Explore 9 Illuminated manuscripts Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Illuminated Manuscripts

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The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
monks

Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?

The Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil’s Bible, is the largest medieval manuscript still in existence—with an even bigger legend behind it.
The Podcast Team July 15, 2025
A root system simulating a sea serpent, sprouting leaves and buds, on 15th-century parchment.
libraries

Explore the Whimsical Flora of a 15th-Century Italian Folio

An herbal a day will take the green from your gills away—and perhaps apply it to your thumb.
Isaac Schultz May 28, 2020
The celebration of Passover.
art

Medieval Jews Celebrated Passover With Bird-Human Hybrids

An illuminated manuscript interpreted the prohibition on graven images in a creative way.
Sarah Laskow April 18, 2019
Butterfly, Marine Mollusk, and Pear
objects of intrigue

See a Dazzling, Exuberant Renaissance Calligraphy Guide

A masterclass in script, illuminated with an array of curiosities.
Noor Al-Samarrai February 25, 2019
The teeth looked unremarkable at first glance, but blue pigments jumped out under the microscope.
manuscripts

How a Blue Tooth Led Scholars to a Medieval Manuscript Mystery

And illuminated the hidden contributions of a female artist.
Jessica Leigh Hester January 9, 2019
Benavidez's piñatas contain thousands of pieces of hand-cut paper and can take months to complete.
art

These Colorful Piñatas Bring Medieval Monsters to Life

Roberto Benavidez makes eye-catching art inspired by centuries-old paintings and illuminated manuscripts.
Anna Kusmer December 14, 2018
Two pages from the Luneborch Prayer Book, a rare 15th-century illuminated manuscript that was mysteriously returned to the George Peabody Library 40 years after it had gone missing.
libraries

The Saga of a Long-Lost 15th-Century Illuminated Prayer Book

The Luneborch manuscript vanished, and was lost for decades only to reappear again in a mysterious package.
Vittoria Traverso October 25, 2017
Stockholm, Sweden

Codex Gigas (The Devil's Bible)

An illuminated manuscript comprising the life's work of a lone monk, inexplicably decorated with a portrait of Satan himself.
Oakland, California

Chapel of the Chimes

Julia Morgan's Moorish-Gothic labyrinth of fountains, trees, natural light and Oakland's notable dead.