In the first half of the fourteenth century, the most
prestigious place of learning for Hungarian clergymen was
Bologna. Clerics studying there not only became prominent
ecclesiastical figures, but also fulfilled important roles in
the chancery and diplomacy of the Hungarian Angevin kings.
While in Bologna or after their
return to Hungary, many of these men of letters commissioned
illuminated manuscripts from Bolognese workshops, and thus
played a decisive role in the reception of the new
sensibilities of Italian art in Hungary. The first of these
patrons that can be clearly identified is Demeter Nekcsei,
magister tavarnicorum of the Hungarian court. Work on
Nekcsei’s two-volume Bible was most likely completed by 1338,
the year of his death. The paper analyses this manuscript.
