The Abbey Library of St. Gall is one of the oldest monastic libraries in the world; it is the most important part of St. Gall’s Abbey district UNESCO world heritage site. The library’s valuable holdings illustrate the development of European culture and document the cultural achievements of the Monastery of St. Gall from the 7th century until the dissolution of the Abbey in the year 1805. The core of the library is its manuscript collection with its preeminent corpus of Carolingian-Ottonian manuscripts (8th to 11th century), a significant collection of incunabula and an accumulated store of printed works from the 16th century to the present day. The Abbey Library of St. Gall was a co-founder of the project e-codices. With its famous Baroque hall, where temporary exhibitions are hosted, the Abbey Library of St. Gall is one of the most visited museums in Switzerland.
St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 365
Parchment · 376 pp. · 28-28.4 x 18-18.4 cm · beginning of the 9th century
Lectionarium plenarium
This unadorned manuscript, which was probably not produced in St. Gall, is a double lectionary or Lectionarium plenarium sive „Comes duplex“. The lectionary follows the pericope practice of the city of Rome and contains all the readings for the Mass (Old Testament / Acts of the Apostles, letters and gospels). It begins with Christmas but is defective in the beginning. (sno)
Parchment · 254 pp. · 34.5 x 22.5 cm · Reichenau · second quarter of the 9th century
Evangelistary
According to new research, the so-called Evangeliary of Wolfcoz - an early masterpiece from the second quarter of the 9th century - was created not at the St. Gall Monastery, but instead in the scriptorium at Reichenau under the librarian Reginbert. This new conclusion was reached on the basis of paleographic studies as well as later-added pericopes on the Reichenau saints George, Mark and Pancras (p. 201-219). (smu)
Parchment · 108 pp. · 33-33.5 x 25.5 cm · Konstanz · about 1470/80
Latin Gospel readings
A volume of the Gospels, made to order for an unknown customer in about 1470/1480, possibly in the workshop of the book illustrator Rudolf Stahel of Konstanz. It contains Latin Gospel readings for the most important holy days of the church year. Illustrated by at least two artists with 21 full-page illustrations, including the symbols of the four evangelists and representations of the most important holy days throughout the year. In 1658 the volume was presented by the court official Fidel von Thurn to Abbot Gallus Alt (1654-1687) and decorated by a book illuminator with his crest. (smu)
Parchment · 83 pp. · 38 x 26.5-27 cm · Augsburg · 16th century
Canon missae
A volume of canonical readings for the mass, opulently illuminated for Bishop of Augsburg Marquard von Berg (1575-11591), with a heraldic crest page, a full-page miniature, many scenes along the lower margin representing the important holy days of the church year, and artful flowers and flowerlike ornaments, possibly by Nurnberg book illustrator Sebastian Glockendon the Younger. The manuscript came into the possession of soldiers during the Thirty Years War and was later sold to the St. St. Gall monk and Vicar of Wil, Bernhard Hartmann, who presented it in 1641 to St. Gall Abbot-Bishop Pius Reher (1630-1654). (smu)
Parchment and paper · 82 pp. · 36.5 x 29.5 cm · Hagenwil, Syfrid Brüstlin · 1418 (entries until 17th century)
Goldach Necrology
According to an entry on p. 64, the Goldach necrology was created in 1418 by Syfrid Brüstlin, priest at Hagenwil. The first part (pp. 11-58) is arranged according to the Roman calendar and contains entries by several hands, mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries. Sometimes only the name of the deceased person is mentioned, other entries are more detailed and give information about donations. The second part (pp. 59-80) contains remarks on individual donations. This part is mainly in Brüstlin’s hand and continues into the 17th century. (sno)
Parchment · II + 320 pp. · 25.5 x 18.5 cm · St. Gall (possibly) · third quarter of the 11th century
Epistolary
Epistolary originating from Reichenau/St. Gall, illustrated with a portrait of the epistle-writer Saint Paul and five painted Christological miniatures from the third quarter of the 11th century. (smu)
Parchment · 220 pp. · 25.5 x 20 cm · St. Gall (?) · 11th century
Lectionary
This manuscript contains the epistles, the readings from the Old Testament and the readings from the Gospel for the period from Christmas Eve until Easter Sunday (pp. 1-144), from the Thursday after the first of Advent until the end of the Advent season (pp. 145-155), and for the saints’ days (pp. 156–218). Several quires seem to have come out between pp. 144 and 145, since the greater part of the readings for Easter Sunday, for the feasts between Easter and the last Sunday after Pentecost, as well as for the first Sunday of Advent are missing. The decoration consists of several initials with scroll ornamentation in red ink (pp. 1, 4, 131, 144 and 156). 15th century entries (foliation, references, neumes in the Passion according to Matthew, pp. 98–104) attest that this codex was in use for a long time. (sno)
Parchment · 845 pp. · 21 x 16 cm · St. Gall · middle of the 11th century
Gradual and lectionary with epistles and Gospels
Deluxe manuscript for the celebration of feast day masses in the monastery of St. Gall, written and illustrated with numerous initials around the middle of the 11th century. Contains a gradual with neumes and a Lectionary with the readings for the liturgical year. (smu)
Parchment · 436 pp. · 26.3 x 18.5 cm · St. Gall · middle of the 11th century
Calendar, Computus, Tropary, Gradual, Sequentiary
Deluxe manuscript for the celebration of the Mass in the monastery of St. Gall, dating from 1050/70, containing sequences of the St. St. Gall monk "Notker the Stammerer" (died 912). (smu)
Parchment · I + 400 + I pp. · 18.8 x 12.5 cm · St. Gall · around 1050-1060
Calendar, Computus, Tropary, Sequentiary
Musical manuscript in small format from the monastery of St. Gall containing a calendar, a computus, a tropary, a sequentiary, an antiphonary, offertory and tractus from the middle of the 11th century as well as an appendix with sequences from the 13th century. (smu)
This codex, with boards covered in green textile, consists of two parts. The first part (pp. 3-53) contains sequences by Notker Balbulus and other authors, the second part (pp. 55-226) contains a gradual. All of the texts have neumes; the script is interspersed with red and blue majuscules. Of note is a series of decorated initials, for example one containing a dragon on p. 3 of the sequentiary and one with scroll ornamentation on p. 55 of the gradual. Other examples can be found on pp. 114, 134, 144, 146. Bound in at the beginning is an 11th/12th century leaf containing excerpts from the Commune Sanctorum, with 14th century supplements on the back. (nie)
Parchment · 390 pp. · 17.8 x 9 cm · St. Gall · around 1050-1060
Calendar, Computus, Tropary, Sequentiary
Small music manuscript from the middle of the 11th century containing an (incomplete) calendar, computus, tropary and sequentiary in an elegant hand, with delicate neumes. (smu)
Parchment · 500 pp. · 14.5 x 11.5 cm · St. Gall · around 930
Versicularium, Hymnary, Tropary, Sequentiary
Versiculary, Hymnal, Tropary and Sequentiary from the monastery of St. Gall, written and provided with neumes around 930, possibly by a monk named Salomon. The small-sized, undecorated manuscript contains the St. Gall repertoire of the chants sung in the monastery and works by the monks Notker Balbulus, Tuotilo, Ratpert, Waltram and Ekkehart I. Counts among the foremost monuments worldwide in the history of early medieval music. (smu)
Parchment · 270 pp. · 18-18.5 x 12.5-13 cm · St. Gall · 11th century (until ca. 1400)
Tropary, Versicularium, Sequentiary
An incompletely preserved musical manuscript from the 11th century, written in the monastery of St. Gall, with added supplementary leaves up to around 1400. Contains a Tropary, a Versiculary and a Sequentiary. (smu)
Parchment · 176 pp. · 16.5-17 x 11.5 cm · Lausanne, probably in the cathedral of Lausanne · before 1250
Sequentiae. Hymni
Tropary and Sequentiary in point-like square notation with exceptionally fine monophonic and polyphonic music from the great repertoire of the school of Notre-Dame at Paris. Written before 1250 in Western Switzerland, probably at the Cathedral of Lausanne. Probably in St. Gall by 1300. (smu)
Parchment · 508 pp. · 21 x 14.5 cm · 13th–15th century
Breviarium
Breviary consisting of several parts: 1) Capitula and orationes for the period from the first of Advent until the octave of Pentecost as well as for Sundays and weekdays (pp. 3–48). 2) Proprium de tempore (with readings, excerpts from sermons, antiphons, responses and hymns) for the period from the first of Advent until the Saturday after Pentecost (pp. 49–280). The antiphons and responses have neumes. 3) Proprium de sanctis (pp. 281–419), these chants do not have neumes. It begins with St. Andrew (30 November) and ends with St. Petronilla (31 May). 4) Proper for Easter until the second Sunday after the octave of Easter (pp. 421–466). 5) Responses and antiphons De sanctis in pascali tempore (pp. 466–468). 6) Lectiones per totam ebdomadam for weekdays of the third and fourth week after the octave of Easter (pp. 469–484). 7) Capitula for Nocturns, Sext and None at Easter (p. 485). 8) Orationes for Nocturns, Sext and None on weekdays usque ad ascensionem Domini (pp. 486–487). 9) Capitula and orationes for Vespers, Lauds and Sext for the first until the fourth Sunday after the octave of Easter (pp. 488–489). 10) Hymns (and sequence Cantemus cuncti melodum, p. 504) (pp. 502–504 and 506). Parts 1-3 were for the most part written in the 13th century (with numerous additions and corrections on erasure up until the 15th century). Parts 4-6 are from the 14th century, parts 7-10 from the 15th century. Property of the Monastery of St. Gall at least since the 15th century (perhaps 1450, cf. p. 1). (sno)
Parchment · 984 pp. · 24.5-25 x 16-16.5 cm · St. Gall · second quarter of the 11th century (additions through the 14th century)
Breviary, summer portion (with neumes)
Summer portion (Holy Saturday through the end of the church year) of a breviary written at the Abbey of St. Gall between 1022 and 1047 (with readings, prayers, extracts from homilies, antiphons, responses and hymns for the monastic liturgy of the hours), includes additions made as late as the 14th century. The sung sections include neumes. Preceding materials include a fragment of a collections of homilies, a calendar, and computistical texts and tables. The corresponding winter portion of this breviary is found in Cod. Sang. 413. It is among the oldest surviving breviaries produced at St. Gall. (sno)
Parchment · 498 pp. · 25-25.5 x 15.5-16 cm · St. Gall · 12th century (additions until the late 14th century)
Antiphonary
Antiphonary from St. Gall for the liturgy of the divine office, as sung by St Gall monks, dating from the 12th century, with addenda until the late 14th century. Illustrated with several initials and (at the beginning) with a miniature of the crucified Christ with Mary and John. (smu)
Parchment · 422 pp. · 25-26 x 19-20 cm · St. Gall · last third of the 13th century
Antiphonary
Antiphonary from the XIIIth century containing chants for the liturgy of the Hours. The melodies are noted using neumes without lines. Essentially, this is a copy of Cod. Sang. 390/391 (“Hartker antiphonary”) completed by saint’s days added after the completion of the Hartker antiphonary. (sno)