The unique edition of the Byzantine historian and writer Constantine Manasses was presented Friday in the National Assembly in Sofia. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The new facsimile edition of the famous Chronicles of Constantine Manasses was presented Friday at the Bulgarian National Assembly.
The edition, which is a co-publication of the Greek publishing company Militos Editions and the Vatican Apostolic Library, was produced with the financial support of Bulgaria's mobile operator Globul.
Bulgaria's Parliament Speaker Georgi Pirinski, MPs, scientists and diplomats, accepted the first copy of the new edition which will be stored at the Library of the National Assembly.
The luxurious facsimile edition is produced with state-of-the-art technology and is an exact and detailed copy of a famous medieval Bulgarian illuminated manuscript of the Manasses' Chronicles, created in 14 century under request by Bulgarian King Ivan Alexander (1331 - 1371).
This manuscript is the only preserved illuminated copy of the chronicles and is now stored at the Vatican Apostolic Library as its Slavonic Codex 2.
A copy of the facsimile edition will be presented to His Holiness Pope Benedict РҐVI by a Bulgarian state delegation to Rome on May 24, the Day of Bulgarian Culture.
The Chronicles is the most important work of the 12th century Byzantine historian and writer Constantine Manasses, which narrates the humankind's history from the creation of the world to year 1081.
The Chronicle is a valuable source for the early history of Bulgaria for many modern historians. The Bulgarian version, which is subject to the new facsimile edition, with its 69 Byzantine-style miniatures by unknown painter (some 20 of them related to Bulgarian history) is a unique monument of art, history and culture.