Mechitarist Monastery in Vienna
Mechitaristengasse 4
A-1070 Vienna
AUSTRIA
Fax: +43/1/523 64 17 111
E-Mail: p.kodjanian@mechitharisten.org

FACSIMILE OF CODEX 543 OF THE MECHITARIST CONGREGATION IN VIENNA
The Mechitarist congregation (an Armenian-Benedictine Order) will be
celebrating the bicentenary of its foundation in Vienna in 2011. To mark
the occasion, the Vienna monastery — one of the largest centres of
Armenian culture outside of Armenia — will present the facsimile of an
invaluable manuscript: Codex 543 from the monastery’s own library.

THE MANUSCRIPT
The small-format manuscript — one of the finest and most beautiful of
Armenian manuscripts dating back to the 15th century — measures 135×85
mm, has 240 pages and was set down in 1432 at the Armenian Monastery of
Saint Anthony near Caffa on the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. The
manuscript contains several writings by Catholicos Nerses IV Shnorhali
(1102-1173), including his opus magnum "Jesus, Son Only-Begotten of the
Father", a sublime elegiac poem.

CATHOLICOS NERSES IV. SCHNORHALI
Nerses Shnorhali (the Gracious) descended, on his mother’s side, from
the noted princely Armenian family of Pahlavuni which had given the
country several statesmen but also 7 catholicoi (head bishops of the
Armenian Church) who succeeded each other from 1065 to 1202.
Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali -theologian, poet and musician- became an
industrious writer in the field of theology, poetry, hymn, homily,
prayers, sacred music, lettres, educational writings, parables, riddles,
etc.
He was a pioneer of church union. After many years of preparation
(correspondence and meeting with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I, Patriarch
Michael and Prince Alex), he hoped to accomplish the union with the
Greek Church, but did not have the time to carry it through.

MINIATURES
(The following description is taken from the book by H. and H.
Buschhausen, Die Illustrierten Armenischen Handschriften der
Mechitaristen-Congregation, Wien, 1976)
Codex 543 comprises "11 full-page miniatures, 11 text-inserted
miniatures, 24 border miniatures, 3 decorated pages, 3 title bars,
zoomorphous and vegetal border decoration as well as swash letters…"
"Taken as a whole, the small codex presents itself as an illuminated
manuscript of delicate, meticulous beauty."

THE COMMENTARY
The facsimile manuscript is accompanied by a commentary in Armenian,
German, English, French and Russian.

THE FACSIMILE EDITION
Two versions of the Codex 543 facsimile will be published as limited
edition: RESEVATION are open till March March/April 2010.