Matthaeus Platearius - Herbolaire Estense - 2008

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

Preserved at the Estense University Library of Modena

Copy number: 275

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 University Library of Modena (siglum: Est. 28 = alfa M.5.9). It is one of the richest and most refined illustrated herbals of the late medieval period, a precious witness to the meeting of medical knowledge, natural science, and the art of illumination.
Redacted in medieval French, the work gathers hundreds of botanical entries ordered alphabetically, each accompanied by a watercolor illustration depicting the described plant. The images, of high quality and with a diverse stylistic range, are often enriched with narrative and fantastical elements: peasants, animals, mythological creatures, and pastoral landscapes populate the pages with liveliness, making the manuscript not only an herbarium tract but also a window onto the symbolic and visual world of the Quattrocento.

Each entry provides detailed descriptions of the plant’s medicinal properties, preparation and administration methods, and sometimes even astrological references, in line with the medical theories prevailing at the time. The work reflects an encyclopedic approach, where ancient knowledge blends with direct observation and with a grand decorative aesthetic.

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

L’Herbolaire Estense is much more than a botanical treatise: it is an extraordinarily rich cultural document, recounting the medieval worldview of its author, suspended between scientific knowledge, therapeutic tradition, and imagination.

The edition includes the commentary edited by Ernesto Milano.

Casa editrice Trident.