A Brief History of Books of Hours and the Masterpiece: The Hours of Giangaleazzo Visconti
- Liz Publika
- Jul 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 14
by Liz Publika
One of the reasons people often become fascinated with the Middle Ages is the art. Indeed, some of the greatest masterpieces of the late medieval period and early Renaissance are found within the pages of Christian manuscripts referred to as the books of hours. Centered on devotion to the Virgin Mary, these illuminated volumes served as functional prayer books containing devotional texts and painted prayers. They were primarily made for people who were both non-ordained and very wealthy.
Most books of hours were produced between 1250 and 1700. As literacy rose among both the aristocracy and ordinary citizens, clerical monopoly on manuscript production was eventually broken. This shift allowed patrons to customize their volumes by choosing certain visual elements as well as the type and quantity of supplemental texts, driving the massive popularity of these books among the upper classes, particularly in northern Europe, which explains why thousands of them endure today.
The height of their production occurred from the 14th to the mid-16th century, during which they outpaced the manufacture of any other book. Although no two books of hours are exactly the same, they do share a singular group of devotions. At the core of each volume are the Hours of the Virgin (formally The Little Office of the Virgin), a sequence of prayers divided into eight sections meant to be recited at the eight canonical hours of the day.
According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art,“ the practice of praying at multiple times of the day and night was based upon the Divine Office, a liturgy chanted in religious communities that gathered for prayer at Matins (before daybreak), Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext (around noon), None, Vespers, and Compline (after sunset).” In addition to prayers, books of hours may include five to twenty-five other elements, ranging from a calendar and gospel lessons to a group of psalms and prayers to saints, depending on preference.
Personalization extended to artistic style as well. Depending on taste and budget, patrons could commision painted initials or elaborate border details and numerous full-page illustrations. Still, visual decorative norms remained highly standardized across different sections, like calendars; imagery was relegated to the margins, typically depicting the relevant zodiac sign, aseasonal labor of the month, or both. Illustrations also served as indexes, since the books lacked page numbers or tables of contents.
Commissioned by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the ruler of Milan in the late 14th century, The Hours of Giangaleazzo Visconti is a spectacular Latin-language two-volume illuminated Book of Hours. It is widely considered one of the genre's most beautiful examples. Production of this codex is attributed to Frate Amedeo, who signed his work, which was not typical of the time period. The artwork was created by two master illuminators, beginning with Giovannino dei Grassi (1350-1398) before his death, and completed by Luchino Belbello da Pavia.
Born in Milan around 1350, dei Grassi was a versatile Italian painter, sculptor, architect, and celebrated manuscript illuminator. While he served as an architect for the Milan Cathedral, he achieved greater renown for his painting and illumination. Belbello da Pavia was an Italian miniaturist and painter active between roughly 1430 and 1470. His life and career went largely unrecognized until the early 20th century. Today, however, his distinct contribution to The Hours of Giangaleazzo Visconti is celebrated for its highly original and unusual palette.
At 636 vellum pages — a high-quality, smooth writing material traditionally made from calfskin — the manuscript is noticeably large for its genre, measuring 25 by 17.9 centimeters (9.8 by 7 inches). The volume features extensive decoration across almost every page, including 38 half- to full-page miniatures and 90 historiated initials. To execute these illuminations, scribes and artists applied various colored paints and inks directly to the vellum; the vibrant blue pigment incorporates rare lapis lazuli bound with gum Arabic, while the text itself is written in iron gall ink.
The illuminations reflect a distinct Italian Late Gothic style, characterized by artificial floral motifs that do not mimic real nature. While the figures show greater realism than those of earlier periods, they still retain a Byzantine influence, often set against shimmering gold-leaf backgrounds. The Visconti family crest—a serpent devouring a child—is also woven into the decoration across multiple pages. Today, the manuscript resides in Florence's Biblioteca Nazionale.
Copy of The Visconti Book of Hours by Ziereis Facsimile
Note* Image are available via Public Domain and Fair Use.