Ariane Bergeron-Foote Knihy

Featuring twelve Books of Hours from the 13th to the 16th century, this collection showcases the evolution of medieval illuminated manuscripts across France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Notable artists such as Pietro da Pavia and Willem Vrelant contributed to these unique works, each reflecting the personal lives and spiritual concerns of their owners. While some manuscripts are richly illustrated, others are more modest, providing a diverse glimpse into the artistic and cultural context of their time.

Although the earliest records of written French date from the 9th century, it was not until the 13th century, when there was an explosion of texts in the 'mother tongue', that French became widespread as a written language. And only in 1539, by King Francis I, was French deemed the official language of the kingdom.