Nijmegen tidal city

The contemporary version of the famous medieval Books of Hours by the Brothers of Limburg is ready! Nijmegen’s most successful export product will thus be continued.

At 8:55 a.m., three pallets of Seasons of Life, a contemporary book of hours and pilgrims, were on the doorstep. Curious, and full of anticipation, we tore away the plastic… The a’s and o’s were not out of the blue. It turned out to be a very beautiful book. We are happy with it. The first ritual of the new pilgrimage route, the Walk of Wisdom , has thus been set in motion. Pilgrims who complete the route may submit a page for future publications.

The presentation of the book and the opening of the Walk of Wisdom will take place on 21 June at 12.30 pm in the Stevenskerk Nijmegen. Many artists and writers will be present there to sign your book (more information).

Nijmegen has long been the city of books of hours. In the Middle Ages, the three Nijmegen brothers of Limburg made richly illustrated selections of prayers commissioned by noblemen. The books are probably the most valuable export products that Nijmegen has ever produced. The Belles Heures and Très Riches Heures are an integral part of the top collections of the New York Metropolitan Museum and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. They are each worth many millions of euros.

Books of Hours

Traditionally, prayers have been held in Christian monasteries at fixed hours. Those hours are called tides; They give structure to monastic life. In medieval Europe, non-religious people also became familiar with the rhythm of these hours: the monasteries were omnipresent and the monks invariably rang the bell before praying. Pious citizens often recited a short prayer (the shooting prayer) when they heard these bells, and wealthy noblemen began to publish personal prayers. This gave rise to lay versions of the intricate prayer series of the monastics: the Books of Hours.