Scriptoria

On the Road of Manuscripts in Normandy

How was a book made in the Middle Ages? Where were they produced? Who participated in their creation? What materials were used? What colors were employed? Which pigments and dyes were the most expensive, and where were they sourced? What animals, creatures, and characters were represented in the decorations? How did artists influence each other?...

To answer these various questions, the illuminated manuscripts produced in Normandy from 1000 to 1150 will be showcased in an exceptional multi-site exhibition organized in Alençon, Avranches, Évreux, Le Havre, Rouen, and Sées from March to December 2027.

These illuminated manuscripts from the time of William the Conqueror and his descendants, rarely presented to the public, remain little known and confidential.

Yet they are the primary witnesses of the art of drawing, illumination, and painting from the Romanesque period (11th-12th centuries).

This multi-site exhibition is therefore a perfect opportunity to come discover and contemplate this incredible written and illuminated heritage, the result of a particularly rich and dynamic artistic and creative activity in the ducal Normandy of the years 1000-1150.

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, Calvados Departmental Archives, Media Library of Lisieux, in connection with the British Library.

Cooperation France / United Kingdom