Breviarium Olomucense of 1484 (GW 5414). An Overview of Extant Prints and a Description of a Newly Identified Copy from the Chapter Library in Mikulov
| Stránky | 56–84 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.37520/amnpsc.2026.004 |
| Klíčová slova | breviary — incunabula — liturgical culture — manuscript annotations — book provenance |
| Typ článku | Recenzovaný článek |
| Citace | MYŠÁK, Miroslav. Breviarium Olomucense of 1484 (GW 5414). An Overview of Extant Prints and a Description of a Newly Identified Copy from the Chapter Library in Mikulov. Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae – Historia litterarum. Prague: National Museum, 2026, 71(1-2), 56–84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/amnpsc.2026.004. ISSN 2570-6861 (Print), 2570-687X (Online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/periodicals/acta-musei-nationalis-pragae-historia-litterarum/71-1-2/breviarium-olomucense-of-1484-gw-5414-an-overview-of-extant-prints-and-a-description-of-a-newly-identified-copy-from-the-chapter-library-in-mikulov |
The study examines the origins and survival of the Olomouc Breviary (Breviarium Olomucense), the first printed liturgical book of the Moravian diocese, produced in Venice in 1484. The breviary was commissioned at a time when there was no stable or technically proficient printing workshop within the Lands of the Bohemian Crown capable of handling extensive liturgical projects. Jan Filipec, then administrator of the Olomouc bishopric, therefore entrusted the work to Venice — the leading European centre of printing — where it was executed by the team of Andreas Corvus de Corona, Martinus de Czeidino and Konrad Stahel. The study documents the structure and typographical features of the edition, including its format, signatures and technical peculiarities, and highlights the major challenges inherent in research into early Bohemica, particularly the extremely limited number of surviving copies. The second part of the study analyses the extant copies. Until recently, only four were known — two preserved in Austrian monastic libraries, one in Cracow, and one in the National Library in Prague. The primary focus of this research is a newly identified fifth copy, held in the collection of the Collegiate Chapter of St Wenceslas in Mikulov. This breviary survives in a fragmentary state; its current form reflects a Renaissance rebinding accompanied by extensive manuscript interventions. The analysis considers the physical structure, binding, decoration, inserted materials, and multiple layers of user annotations that attest to the long-term, intensive use of the volume. The earliest notes were made by Havel, parish priest in Senice na Hané (ca 1498), who supplemented liturgical passages and added various excerpts from his reading. A later Humanist layer from the sixteenth century comprises comprehensive additions of missing Psalms, finding aids, instructions for reciting the Divine Office, and other liturgical texts that significantly extended the book’s usefulness. The study demonstrates that the Mikulov breviary constitutes a valuable source for understanding liturgical practice, reading culture, and the intellectual environment of Moravia, while also offering evidence of the book’s transmission among various owners and regions.