47 - Illuminated Manuscripts and the Medieval Scriptorium - with the Company of Artisans

What is a scriptorium? What was needed to make books in medieval Europe? What makes a manuscript illuminated? These are some of the questions we explore on the latest episode of the Alnwick Castle Podcast.

Hosts Deborah and Daniel welcome back Karen Slade (or Kate Tiler, depending when in history you are!) from the Company of Artisans to tell us all about the sciptoriums where medieval books were created. She explains how the written word was transformed into art, and how books became holy objects. We find out about the process of creating inks and colours, the people and the skills involved - as well as why it was so difficult to make the colour blue, what a waferer was, and how the artist JMW Turner carried on the tradition of the scriptorium and illuminated letters.

We hope you enjoy the episode. If there is anything you want to know about Alnwick Castle, please email us on podcast@alnwickcastle.com and ask - we'll feature some of your questions on our 50th episode this December!