Paris, ca. 1575-1580

This manuscript was almost certainly written for use by a member of the French royal court. The greatly extended calendar is full of events directly relating to members of the Valois royal family. Births, deaths, travel itineraries, weddings, battles, and events pertaining to the struggle against Protestantism are recorded in detail throughout. One entry describes how Henri II travelled to Germany in 1551, leaving his wife, Catherine de'Medici, in charge. Another describes how the death of Francois II in 1560 left his wife, Mary Queen of Scots, a young, childless widow.

Fig. 1: Parchment, 93 folios, 146 x 103 (120 x 76) mm, 1 column, 17 lines, in Latin and French, written in Italic script.