Bibliothecae.it (Dec 2023)

The library of Saint-Sépulcre Abbey of Cambrai in the 15th century: Management and organisation of the library heritage

  • Sara Pretto

DOI
https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2283-9364/18706
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2
pp. 202 – 228

Abstract

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The article outlines the organization of the library of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Sépulcre in Cambrai in the 15th century, studying the manuscripts coming from the monastery in that period. In the 15th century, the community resumes strongly its copy-activity: this is probably connected to the emergence of new forms of spirituality, as the modern devotion, which promoted the transcription of the texts corresponding to the new religious needs. The author traces how the community increases its library, describing the organization of spaces and how the volumes were placed; moreover, she reveals the presence of tools for consultation and research. Although there aren’t proofs of the loan service, the author brings to the light how the library was a dynamic reality, in connection with the main institutions of the city and open to the surrounding area.

Keywords