Scriptoria

On the road of manuscripts in Normandy

How was a book made in the Middle Ages? Where were they produced and by whom? What materials, colors, and pigments were involved, and which were the most precious? What animals, creatures, or characters populated their decorations? How did artists mutually influence each other?

To explore these questions, an exceptional multisite exhibition offers the opportunity to discover 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 main witnesses of the art of drawing, illumination, and painting from the Romanesque period (11th-12th centuries).

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to contemplate a written and illuminated heritage of exceptional richness, reflecting a flourishing artistic activity in ducal Normandy from 1000 to 1150.

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).

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

Cooperation France / United Kingdom