Date published: 2005/08/03
The Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Library (UL) have an amazing (free) exhibition of illuminated manuscripts until 11 December (Fitzwilliam open Tue-Sat 10.00 - 17.00, Sun and Bank Holidays 12.00 - 17.00; UL open Mon-Fri 9.00 - 18.00, Sat 9.00 - 16.30, but not 29 Aug and 16-23 Sep). They are taken from the collections of Cambridge University and colleges, and mainly date from the tenth to the sixteenth centuries, although they do have one book (The Gospels of St Augustine) dating from the sixth century. Many of the manuscripts are in such good condition they look like they have hardly been used. The workmanship is remarkable. But (apparently) in one manuscript a sixteenth century person commented about how much better they did things in the good old days (the fourteenth century). Anyone in Europe who has any interest in illuminated manuscripts should immediately book a flight to Stansted or Luton and come to Cambridge. And any North Americans looking for an excuse to come to England could use this exhibition (unfortunately you have to come via Heathrow or Gatwick). If you only have time for one of the two venues then the Fitzwilliam Museum part is bigger and better. The only bad thing is that these manuscripts are not permanently exhibited in this way.
_________________________________________________________
All material not included from other sources is copyright cambridge2000.com.
For further information or questions email: info [at] cambridge2000 [dot] com
(replace "[at]" with "@" and "[dot]" with ".").