Bible of Burgos Facsimile Edition

The Bible of Burgos is the remaining portion of an illuminated three-volume Christian Bible produced in Spain around 1175. Noted for the expressive style of its paintings, the manuscript includes two famous miniatures: the Expulsion from Paradise, regarded as a unique masterpiece of European Romanesque art, and the Adoration of the Magi. Decorative elements include a genealogy on pages with architectural surrounds and twenty-two painted initials. The manuscript reflects a blend of stylistic influences showcasing the artistic and cultural crossroads of medieval Spain. 

Evidence suggests the bible originally consisted of three volumes, of which only one remains intact. Recent discoveries have revealed two additional fragments sewn into another biblical codex at the Monasterio de las Huelgas, potentially representing remnants of the missing third volume.

Iconographic Uniqueness

The folio 12v contains an exceptional iconographic program depicting the original sin and the expulsion from Paradise. This representation ranks among the most outstanding biblical scenes in Castilian Romanesque art and constitutes an unparalleled example within European Romanesque illumination. These pages illustrate the eternal struggle between good and evil—a conflict in which humanity serves simultaneously as both witness and protagonist.

Symbolic Artistry and Divine Representation

Within these remarkable illustrations—as throughout Romanesque art generally—the human endeavor to align with goodness becomes evident. This explains why The Supreme Good—God—must be portrayed in all His splendor and expressive power.

This theological imperative accounts for the extraordinary proliferation of Maiestas Domini representations (and Maiestas Mariae, such as the exceptional example appearing in this Bible), wherein spiritual aspiration is ultimately transformed and manifested as a genuine explosion of artistic beauty.