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. 509
Paper · A + 190 ff. · 14.5 x 10 cm · probably St. Gall · second half of the 15th/ first half of the 16th century
Spiritual Marian breviary: Prayers and meditations in German for the liturgical year
This manuscript, probably from a nuns’ convent in St. Gall, contains a cycle of prayers and meditations through the liturgical year, beginning with Advent and on through Christmas, Easter, Pentecost to the Assumption of Mary. The visions of the Nativity of Jesus of Saint Bridget of Sweden and a rosary, among others, are interspersed. This codex is written by a single hand which, along with others, can also be found in the sister manuscript Cod. Sang. 510. (mat)
Paper · 270 ff. · 13 x 10 cm · St. Gall · second half of the 15th/ first half of the 16th century
German prayers
According to the scribe, this manuscript originally is from the Dominican convent of St. Katharina in St. Gall, later Wil; it contains a cycle of prayers and meditations through the liturgical year, beginning with Advent and on through Christmas, Easter, Pentecost to the Assumption of Mary. The visions of the Nativity of Jesus of Saint Bridget of Sweden and a rosary, among others, are interspersed. One of the scribes of this manuscript also wrote the entire sister manuscript Cod. Sang. 509. (mat)
This small-format prayer book in German contains prayers to Christ, on the Passion and on Communion, to Mary, Mother of God, and to various saints, further prayers on various topics, reflections on the Passion, and devotions according to Johannes Gerson. On f. 38v and 39r there are two full-page miniatures. They depict Christ on the cross with Mary and John (f. 38v) and the Pietà with the instruments of torture (Arma Christi, f. 39r). The manuscript was probably written for a women's convent or for female users, although some male forms also appear in the prayers. According to the ownership note on f. 185r, in the 17th century the book was owned by the Benedictine Convent St. Wiborada in St. Georgen above St. Gall. (sno)
Parchment and paper · 395 (394) pp. · 30 x 21 cm · 13th/14th century
Composite manuscript with, among others, commentary on the hymnal, Vocabularius Ex quo, Speculum humanae salvationis
Composite manuscript containing mainly theological texts and, as the largest part (pp. 61–212), the Vocabularius Ex quo. The remaining works are a commentary on the hymnal, where each verse of a hymn alternates with the corresponding explanation (pp. 1–56), a short treatise De humani cordis instabilitate (pp. 57–60), sermons (pp. 212–229, 240–268 and 268–273), the life of Albert of Trapani (Albertus Siculus) (pp. 230–239), the Speculum humanae salvationis (pp. 274–335), a short treatise on virtues and vices called Etymachia or Lumen animae (pp. 335–345), excerpts from Jerome, Augustine and others (pp. 346–368), as well as the Speculum ecclesiae by Hugo de S. Caro (pp. 370–391). The latter is written on a parchment palimpsest , the underwriting (“scriptio inferior”) is in Rotunda script. Four red and bleu fleuronné initials from the underwriting have survived (p. 372, 373 and 375). The last pages contain responsories for Christmas (Descendit de celis deus verus), the Feast of Saint Mark (Beatissimus Marcus discipulus) and Commune plurimum martyrum (Viri gloriosi sanguinem fuderunt), and also the Easter trope (Quem queritis) with melodies in square notation on four lines (pp. 392–394). The manuscript consists of parchment and paper, sometimes even mixed within one quire. This codex has been at the monastery of St. Gall at least since 1553/64 (library stamp p. 60). (sno)
Paper · VII + 140 ff. · 30.5-31 x 20.5-21 cm · 1517/1531
Organ tabulature of Fridolin Sicher
An organ tablature by the St. Gall cathedral organist and calligrapher Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546). Starting in 1512, while he was a pupil of the organist Hans Buchner in Konstanz, Sicher gathered 176 pieces by 94 composers (including Paul Hofhaimer, Hans Buchner, Jacob Obrecht, Josquin Desprez, Matthaeus Pipelaere) together in this volume. Two thirds are sacred vocal pieces, the rest are originally secular songs. The descant is in measured notation on a five line staff, while the remaining vocal parts are indicated with alphabet letters and rhythmical symbols. Some of the compositions may be found only in this particular organ book. (smu)
A 14th/15th century folio manuscript, written by several hands on differently-arranged sheets of paper, contains an extensive explanation of the liturgical year (Directorium spirituale, pp. 3–205), followed by sermons (pp. 205b–211, 257–370, 375–414), the Acts of the Apostles with a commentary (pp. 213–255), a computistic table (pp. 372–373) and a few lines of Thomas Aquinas on suffrages. The manuscript is incompletely rubricated and has no ownership marks. A colophon to the Acta apostolorum provides the year 1405 (p. 255). The fifteenth-century binding is lacking clasps. (mat)
Parchment · IV + 110 + II pp. · 27.5 x 19.5 cm · St. Gall · shortly after 1540
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series secunda (ulterior), Regulae 1-2
Copied after 1540 (the date can be deduced from the mention of the consecration of the chapel of Saints Fabian and Sebastian on p. 6) by the St. Gall organist and scribe Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546), this manuscript contains the first two rules of the Directorium perpetuum. Its content is almost entirely identical to Cod. Sang. 533, which is the first of seven volumes commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (Cod. Sang. 533-539). Produced some twenty years later, Cod. Sang. 532 is the only volume that survives from the second series; the others were either never produced or have been lost. Decoration had been planned but was never done (p. IV and 56 for full pages, and p. 1 and 57 for initials). Analogously to the first series, it is likely that the arms and the portrait of the commissioning abbot – probably Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564) – would have been included. (rou)
Parchment · 136 pp. · 28 x 20 cm · St. Gall · before/around 1520
Directorium perpetuum of the Monastery of St. Gall, Serie prima, Regulae 1-2
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulae contain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 533 contains the first and second rule, for when Easter falls on March 22nd and 23rd (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, January 18th/19th). The illumination of the manuscript is by Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach: p. 6 contains a full-page miniature (at the top a Lamentation of Christ with the donor, below Saint Gall and Saint Othmar supporting the coat of arms), p. 7 and p. 65 have initials in gold leaf and richly decorated borders. Unlike the following volumes, this volume was not written by Fridolin Sicher. (sno)
Parchment · 419 pp. · 27.5/28 x 20 cm · St. Gall · Fridolin Sicher, before/around 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, Regulae 3–10
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulaecontain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 534 contains the third through tenth rules, for when Easter falls between the 24th and the 31st of March (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, January 20th to 27th). The illumination of the manuscript is by Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach and an assistant: p. 3, 41, 83, 135, 243, 301 and 360 contain initials in opaque colors (partly on a background of gold leaf) with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by the St. Gall cathedral organist Fridolin Sicher. As only one of the seven volumes, this one used to be a liber catenatus. (sno)
Parchment · 374 pp. · 27 x 18.5 cm · St. Gall · before/about 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, Regulae 11–17
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulae contain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 535 contains the 11th through 17th rules, for when Easter falls between the 1st and the 7th of April (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, January 28th to February 3rd). The illumination of the manuscript is by Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach and an assistant: p. 6 contains a full-page miniature (at the top a Lamentation of Christ, below Saint Gall and Saint Othmar supporting the coat of arms), p. 6a, 54, 108, 164, 211, 263 and 317 contain initials in opaque colors (p. 164 on a background of gold leaf) with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by the St. Gall cathedral organist Fridolin Sicher. (sno)
Parchment · 420 pp. · 28 x 20 cm · St. Gall · before/around 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, Regulae 18–25
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulaecontain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 536 contains the 18th through 25th rules, for when Easter falls between the 8th and the 15th of April (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, February 4th to 11th). The illumination of the manuscript is by Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach and an assistant: p. 5, 53, 107, 161, 213, 259, 313 and 367 contain initials in opaque colors (p. 213 on a background of gold leaf) with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by the St. Gall cathedral organist Fridolin Sicher. (sno)
Parchment · 344 pp. · 28/28.5 x 20 cm · St. Gall · before/about 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, Regulae 26–31
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulae contain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 537 contains the 26th through 31st rules, for when Easter falls between the 16th and the 21st of April (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, February 12th to 17th). The illumination of the manuscript is by an assistant to Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach: p. 7, 63, 119, 175, 231 and 287 contain initials in opaque colors with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by the St. Gall cathedral organist Fridolin Sicher. (sno)
Parchment · I–VI + 251 pp. · 27.5–28 x 20–20.5 cm · St. Gall · 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, Regulae 32–36
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulae contain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany; the rules for the holidays of the Christmas season until the Vigil of Epiphany (which do not depend on the date of Easter) are compiled in Cod. Sang. 539. Cod. Sang. 538 contains the 32nd through 36th rules, for when Easter falls between the 22nd and the 26th of April (reference date in the codex: Septuagesima, February 18th to 22nd). The 36th rule (for the extremely rare case that Easter falls on April 26th) contains only the months of January and February, since years with this date for Easter are always leap years, and the previous rule therefore covers all moveable feasts after the last day of February. The illumination of the manuscript is by an assistant to Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach: p. 1, 57, 115, 173 and 235 contain initials in opaque colors with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by the St. Gall cathedral organist Fridolin Sicher. (sno)
Parchment · 118 pp. · 27 x 19-20 cm · Fridolin Sicher · about 1520
Directorium perpetuum ecclesie sancti Galli, Series prima, annexum mensis Decembris
The Directorium perpetuum of the monastery of St. Gall, commissioned by Abbot Franz von Gaisberg (1504–1529), consists of seven volumes (Cod. Sang. 533–539). A total of 36 regulae contain the liturgical rules for the Liturgy of the Hours for all possible annual calendars, due to the variable date of Easter. Each rule begins with Epiphany. Cod. Sang. 539 contains the seven possible rules for the holidays of the Christmas season (which do not depend on the date of Easter) until the Vigil of Epiphany. The illumination of the manuscript is by Nikolaus Bertschi from Rorschach and an assistant: on p. 4 a full-page miniature, on pp. 5, 21, 37, 53, 69, 85 and 101 initials in opaque colors (partly on a background of gold leaf) with scrolls or richly decorated borders. This volume was written by Fridolin Sicher, St. Gallen cathedral organist. (sno)
Parchment · X + 146 ff. · 56/56.5 x 38/38.5 cm · St. Gall · 1517 (?)
Lectionary
Lectionary for feast days of saints, written at least partially by St. Gall Abbey Librarian Anton Vogt (around 1486-1529), by order of Prince-Abbot Franz Gaisberg (1504-1529). The illumination (scrolls with flowers and animals, numerous ornamental initials, among them six portrayals of figures) is by the illuminator Nikolaus Bertschi from Augsburg. A calendar (f. Ir-Xv) precedes the lectionary (f. 1r-130r), which then is followed by readings for the commemoratio of the patron saints of St. Gall and of Mary, and by collects for feast days of saints. (sno)
Parchment · X + 298 ff. · 56.5-57 x 35.5-36 cm · St. Gall · 1544
Fridolin Sicher, Antiphonary from the Cloister of St. Gall
This large-format antiphonary from the Cloister of St. Gall, produced in the year 1544 at the request of Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564), contains songs to be sung during the liturgy of the hours on holy days throughout the year. The scribe who wrote this volume was the cleric, cathedral organist and calligrapher Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546), the illuminator who made the 22 figured initials and the full-page double illustration at the beginning of the antiphonary is unknown. (smu)
Parchment · 796 pp. · 53.5/54 x 39/39.5 cm · St. Gall · 1562
Manfred Barbarini Lupus, Four-part vocal pieces for holy days of the church year
An opulently illustrated large-format gradual containing four-part vocal pieces, from the Cloister of St. Gall, written and illuminated in the year 1562. By order of Prince-Bishop Diethelm Blarer, the Italian Manfred Barbarini Lupus from Correggio composed these challenging vocal pieces, Father Heinrich Keller (1518-1567) wrote the text, and the manuscript illustrator Kaspar Härtli from Lindau on the Bodensee illuminated the first pages with the important holy days of the church year. The volume has richly ornamented borders and numerous miniatures, among them five of full-page size, and contains the heraldic shields of St. Gall monks living at that time; the ornamented pages include many depictions of musical instruments of the period (some of which are no longer known). (smu)
Parchment · I-IV + 292 ff. · 53 x 39.5 cm · St. Gall · 1562-1564
Manfred Barbarini Lupus, Chants in four parts for the Liturgy of the Hours for the principal feast days of the liturgical year
Large-format antiphonary with chants in four parts, written and illuminated between 1562 and 1564. By order of Prince-Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564), the Italian Manfred Barbarini Lupus from Correggio composed the pieces for four voices - antiphons, responsories, hymns and psalms for the principal feast days of the liturgical year as well as passions according to Matthew, Mark and Luke. Father Heinrich Keller (1518-1567) wrote the text and the illuminator Kaspar Härtli from Lindau on Lake Constance created a full-page All Saints picture with Christ on the cross (f. IVr), as well as a donor portrait with the coats of arms of the then-living members of the St. Gall monastic community (f. 1r). (sno)
Parchment · I-II + 151 ff. · 52 x 33.5 cm · St. Gall · 1545 / second half of the 16th century
Psalterium feriatum, with antiphons and hymns
This Psalter contains the psalms in liturgical sequence with antiphons, followed by biblical canticles and a hymnal. The codex was written in 1545 (colophon f. 102v) by the organist and calligrapher Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546) by order of Prince Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564). Large parts were rewritten by numerous later hands, probably after the reform of the liturgy following the Council of Trent. The Psalter contains several figurative initials by an unknown illuminator. (sno)
Parchment · I + 330 ff. · 45 x 32 cm · France or Burgundy/Flanders · second half of the 15th century
Antiphonarium
Antiphonary for the entire church year, written in German plainsong notation (“Hufnagelnotation”) on four lines. The volume probably originated in a French or Burgundian-Flemish Benedictine monastery; at least since about 1510, it has been part of the library of the Monastery of St. Gall. The book decoration consists of several large initials painted in opaque colors with scrolls and numerous cadels decorated with faces or animal motifs. (sno)