Matthaeus Platearius - Herbolaire Estense - 2008

Herbolaire Estense or Grant Herbier - Est. 28 = alpha M. 5. 9
Anastatic edition

Preserved at the Estense University Library in Modena

Specimen number: 268

L’Herbolaire Estense, also known as Grant Herbier, is an extraordinary botanical manuscript from the second half of the 15th century, kept at the Estense Library of the University of Modena (signature: Est. 28 = alfa M.5.9). It is one of the richest and most refined illustrated herbals of the late medieval period, a precious testament to the meeting of medical knowledge, natural science, and the art of miniaturist illumination.
Written in medieval French, the work collects hundreds of botanical entries arranged alphabetically, each accompanied by a watercolor illustration depicting the described plant. The images, of high quality and stylistic variety, are often enriched with narrative and fantastical elements: peasants, animals, mythical creatures, and pastoral landscapes populate the pages with vitality, making the manuscript not only a herbological treatise but also a window into the symbolic and visual world of the fifteenth century.

Each entry reports detailed descriptions of the healing properties of the plant, the methods of preparation and administration, and sometimes also astrological references, according to the medical theories then dominant. The work reflects an encyclopedic approach, in which ancient knowledge blends with direct observation and with a decorative aesthetic of great impact.

The facsimile, printed in a limited and numbered edition, faithfully reproduces the original in every detail: the 340 pages in 20 × 28 cm format are printed on parchment paper treated by hand, with a leather binding handcrafted and sewn on cords, according to the historical criteria of book production of the time.

L’Herbolaire Estense is more than a botanical treatise: it is a cultural document of extraordinary richness, conveying the worldview of the medieval person, poised between scientific knowledge, therapeutic tradition, and imagination.

The edition includes the commentary curated by Ernesto Milano.

Trident Publishing House