The Rossano Gospels (042): Materiality, Image, and Text in a 6th-Century Eastern Mediterranean Manuscript

• Grant number: 24/22094-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Correia Leandro Pereira
• Grantee: Karolina Santos da Rocha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/02912-3 - A connected history of the Middle Ages: communication and circulation from the Mediterranean Sea, AP.TEM

Abstract

The aim of this project is to analyze the Rossano Gospels (¿ 042) in terms of its materiality and the interaction between its texts and images, situated within the broader and interconnected context of purple manuscript production and ownership by elites in the 6th-century Eastern Mediterranean. The Rossano Gospels comprises the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, with an introductory cycle of images depicting episodes from the life of Christ, accompanied by excerpts from biblical texts. The manuscript received significant ornamental investment: in addition to the illuminations, it is dyed purple and inscribed in gold and silver. It has been observed that the Rossano Gospels has traditionally been studied as an important source for the analysis of either its images or its texts, often treated as separate entities. Moreover, there has been a fragmented understanding of its content, which neglects its material support, thereby reinforcing its decontextualization. To address these issues, we will undertake an investigation into the materiality of the Rossano Gospels, alongside a sequential analysis of the images and texts, exploring how these elements function collectively. Furthermore, we will develop a comparative framework between the Rossano Gospels and other purple codices from the same temporal and geographical context. Using the methodologies of Connected History, we will examine how these manuscripts may have facilitated forms of integration among the elites of the 6th-century Eastern Mediterranean. Through the execution of this research, we aim to demonstrate how elites could have used the possession of purple codices to materially convey imperial values and legitimize their social positions within that context. (AU)