Libraries Gave Us Power

The story of the British Library's Royal Manuscripts collection reaches its end with the last great flowering of illumination, in the magnificent courts of the Tudors. She investigates astrological texts created for Henry VII, and unwraps his will - still in its original, extravagantly-decorated velvet and gold cover. She hears music written for Henry VIII, which went unperformed for centuries; and reads love notes between the king and Anne Boleyn, written in the margins of a prayer book. Janina also visits Bruges, the source of many of the greatest manuscripts, where this medieval art form collided with the artistic innovations of the Renaissance.

Release Date: 2012-01-09
Seasons: 1
TMDb: 5.0/10
  • Country: GB
  • Language: English | Français

Other episodes for this season

Ruling by the Book
Episode 1 - Ruling by the Book
What a King Should Know
Episode 2 - What a King Should Know
Libraries Gave Us Power
Episode 3 - Libraries Gave Us Power