Matthaeus Platearius - Herbolaire Estense - 2008

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

Kept at the Estense University Library of Modena

Copy number: 263

The Herbolaire Estense, also known as Grant Herbier, is an extraordinary botanical manuscript from the second half of the 15th century, preserved 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 era, a precious witness to the meeting between medical knowledge, natural science and the art of 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 great quality and stylistic variety, are often enriched with narrative and fantastical elements: peasants, animals, mythical creatures and rural landscapes populate the pages with vivacity, making the manuscript not only an herbal treatise but also a window onto the symbolic and visual world of the fifteenth century.

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

The Herbolaire Estense is much more than a botanical treatise: it is a cultural document of extraordinary richness, recounting the medieval man’s worldview, suspended between scientific knowledge, traditional therapy and imagination.

The edition includes the commentary edited by Ernesto Milano.

Trident Publishing House.