Borgia Missal

Borgia Missal

In its provenance, the so-called Borgia Missal is an impressive manuscript connecting some of the biggest names in Italian history ca. 1500: originating as a commission of Juan de Borja (1446-1503), it probably came to Vatican by way of his cousin, the Borgia Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) and there finally came into the possession of Archbishop Guido de Medici (d. 1537). The grandiose décor of the liturgical manuscript from the Umbrian school presents the masterpiece in truly papal splendor!

From the Circle of Pinturicchio

Lavish frames and gorgeous miniatures make up the artistic decoration of the wonderful Borgia Missal. The paintings were created in Rome by some of the most significant masters of the late 15th century. These can be ascribed stylistically to the Umbrian school in Rome shortly before 1500. Four miniaturists, probably from the school of Pinturicchio (1454-1513) flaunted their skill here. The lavish décor of the manuscript is truly worthy of a cardinal, or even a pope.

A Missal for the Cardinal

The missal originates from ca. 1492 at the behest of Juan de Borja. He originally came from Spain but went to Italy nonetheless and was there named a cardinal and finally Archbishop of Monreale. Coming from the powerful Borgia family, Juan was the son of a cousin of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI. He was made a cardinal in 1492 and as such was one of the closest confidants of the Pope and the first of ten cardinal-nephews created by Alexander VI. The elevation to cardinal is presumably what occasioned the creation of the splendid manuscript.

In the Possession of the Medici

The manuscript probably belonged to the group of codices that were stored in the Sistine Chapel and were used for masses there. The Borgia Missal is not only significant as a work of art, but also as a liturgical manuscript: it contains one of the first examples of the ceremonial Sunday mass, the missale festivum. Today, the Borgia Missal is no longer found in Rome, but rather in Chieti, a city in Abruzzo. The manuscript came into the collection of the cathedral there through Guido de Medici, Archbishop of Chieti. Guido de Medici was a cousin of Pope Clement VII, and probably came to possess the treasured book through this connection.