The illuminated choir books housed in the Museo Archeologico e d’Arte della Maremma are a complete cycle made of eight volumes. They are subdivided, according to their content, in two graduales and six antiphonals.
The choir books date to the last quarter of the 13th century and were probably commissioned by the Franciscan bishop Bartolomeo d’Amelia in anticipation of the foundation of the new Cathedral in Grosseto, whose foundation stone was laid in 1294. Therefore there are many textual and decorative references to the Franciscan world.
The Grosseto manuscripts are of large size and feature sacred texts written in Gothic minuscule script using black ink. The text is spaced out with a system of red four-line staffs with neumes (square musical notation), typical of Gregorian chant.
The decoration of the illuminated initials, marking the key moments of the liturgical year and of the associated celebrations, is attributed to the Master of Sant’Alessio in Bigiano.
