Research Summary

Bookbinding research dates back to the 19th century, but its progress has been limited due to several constraints including lack of samples’ representativeness. This PhD proposes to re-visit this research area through the study of the medieval bindings of “Alcobacenses”. This unique collection of codices was produced at the scriptorium of the Alcobaça Monastery since the 12th century and is currently housed at Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (BNP). Primary goals are to retrieve the relevant cultural information that Alcobaça’s medieval bindings can provide, and to preserve that evidence for current and future generations. Following the steps of the Cistercian Horizons project, this research will focus on the Cistercian early medieval bindings set deepening the codicological and physicochemical studies already initiated. In addition, scientific protocols for the characterization of binding materials, data analysis methodologies, and new book conservation techniques are paths to be explored and developed simultaneously, for the first time.