Culture

Medieval Welsh manuscripts to reunite for first time in nearly 1,000 years

29 Oct 2026 3 minute read

he Ricemarch Psalter, created at Llanbadarn Fawr in the 11th century, with a detail of its illuminated decoration.

Nation.Cymru staff

Three manuscripts created at a Welsh centre of learning will be reunited for the first time in almost 1,000 years at an exhibition exploring the Norman Conquest through Welsh eyes.

The works, produced at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth, will go on display at the National Library of Wales from November 20, alongside treasures including the Book of Taliesin.

Normans: The Welsh Perspective will examine how Welsh culture and scholarship continued during a period of conflict and political upheaval, shifting the focus from the conquerors to the experiences of Wales.

At its heart is the work of Sulien, his sons and the scholars of Llanbadarn Fawr, whose scriptorium — a centre for producing manuscripts — connected Wales with wider networks of medieval European learning.

The three manuscripts returning to Wales are the Ricemarch Psalter from Trinity College Dublin, St Augustine’s De Trinitate from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and Macrobius’ Commentarii in Somnium Scipionis from the British Library.

They will be displayed alongside Vitae Sanctorum Wallensium, also on loan from the British Library, which contains the Life of St David by Rhygyfarch ap Sulien.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, chief executive of the National Library of Wales, said: “This is one of the most significant medieval exhibitions ever presented by the Library. It brings international treasures back to Wales and allows us to tell the story of the Norman Conquest from a perspective that has too often been overlooked.

“It’s a chance to see that this isn’t just a story of conquest, but a story of resilience, creativity, and learning.”

The exhibition is part of a partnership involving organisations in Wales, Ireland, England and France, contributing to a European programme marking the millennium of William the Conqueror’s birth in 2027.

The loans will bring manuscripts dispersed across different countries and collections back close to the place where they were made.

Unprecedented

Lucie Hobson, manuscripts curator at the library, said: “The ‘Llanbadarn Manuscripts’ offer an unprecedented glimpse into Wales’ literary culture at the time of the Norman Conquest.”

She added: “Along with other literary treasures from our collections, they tell the story of the Normans through Welsh eyes.”

Normans: The Welsh Perspective runs from November 20, 2026, to March 20, 2027.

It will be followed in April by Arthur: From Wales to the World, exploring how the Arthurian legend spread from its Welsh origins through the journeys of monks, writers and pilgrims to become part of European literature and culture.

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