Gertrude Psalter

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Christ crowning Gertrude and Yaropolk, illumination from the Trier Psalter

Maturnus of Cologne, from the earlier illuminations

The Gertrude Psalter (also known as Egbert Psalter or Trier Psalter) is a medieval illuminated manuscript Psalter preserved in the municipal museum of Cividale, Italy.

It was originally created by the monks of the Abbey of Reichenau in the late 10th century for archbishop Egbert of Trier. In the mid-11th century, the book passed to Gertrude, wife of Iziaslav of Kiev. She included her prayer book as part of the codex and commissioned its illuminations, which curiously blend Byzantine and Romanesque traditions.

The psalter is sometimes regarded as an evidence of Izyaslav's interest in Roman Catholicism. The book features a large picture of Apostle Peter venerated by Gertrude and her son Yaropolk, whose Christian name was Peter. It is known that Yaropolk was the first to build a church to St Peter in Kiev and that he placed an image of that saint on his coins. In 1075 he was sent by his dethroned father to Rome in order to secure the Pope's support in recompense for bringing Russia under the patronage of Saint Peter ("patrocinium beati Petri"). There are two letters of Pope Gregory VII to the king of Poland and Svyatoslav II of Kiev admonishing them to return the Kievan throne to Izyaslav.

[edit] See also

• List of illuminated manuscripts

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