Barberini Exultet Roll, or Easter Proclamation

Barberini Exultet Roll, or Easter Proclamation

The Barberini Exultet Roll is a hymnal used for Christian religious practice and performed at Easter Mass. It is a song about how “the heavenly crowd of angels shout for joy,” as Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven. It was created for the Catholic Church at the monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy on the commission of Abbot Desiderius. The roll form makes it easy to carry around and was meant to be unrolled as it was read from a pulpit, allowing the scenes to be viewed by the congregation.

The facsimile is installed in a mechanized display case, which consists of a wood base and plastic casing. The commentary is housed within the wooden base along with an Easter candle that is placed within a drawer on the side of the base. The display case allows the contemporary viewer to take the place of both the viewer as the scroll is unrolled and the clergyman who read/sung the hymnal from the pulpit.

Benedictine abbey, Monte Cassino

Facsimile: UNT Willis Library Sandborn Reading Room, Call Number: ND3380.4.B37 E36 2008
Original MS: Vatican City State, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Barb. lat. 592

Zürich: Belser

Facsimile: 2008
Original MS: c. 1087

Commentary: Guglielmo Cavallo, Heide Stamm

Zürich: Belser

Joshua Roll

5 sheets, 64-83 x 28 cm

Latin

Liturgical Manuscripts

Scroll used for Easter Vigil

Italian, Romanesque, c. 1087

Prepared by Alex Anderson