The Fondation Etrillard is supporting the Fondation des Monastères in its restoration of a unique illuminated manuscript, the Manuscrit des Heures à lusaige de Rome, kept at the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes in the Sarthe region of France. Originally a modest priory with just a few monks for eight centuries, Saint-Pierre de Solesmes became an influential abbey in the 19th century under the impetus of its restorer Dom Guéranger.
These horae are an illuminated work on parchment produced by Anthoine Chappiel for Germain Hardouin's workshop in 1497. It is one of the many treasures in the Abbey of Solesmes library, which contains two hundred thousand volumes - liturgical books as well as books on history, literature and art in general.
© La Reliure du Limousin
The book has been restored by La Reliure du Limousin, a workshop set up in 1950 and a training centre since 1990, whose 70 craftsmen restore old books on a daily basis to ensure the survival of our written heritage.
The aim is to preserve this precious opus by restoring it and packaging it in a tailor-made protective case.
The manuscript was then exhibited at the Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel at the Carrousel du Louvre (Paris) from 2 to 5 November 2023.
© La Reliure du Limousin
This restoration was fully documented by La Reliure du Limousin. Every stage of the work, carried out by 4 different restorers, is described: manual unroofing, cleaning, restoration of the parchments, sewing of the leaves, making of new endbands, production of a new binding and a made-to-measure conservation box.
Find out more about this masterpiece in their article here.
© La Reliure du Limousin