We’re pleased to announce the Roman de la Rose Digital Library, a joint project of the Sheridan Libraries and the Bibliothèque nationale de France made possible with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The Roman de la Rose is an allegorical love poem written in the form of a dream vision. It was written by two authors in the thirteenth century and was the most extensively illustrated and widely circulated work in French literature for almost three centuries. It is preserved in approximately 300 medieval manuscripts.
Within the online library, there are a variety of ways to explore the collection of digitized manuscripts and printed books. Whether you are new to medieval studies, unfamiliar with Old French, or just browsing, there will be documentation to guide you in customizing your experience on the site. As a developing project, the Roman de la Rose Digital Library will expand within the coming year from the current 14 manuscripts to ultimately house around 150 manuscripts, nearly half of the Roman de la Rose manuscripts known to exist.
You can read more about the history of the project and about Roman de la Rose manuscripts on the accompanying blog, where feedback is welcome.