Rossano Calabro, Museo dell'Arcivescovado

Rossano Gospels Facsimile Edition

Our price

More Buying Choices

Request Info

The Rossano Gospels, also known as the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, is among the most important illuminated manuscripts to have survived from the sixth century and is one of the oldest manuscripts to have been penned in silver on purple-dyed parchment. The surviving paintings, significant examples of the early Byzantine style, feature a series of scenes from the life and passion of Christ.

The Rossano Gospels is an important witness to the Greek text of the Gospels. The manuscript is unfortunately incomplete, with over half of the original text—possibly a second volume—now lost. In its current state, the codex includes some prefatory material, the complete Gospel of Matthew, and most of the Gospel of Mark. Its origin is disputed among scholars; Syria or Palestine have been suggested.

The Finest Example of Early Byzantine Art

The art of the Rossano Gospels may reflect familiarity with models in other media, especially wall painting. The Gospel book now has fourteen illuminated pagesthree full-page miniatures, as well as a frontispiece to the now lost canon tables and ten paintings that occupy the top third of pages otherwise occupied by images of Old Testament authors holding inscribed scrolls. The book originally would have included additional narrative scenes, portraits of the other three Evangelists, and ornate canon tables.

Writing in Glittering Silver

The Rossano Gospels is a particularly luxurious codex for its writing in large Greek Majuscule script in silver on purple-dyed parchment, which ranges in hue from a deep purple to a reddish-brown.

A Precious Survival

The manuscript was discovered in the sacristy of Rossano Cathedral in 1846, but its earlier history is unknown, including its specific place of origin. It is now in the Museo dell'Arcivescovado of Rossano. In 2015, the Rossano Gospels was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.

We have 2 facsimiles of the manuscript "Rossano Gospels":

Request Info / Price
Manuscript book description compiled by Erene Rafik Morcos.
Please Read
International social justice movements and the debates that ensued prompted us to start considering the contents of our website from a critical point of view. This has led us to acknowledge that most of the texts in our database are Western-centered. We have asked the authors of our content to be aware of the underlying racial and cultural bias in many scholarly sources, and to try to keep in mind multiple points of view while describing the manuscripts. We also recognize that this is yet a small, first step towards fighting inequality.

If you notice any trace of racist or unjust narratives in our communications, please help us be part of the change by letting us know.

#1 Der Codex Purpureus Rossanensis

Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA), 1985

Der Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, Rossano Calabro, Museo dell'Arcivescovado, Der Codex Purpureus Rossanensis facsimile edition by Adeva.
Der Codex Purpureus Rossanensis facsimile edition by Adeva.
  • Commentary (English, Italian) by Cavallo, Guglielmo; Loerke, William C.
  • Limited Edition: 750 copies
  • Full-size color reproduction of the entire original document, Rossano Gospels: the facsimile attempts to replicate the look-and-feel and physical features of the original document; pages are trimmed according to the original format; the binding might not be consistent with the current document binding.

Binding

Solid wooden boards and half leather cover.

Our Price

More Buying Choices

Request Info

#2 Codex Purpureus Rossanensis

Rome: Salerno Editrice, 1985-1987

Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, Rossano Calabro, Museo dell'Arcivescovado, Codex Purpureus Rossanensis facsimile edition by Salerno Editrice.
Codex Purpureus Rossanensis facsimile edition by Salerno Editrice.
  • Commentary (Italian, English, French) by Cavallo, Guglielmo; Loerke, William C.; Gribomont, Jean
  • Limited Edition: 750 copies
  • Full-size color reproduction of the entire original document, Rossano Gospels: the facsimile attempts to replicate the look-and-feel and physical features of the original document; pages are trimmed according to the original format; the binding might not be consistent with the current document binding.

Our Price

More Buying Choices

Request Info