Fragment, C10th | Late 10th century fragment of Matthew 20:1-16 from the Luculentius Homiliary

33 cm x 45 cm, a single leaf on vellum, 36 lines, ruled, written in dark brown Carolingian minuscule and Rustic Capitals in reddish-brown ink for incipits and explicits, Intertwining initial ‘I’ using a similar palette of maroon and brown, decorative parts of the initial left unfilled to let the colour of the underlying parchment shine through; text from the Luculentius Homiliary, beginning of Homilia 31. (Text is Matthew 20:1-16, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard); minor staining throughout leaf on recto and verso, text slightly faded in some places on recto, minor fading of text on verso, otherwise the script on the verso is distinct and legible.

AN INTRIGUING FRAGMENT FROM LATE 10TH CENTURY HOMILIARY PRODUCED IN CATALONIA

Written in an Iberian Carolingian Minuscule, the fragment contains Matthew 20:1-16, the parable in the vineyard. Incipit: In illo tempore dixit iesu dis/cipulis suis parabolam hanc / Simile est regnum caelorum homi/ni patri familias qui exiit pri / mo mane conducere opera/rios in vineam suam.

This leaf stems from a large late 10th or early 11th century Catalonian Homiliary, namely the rare Homiliary of Luculentius. The text is written in an attractive Carolingian Minuscule in dark brown ink and decorated with an elegant intertwining initial ‘I’ reminiscent of insular decorative initials. In the margins of the right-hand side, a different hand noted 'Joseph Torre(i?)made'.

Despite the extraordinary position of the Homiliary, as potentially one of the earliest works of Latin literature from the 'Spanish Marches', the North-Eastern area of the Iberian Peninsula, the identity of Luculentius is still shrouded in mystery. Our current understanding is, that he might have been a Benedictine monk active in the border region between Spain and France after these territories were integrated into the Carolingian empire.

Luculentius’ Homiliary inhabited a central role in the evangelisation of the region around the Pyrenees during the 10th and 12th centuries. Despite being removed from the heart of the Carolingian empire, this region was culturally shaped and dominated by its culture and religion, which resulted in a prolific production of manuscripts in the 9^th and 10^th centuries, with the diocese of Ripoll and the episcopal see of Vic at its core. The manuscripts emanating from this region embody the heritage of Carolingian culture in Catalonia and offer exciting opportunities for further discovery. While Catalonia might have been at the periphery of the vast realm of Emperor Charlemagne, this manuscript leaf is certainly central to recent discoveries.

This leaf is a fascinating witness to the rare work of Luculentius offering exciting opportunities for further study an appreciation.

We thank Professor Dr Matthias Tischler for his expertise.

PROVENANCE

1. Catalan origin, potentially from a Benedictine monastery in the vicinity of Vic or Ripoll.

2. Spain, Private Collection.

LITERATURE

Tischler, Matthias M. "L’Homiliari de Luculentius." Litúrgica Catalana [Societat Misceŀlània Catalana d’Estudis Litúrgics], xxviii (2020), pp. 67-95.

Tischler, Matthias M. and Vernet i Pons, Eulàlia. "An untapped Treasure of Carolingian Text Culture. The Homiliary of Luculentius from the Spanish March (C. 900)*", Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 115, (2020), pp. 715-728.

Tischler, Matthias M. "How Carolingian was early medieval Catalonia?." In Greer, Sarah, Hickling, Alice, Esders, Stefan, eds. Using and Not Using the Past after the Carolingian Empire c. 900–c.1050, pp. 111-133, Routledge, 2019.