Vienna Coronation Gospels

The Vienna Coronation Gospels is a manuscript written on crimson-dyed parchment pages using gold and silver ink. The book combines text and artistic portraits in a format that reflects the craftsmanship of early medieval scriptoriums.

The manuscript was created during the early medieval period, likely produced in an imperial scriptorium under Carolingian rule. Its importance grew through its connection to early European coronation traditions and ceremonies.

The four Evangelist portraits at the start of each Gospel display Carolingian artistic style shaped by Byzantine influences. These images show how artistic traditions traveled between East and West during this era.

The manuscript is held at the Imperial Treasury in Hofburg Palace, where it is kept under controlled conditions to protect its delicate materials. Visitors should know that historical documents of this age require strict viewing limits to ensure their survival.

One of the most remarkable stories surrounding this manuscript involves its discovery in the year 1000, when Emperor Otto III opened the tomb of Charlemagne. The book supposedly lay on the knees of the former emperor's remains, a discovery that added to the legend of the object.