st
st
# 85 NOVEMBER 21 , 2016
# 85 November 21 2016
The purple color of the
pages is not due to the extract of the murex, a mollusc used by Greeks and
Romans to paint of red
color their clothes, but to
cudbear, coloring of plant
origin widely used during
the Renaissance.
Despite the early twentieth-century restoration
that unfortunately al tered
the images, it is still possible to define that all thumto write it seems to reveal it much probably inclu- bnails are coeval to the
that the client had to be a ded also the two missing sixth century, and there
high rank dignitary of the Gospels.
was no one added later.
Byzantine clergy or aristocracy, who
The code was
came to Rossacompletely
no in the sevenbound
and
th century, proprovided with
bably to escape
a swing devithe iconoclastic
ce that ensures
fights erupted
both the consulin the empire.
tation and the
preservation. FiThe restoration
nally, from July
ended last year
2016 it is poshas added new
sible to admire
information
this treasure in
about the hithe renovated
story of this auDiocesan Muthentic wonder.
seum of Rossano: it is not often
Originally,
it
that we can see
had to be a doa testimony of
cument of circa
fourteen
hun400 pages, and
dred years ago.
not 188 as it is
now: therefore,
24 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 25
www.wetheitalians.com
www.wetheitalians.com