The Words of Saint Ambrose, Written from Southern Italy, Montecassino, in the 11th Century

This document survives in part because it was later used as a binding from another book; a handful of other segments of this manuscript appear in book bindings now at the National Library of Naples

“Rightly then is the soul restored thither, since He has come who will undo the treacherous knot, and reestablish righteousness.”

The 1000s AD was a period of great tumult and transformation in Europe. In England, the Norman Invasion took place, resulting in the crowning of William the Conqueror. Around this time, the Papal States, led by the Pope, created an alliance with the Normans and acquired from the Byzantines the Duchy of Beneveto around and south of Rome. This all took place in the late 11th century.

In Benevento, in the 8th century, great monks and scholars were doing fascinating work. A particular kind of handwriting had emerged, which we now refer to as Beneventan script. It was the result of work by monks in a handful of monasteries in the region, most notably that of Monte Casino. It is beautiful, sometimes inscrutable, and unique in form.

Ambrose of Milan, later Saint Ambrose, was Bishop of Milan in the 4th century. He was a fierce promoter of the church and left a substantial collection of writings and sermons with his views on Christianity, set against a backdrop that included paganism.

Leo the Great was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called “the Great”. He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.

Two 11th century Southern Italian medieval manuscripts, Beneventan scrit, likely from near Naples, consisting of explanations of the gospels (homilies) originally written by Ambrose of Milan and Pope Leo the Great.

These documents were handled by the Quaritch firm in 1990 and Sothebys in 1994. Other fragments of the same parent manuscript can be found in the bindings of Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale.

More details

From a Homiliary, with parts of Ambrose of Milan, Expositio Evangelii Secundum Lucam, and Leo the Great, Tractatus 76, in Beneventan minuscule, decorated manuscript in Latin on parchment [Italy (perhaps Naples), late eleventh century]. Two cuttings from a single parent manuscript, with some Bari-type features, capitals touched in red and iridescent yellow wash, the second cutting with remnants of a large initial ‘P’ in red with leaf flourishing. Size: 100 by 170mm. and 85 by 130mm.