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Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:25 am
by Ziad
http://news.yahoo.com/medieval-pilgrims ... 14226.htmlMADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police are investigating the disappearance of the Codex Calixtinus, a valuable 12th century manuscript, from the Santiago de Compostela cathedral in northwestern region of Galicia, a spokesman said Thursday.
The manuscript is a collection of sermons and liturgical texts and served as a guide for the historical Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, which dates back to the Middle Ages.
The elaborately illustrated document disappeared from a safe deposit box in the cathedral last week.
Its suspected theft, only reported to police Wednesday, is considered a major loss for Spain's cultural and religious heritage.
A horrible loss.
Z
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:08 am
by RandallMoffett
That is very sad. I wonder whst he plans on doing with it? Not something easy to sell legitimately.
Seems like the last few years there have been a rash of such thefts.
RPM
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:18 pm
by ushumgal
Indeed, it would even be hard to sell it *illegally*. High-profile easily-identifiable items like this are hard to sell on the black market since the authorities and any ethical collector will be watching for it. Very easy to get busted. Things like that are usually stolen "to order", with the thief being paid by a collector who wants that specific object. That seems to have been what happened in the Baghdad Museum - the first group of thieves seem to have been professionals with a "shopping list". And if that's the case with this codex, we probably won't see it again for a long time.
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:54 pm
by Glaukos the Athenian
ushumgal wrote: Things like that are usually stolen "to order", with the thief being paid by a collector who wants that specific object. .... if that's the case with this codex, we probably won't see it again for a long time.
True and sad. but at least it should be safe, as unpalatable as it sounds. Perhaps in 30-40 years it will surface...
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:09 pm
by Maeryk
Where in the world is the camino santiago!
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:30 pm
by Apollonian
Swim to Spain and hang a right.
Rorigo Falcone
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:32 am
by Thorstenn
It was most likely stolen for a collectors privet stock. It will be squirreled away for a long time. I would love to see the Vatican's privet stock....
Thor-
Re: Codex Calixtinus missing.
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:41 pm
by Ziad
Sadly, it might sell as individual pages. Just the thought of that hurts to think.
Z