Museum Success for the exhibition of the Moutier-Grandval Bible in Delsberg
More than 18,000 people have visited the exhibition of the Moutier-Grandval Bible at the Jura Museum of Art and History in Delsberg. The precious manuscript from the 9th century has been on display in its canton of origin since March.
09.06.2025, 10:31
SDA
It is now returning to the British Library in London. It was not possible to extend the exhibition, explained Nathalie Fleury, the museum's curator, on Sunday on local radio station Radio Fréquence Jura (RFJ). The British Library had lent the early medieval manuscript to the museum in the Jura under very strict conditions.
Many people traveled to the exhibition from German-speaking Switzerland, said Fleury. Visitors also came from abroad. All time slots for visits had been fully booked since mid-May. Reservations were obligatory.
The number of people who were allowed to see the Bible was limited. In small groups, visitors only had five minutes to see the elaborately designed work. How the manuscript will now return to London remains a secret. The Moutier-Grandval Bible is one of the oldest completely preserved illustrated Bibles in the world.
450 leaves with numerous miniatures
The manuscript was created around the year 830 in the Abbey of Saint-Martin de Tours in France before it was donated to the Abbey of Moutier-Grandval. Around twenty monks were involved in the creation of this richly decorated and illustrated work.
In addition to the numerous miniatures, a special feature is the Carolingian minuscule script. This script was created under Emperor Charlemagne and was spread throughout the empire at his request.
The Bible is not only a great work in terms of its significance, but also in terms of its size. It contains almost 450 sheets, each measuring over 50 by 37 centimeters. It was exhibited in Delsberg for several months back in 1981. The Bible cannot return to the Jura, as it was legally acquired.
