The National Library of France brings together two parts of a 13th century Greek manuscript

The BnF claims “one of the most important collections of Greek manuscripts in the world”, with some 5,000 copies.

The BnF announced on Tuesday November 26, 2024 that it had united the two parts of a precious manuscript in Greek from the 13th century. They had been separated for almost half a millennium.

This epilogue was possible thanks to the pre-emption of the first part of the manuscript, which was sold at auction on October 5 by the Giraudeau auction house, in Joué-lès-Tours (Indre-et-Loire). It was sold for 130,200 euros. According to the specialist magazine La Gazette Drouotthe sellers are the descendants of a family of French nobility, the Desgrées du Loû.

It is a psalter – collection of psalms – made in Constantinople at the end of the 13th century. The BnF describes in a press release “a small format manuscript entirely written in gold ink and richly decorated with polychrome bands and initials on a gold background”.

The BnF was particularly interested because it has, since the 19th century, the second part of the same manuscript, codified in its collections under the name “Greek Supplement 260”. According to its experts, they were “separated before the beginning of the 17th century”. And the appearance on public sale of the first part, previously unknown, was a surprise. The arrival in France of this manuscript is probably the work of a French cardinal and advisor to Louis XII, Georges d'Amboise.

The BnF claims “one of the most important collections of Greek manuscripts in the world”with some 5,000 copies.