AUTHOR: COMMISSIONED BY ABBOT PETRUS I, ABBEY OF METTEN

LANGUAGE: GERMAN, LATIN

DATE: 1414

PAGE #: 380

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: BENEDICT OF NURSIA (480-547) WAS SENT TO ROME FOR HIS EDUCATION BUT DUE TO HIS DISLIKE OF THE CAPITAL CITY LIFE HE LEFT, ONLY TO SEEK THE SOLITUDE LIFE OF A HERMIT. SOON HE WOULD SEEK OUT THE LIFE OF A ABBOT. THE MONASTERY HE JOINED BECAME TUMULTUOUS WHEN THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO POISON HIM. BENEDICT FLED THE MONASTERY AND ESTABLISHED HIS OWN CALLED THE MONASTERY OF MONTE CASSINO. AROUND 530 ABBOT BENEDICT CREATED THE MANUAL ON MONASTIC LIFE. THIS MANUAL INCLUDED A STRICT REGIMEN OF PRAYER AND READING. THIS BECAME KNOWN AS THE RULE OF BENEDICT AND WILL INFLUENCE MONASTIC LIFE THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES. IN 1220 BENEDICT WAS CANONIZED.

BIBLIA PAUPERUM AND METTENER REGEL WERE COMMISSIONED BY THE ABBOT PETRIUS DURING HIS TENURE AT THE BENEDICTINE ABBEY OF METTEN IN BAVARIA AS A SIGN OF THE MONASTIC REFORM THAT HE IMPLEMENTED. THE METTENER REGEL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT. THIS ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT WAS CREATED USING THE BOHEMIAN INFLUENCE OF THAT PERIOD. THE COLORED MINIATURES ARE NOT ALL COMPLETE ALLOWING FOR INSIGHT INTO THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE MINIATURES. TODAY THE METTENER REGEL IS LOCATED AT THE BAVARIAN STATE LIBRARY.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.