"Pen and Paint" at Campus Galli

In the early Middle Ages, writing was not merely a means of communication—writing and painting were also highly esteemed arts. Monks preserved and disseminated knowledge by painstakingly crafting books from parchment—that is, specially treated animal skin—and elaborately inscribing and decorating them by hand. This took place in the scriptoria, the writing rooms of the monasteries. They were not only places of learning but also workshops where simple texts were transformed into magnificent works through artistic embellishments. A writing room can also be found in the St. Gallen monastery plan, which serves as the basis for the construction of CAMPUS GALLI. During this themed weekend, you can follow the process of medieval bookmaking at CAMPUS GALLI: - Parchment making – See how animal hides are processed into sturdy parchment. - Bookbinding – Watch how books were bound historically. - Calligraphy – Be captivated by the artistic execution of historical scripts. - Illumination – Illuminators demonstrate the elaborate decoration of manuscripts with vibrant colors and ornate initials. You, too, can immerse yourself in the world of medieval painting and writing and gain your own hands-on experience: Try carving Carolingian minuscule into a wax tablet or writing it with a quill or reed and ink. In addition, this weekend you can bind your own small book or design a bookmark with colorful ornaments or initials.