Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Rare book library at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, England
The Parker Library at Corpus Christi College is a rare book collection holding over 600 manuscripts and early printed works spanning multiple centuries. The holdings range from brilliantly illuminated medieval texts to ecclesiastical documents, showing how the written word developed and was preserved across generations.
Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker founded this collection in 1574 by gathering manuscripts from dissolved monasteries across Tudor England. His rescue mission saved thousands of literary works from destruction during a period of major religious change.
The manuscripts here reveal how scholars and clergy used sacred texts in their daily work across centuries. Visitors can see how these objects shaped religious practice and learning in medieval times.
Visitors must book ahead and visit Monday through Friday in two time slots: mornings from 9:45 to 12:45 and afternoons from 14:00 to 16:45. A rotating display system means different manuscripts are on show during each visit.
The collection houses the earliest surviving copy of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a central document in English history. An 11th-century psalter may have once belonged to Thomas Becket, linking religious centers to scholarly circles.
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