Speaker: Paula Cardoso and Catarina Tibúrcio

Hercules I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara and Módena between 1471 and 1505, made a decisive contribution to Ferrara’s prosperity. His patronage of the arts, an activity he greatly developed, was a fundamental part of his strategy of political affirmation through strengthening the cultural identity.

One of the luxurious manuscripts he commissioned, completed in around 1492, was the Breviary of Duke Hercules I of Ferrara, which was acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian in 1920 and is currently part of the Founder’s Collection. In this presentation, we discuss issues related to the place and date of origin of the codex, the style of illumination, artistic influences, testimonies of the Renaissance trend and the permanence of medieval models.

This session takes place as part of the cycle of seminars «Tesouros em Pergaminho – A coleção de manuscritos iluminados ocidentais de Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian» (Treasures in Parchment – The Western Illuminated Manuscript Collection of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian), stemming from a partnership between Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and the Institute of Medieval Studies (IEM) of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University (NOVA FCSH).