 1000-1150 period.

To be found in Rouen (Heritage Library, March-June 2027), Alençon (Media Library and Museum, April-September 2027), Évreux (Media Library, May-September 2027), Avranches (Scriptorial, June-September 2027), Sées (Museum, July-September 2027), and Le Havre (Heritage Library, September-December 2027).

France / United Kingdom Cooperation

Partnerships: BnF, Diocesan Archives of Sées, Departmental Archives of Calvados, Media Library of Lisieux, in connection with the British Library.