Golden Gospels of Henry III facts for kids
The Golden Gospels of Henry III is a very old and beautiful book from the 1000s. It's also known as the Speyer Gospels. This special book is an illuminated manuscript and a Gospel Book. An illuminated manuscript is a handwritten book decorated with fancy pictures and designs. A Gospel Book contains the four gospels from the Christian Bible.
This amazing book was likely made at a place called the Abbey of Echternach. It was created for Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, who was a powerful ruler. In the year 1046, Henry gave this book to the Speyer Cathedral. He did this to celebrate the dedication of the cathedral's main altar. Today, you can find this historical treasure at the El Escorial library in Spain.
Contents
What is Inside the Book?
The Golden Gospels of Henry III is a large book. It has 171 pages, called folios. Each page is about 500 millimeters (or 20 inches) tall and 335 millimeters (or 13 inches) wide.
Amazing Artwork
This book is filled with incredible art. It has 13 full-page pictures, called miniatures. There are also 43 smaller pictures that take up half a page. The book also features 12 pages with decorated tables. These are called canon tables and they help readers find similar stories across the different gospels. Plus, there are over 40 other decorated pages with large, fancy letters at the start of sections.
Who Owned This Special Book?
Over the centuries, the Golden Gospels of Henry III passed through the hands of several important people.
Royal Owners
One of its owners was Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. Later, the book traveled to the Netherlands. There, it was owned by Maximilian's daughter, Margaret. After Margaret, her granddaughter, Mary, became its owner.
A Famous Scholar's Use
While the book was in the Netherlands, a very famous scholar named Erasmus used it. He was a well-known writer and thinker of his time.
Journey to Spain
Eventually, the book was bought by Philip II, who was the King of Spain. King Philip then gave the book to the monastery at El Escorial, where it remains today.
Related Books
The Golden Gospels of Henry III looks similar in style to another important book. This book is called the Emperor's Bible. The Emperor's Bible is currently kept at the Uppsala University Library in Sweden.
