The Book of Hours of the Retables

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he codex Vitr. 25-3 of the National Library from Madrid is a magnificent volume of a Book of Hours according to the Roman custom.

The works which respond to this denomination are characterised by a basic structure composed of fixed parts, such as a calendar, a small office of the Virgin Mary, the penitential psalms with their corresponding litany, an office for souls and suffrages. This fundamental thematic group could be enriched with other complementary texts such as prayers, other Hours and various devotions.

The eucologic material contained in these books lies in distributing the prayers whole day long. At different moments of the day, the faithful should present their soul to the Creator and read the corresponding section following practices that were originally only incumbent on people consecrated to God.

The extension of this voluntary worship for laymen constitutes an authentic sociologic phenomenon. Its first signs go back to the 13th century but the period of maximum diffusion has to be situated between the second half of the 15th century and the first one of the 16th century. The invention of the printing press contributed to it and allowed to publish numerous copies destined to satisfy the liking of a public interested in following and imitating the liturgical customs of a large number of members belonging to social strata.

Although this kind of book was destined to both sexes, it is important to precise that women have played an hegemonic role in the popularization of the divine service. The way of life and the kind of education received by said women helped them to foster some practices that involved a kind of intensive reading. Some writers, particularly ecclesiastic, attempted to influence women to read bland works and lack of supposed moral perils in the works of fiction.

This intellectual control can be noticed everywhere. Suffice it to mention some words of the author of Carro de las donas who asserts as follows: "if the maiden can read, she requires the Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary to say her hours and the Gospel according to Saint John and on Fridays the Passion of our Lord and the penitential psalms and the Souls' Hours and the prayers devoted to our Lady Obsecro te, Domina and O intemerata, etc."

As it can be noticed, the recommended texts coincide with the content of our manuscript. At the beginning of 16th century, the Church realised the existence of common spiritualities of a varied sign. This is the reason why high ecclesiastic hierarchy endeavoured to control the signs of a religiosity of doubtful orthodoxy.

The books of Hours and the prayer books were in general so highly suspected that they were finally strictly forbidden by the Inquisition. The copy that is now published constitutes a paradigmatic case: in due day, the codex, property of a lady named Teresa, was submitted to the censorship and appeared expurgated, precisely in one of the most popular Marian prayers.

The crossed out text is an historic reliable document of the perils inherent to the dogmatism and to the intolerance.

Such an historical proof would justify this edition but the point is that the volume is also an authentic masterpiece. It is elaborated with a fine vellum and very purified pigments. The handcrafted technique is excellent and its decoration and illustration are exquisite. Due to its manufacture, the manuscript is a clear exponent of the best international style of 15th century.

Features:

• Original (15th century) preserved in the National Library, Vit. 25-3
• Format of the work: 230 x 160 mm.
• 400 pages, 45 miniatures
• More than 500 ornamental motifs, distributed through the entire codex.
• Special paper in treated and aged parchment.
• Old-style paper sewed with vegetal thread.
• Leather binding embossed on wood and inlaid with gold and cobalt
• Historical, artistic and paleographic study book
• Presented in an elegant case.
• A unique certified and numbered print of 550 copies, through notarial deed.

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