Reichenau Gospel

The gospel from the Cathedral of Bamberg is one of the most important masterpieces of book painting from the Benedictine abbey on the island of Reichenau in Lake Constance in southern Germany. This manuscript was made for Emperor Henry II (ruled, 1002-1024), the successor of Otto III, who presented it to the Bamberg Cathedral. The gold cover is one of the most beautiful examples of Ottonian book binding. The iconography of the manuscript, with its rich and unusual array of references, is unique in Reichenau illumination. The illuminated manuscripts from the Ottonian period were inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World register in 2003.