This large-format antiphonary from the Cloister of St. Gall, produced in the year 1544 at the request of Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564), contains songs to be sung during the liturgy of the hours on holy days throughout the year. The scribe who wrote this volume was the cleric, cathedral organist and calligrapher Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546), the illuminator who made the 22 figured initials and the full-page double illustration at the beginning of the antiphonary is unknown. (smu)

Online Since: 12/09/2008

An opulently illustrated large-format gradual containing four-part vocal pieces, from the Cloister of St. Gall, written and illuminated in the year 1562. By order of Prince-Bishop Diethelm Blarer, the Italian Manfred Barbarini Lupus from Correggio composed these challenging vocal pieces, Father Heinrich Keller (1518-1567) wrote the text, and the manuscript illustrator Kaspar Härtli from Lindau on the Bodensee illuminated the first pages with the important holy days of the church year. The volume has richly ornamented borders and numerous miniatures, among them five of full-page size, and contains the heraldic shields of St. Gall monks living at that time; the ornamented pages include many depictions of musical instruments of the period (some of which are no longer known). (smu)

Online Since: 12/09/2008

Large-format antiphonary with chants in four parts, written and illuminated between 1562 and 1564. By order of Prince-Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564), the Italian Manfred Barbarini Lupus from Correggio composed the pieces for four voices - antiphons, responsories, hymns and psalms for the principal feast days of the liturgical year as well as passions according to Matthew, Mark and Luke. Father Heinrich Keller (1518-1567) wrote the text and the illuminator Kaspar Härtli from Lindau on Lake Constance created a full-page All Saints picture with Christ on the cross (f. IVr), as well as a donor portrait with the coats of arms of the then-living members of the St. Gall monastic community (f. 1r). (sno)

Online Since: 06/23/2014

This Psalter contains the psalms in liturgical sequence with antiphons, followed by biblical canticles and a hymnal. The codex was written in 1545 (colophon f. 102v) by the organist and calligrapher Fridolin Sicher (1490-1546) by order of Prince Abbot Diethelm Blarer (1530-1564). Large parts were rewritten by numerous later hands, probably after the reform of the liturgy following the Council of Trent. The Psalter contains several figurative initials by an unknown illuminator. (sno)

Online Since: 06/23/2014

Antiphonary for the entire church year, written in German plainsong notation (“Hufnagelnotation”) on four lines. The volume probably originated in a French or Burgundian-Flemish Benedictine monastery; at least since about 1510, it has been part of the library of the Monastery of St. Gall. The book decoration consists of several large initials painted in opaque colors with scrolls and numerous cadels decorated with faces or animal motifs. (sno)

Online Since: 06/25/2015

Great collection of St. Gallen tropes and sequences by Father Joachim Cuontz († 1515), compiled for Abbot Franz Gaisberg (1504-1529) shortly before the beatification of the St Gall monk Notker Balbulus († 912) in the year of 1513. Important document of late medieval choral history. Many of the melodies are, for the first time in St. Gall, provided with musical notation on five staves. (smu)

Online Since: 05/24/2007

This rather hefty tome (weighing nearly 17 Kilos) compiled around 1200 contains copies in Latin of major works of world-, church- and ethnic history; examples include the History of the World by Orosius, the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius of Caesarea, the Summa of Biblical history (Historica Scholastica) of the early Parisian scholastic Peter Comestor († ca. 1179), the history of the first crusade by Robert of Reims, the history of the Langobards by Paulus Diaconus, the History of the English Church and People by the Venerable Bede, and Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne. (smu)

Online Since: 10/04/2011

From the time of Abbot Werdo (784-812): biographies of ancient Roman saints. (smu)

Online Since: 09/14/2005

Life of St. Marcellinus, written in a very early Carolingian minuscule, presumably slightly earlier than 800, probably in eastern France. (smu)

Online Since: 05/20/2009

A manuscript compilation from the second half of the 9th century, produced in the south German region, not at the Abbey of St. Gall. It contains the life story of Saints George, Felix and Regula, and Michael, the so-called Reichenau and Murbach “Briefformeln” (letter-forms), the Book of Pennance (Poenitentiale) by Pseudo-Cummean as well as selections from a grammar book. (smu)

Online Since: 12/21/2009

A collection of vitae of 13 saints, among them – preserved only here – the vita of St Germanus of Moutier-Grandval in the canton of Jura, Switzerland, written by Bobolenus of Luxeuil ca. 690. A copy from the early 10th century. (smu)

Online Since: 12/12/2006

A manuscript of collected texts, including the lives of Church fathers and founders of monastic orders, written in an early Carolingian script, probably shortly before 800 in a scriptorium in northeastern France. (smu)

Online Since: 07/31/2009

Lives of the patron or "house" saints of St. Gall, written in the first half of the 9th century in the monastery of St. Gall, includes multiple short hagiographic and liturgical texts including: a) the life history of Columba, composed by Jonas of Bobbio, in excellent condition, b) the unique surviving copy in the world of the life history of St. Gallen founder Saint Gallus, composed by Reichenau monk Wetti in about 816/824. (smu)

Online Since: 12/09/2008

A copy of the life of Pope Gregory I., originally written by Johannes Diaconus (825-880/882). This 10th century copy was probably not produced at the Abbey of St. Gall. (smu)

Online Since: 12/21/2009

Adamnan of Iona (Hy; ca. 624-704), Vita of Saint Columba († 597), with a faded pen drawing of the saint at prayer. (smu)

Online Since: 06/12/2006

A collection of vitae of various saints from around 900, among them the vita of St. St. Gall monk Notker Balbulus from the early 13th century, written by an unknown monk. The manuscript also contains the so-called "St. Galler Schularbeit" (earlier known as "Ruodpert's Letter") from the 11th century. (smu)

Online Since: 12/12/2006

Sulpicius Severus (ca. 363-420), Vita of Saint Martin of Tours. One of the most elaborate hagiographic texts in the St. Gallen library. (smu)

Online Since: 06/12/2006

A manuscript compilation from the time around and after 800, presumably produced at the Abbey of St. Gall. The manuscript contains, among other items, the Lives of the monastic fathers Antonius (by Athanasius), Paulus, Hilarion and Malchus (all by the church father Jerome), 12 homilies (Predigten) by Caesarius of Arles as well as the piece De correctione rusticorum by Martin of Braga (Bracara). (smu)

Online Since: 12/21/2009

A collection of lives of ancient Roman saints (among them Sebastian, Agnes and Emerentia, Agatha, Lucia, Blandina) as well as a copy of the Vita of Saint Vedastus, Bishop of Arras, by Alcuin of York. The manuscript contains the sermon De ieiunio (On fasting) by St. Ambrose. The codex was written in about 900, most likely at the Abbey of St. Gall. (smu)

Online Since: 12/21/2009

A careful copy of the vitae of the three St. Gallen saints Gallus, Otmar and Wiborada, written by Walahfrid Strabo (Gallus and Otmar) and Herimannus (Wiborada) around 1070 in the monastery of St. Gall. (smu)

Online Since: 12/12/2006