The synoptic table lists progressively all the manuscripts currently in the Municipal Library at Chartres.
Provenance
The Municipal library of Chartres housed nearly 1,700 manuscripts before the fire in 1944; of these, some 500 dated before 1500 :
- 1610 manuscripts were described by Henri Omont et alii in the catalog of 1890: Catalogue général des manuscrits des bibliothèques publiques de France. Departments, t. XI (mss 1-814 and 1001-1796);
- 77 manuscripts, most of them modern, were described in a supplement in 1903, ibid., t. XLI, 2, p. 121-147 (mss 1797-1873).
Most of the manuscripts have been confiscated at the Revolution and came mainly from:
- the chapter library of Notre-Dame (324),
- the monastic library of Saint-Père-en-Vallée O.B. (138).
Smaller collections came from :
- the library of the regular canons of Saint-Jean-en-Vallée O.S.A. (37),
- the library of the Dominican convent at Chartres (22),
- the monastic library of Josaphat (15).
The arms of the Chapter of Chartres (azure with a tunic argent) were stamped on parchment bindings in the 17th century (ms. 149). The tunic of the Virgin is the most precious relic of the cathedral.
Ancient catalogues
Work in progress
Historical importance
Before the disaster, the Municipal library at Chartres had one of the most fascinating collections of medieval manuscripts of France:
- It contained a remarkable number of Carolingian manuscripts: 64 dated from the 8th to 10th century.
- Its texts documented the history of the schools of Chartres and their succession of illustrious scholars: Fulbert, Ivo, Bernard, Thierry, Guillaume de Conches, Clarembaud d’Arras, Gilbert de la Porrée.
- Many manuscripts were important for local history: cartularies, obituaries, liturgical books, etc.
Liber comitis from Saint-Père-en-Vallée, Saint-Martin de Tours, towards 820.
Chartres, BM, ms. 24, f. 2 (destroyed)