Although most books from medieval Scandinavia have been lost or only survive as fragments, the Vatican Library holds no less than three manuscripts from the Cistercian abbey of Esrum in Denmark. One of these manuscripts, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. Lat. 636, is especially intriguing: it contains two compilations, both of which include texts that implicitly or explicitly comment on the role and status of Rome. What can this manuscript tell us about Danish and Scandinavian perceptions of the Eternal City in the twelfth century? How were these perceptions mediated through the learned networks of Europe?
Synnøve Midtbø Myking (PhD) is postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Institute from 2024 to 2026. Her main research focus is on medieval Scandinavian manuscript culture and how it was influenced by connections with the European continent, especially France and Flanders. Her current project, Rome in the North: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. Lat. 636 in Context, is funded by the Hans Rasmus Astrup Foundation.
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