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Book/Printed Material Rule of Saint Benedict. Regula S. Benedicti

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About this Item

Title

  • Rule of Saint Benedict.

Other Title

  • Regula S. Benedicti

Summary

  • Ora et labora (pray and work) is the well-known phrase that reflects the basic idea underlying the rule of monastic life, which was originally formulated by Saint Benedict of Nursia (around 480-547) and initially intended as an internal rule for the monks of Benedict's own monastery of Montecassino in Italy. The Rule of Saint Benedict spread widely beginning in the seventh century, but in France it became the sole authoritative rule of the order only in the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Adoption of the rule was mainly the result of the reforming efforts of Benedict of Aniane (circa 750-821), aided by the political support of the emperor Charlemagne (742-814) and his son and successor Louis the Pious (778-840). The manuscript presented here is based on a copy commissioned by Charlemagne in the years after 787, with the aim of establishing an authentic version of the rule. It represents the earliest manuscript of the Rule of Saint Benedict in Bavaria that has been preserved. The text starts on an illuminated page showing a Latin cross with circular trimmings under an arcade arch. The decoration of the initials shows influences from northern Italy. The manuscript is attributed to a scribe named Dominicus, whose handwriting can also be found in another manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Tegernsee, located on the Tegernsee in southern Bavaria. This suggests that this manuscript most likely was written for and owned by the monastery. In the course of the secularization of the monasteries, the manuscript came to Munich in 1803.

Names

  • Dominicus Scribe.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [787 to 799]

Headings

  • -  Germany--Bavaria--Tegernsee
  • -  787 to 799
  • -  Benedict, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino
  • -  Benedictines
  • -  Illuminations
  • -  Monastic and religious life
  • -  Spiritual life

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "BSB shelfmark: Clm 19408|This description of the work was written by Wolfgang-Valentin Ikas of the Bavarian State Library."--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: I + 61 leaves : parchment, illuminations ; 17 x 10 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Bavarian State Library.
  • -  Content in Latin.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Illuminated Manuscripts from Europe

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667984

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Dominicus Scribe. Rule of Saint Benedict. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 787 to 799, 0787] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667984/.

APA citation style:

Dominicus Scribe. (0787) Rule of Saint Benedict. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 787 to 799] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667984/.

MLA citation style:

Dominicus Scribe. Rule of Saint Benedict. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, 787 to 799, 0787] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667984/>.