title: Analytical investigations on the Coronation Gospels manuscript.
abstract: The Coronation Gospels or Krönungsevangeliar is a manuscript kept in Vienna at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, datable to the end of VIII century A.D. and produced at Charlemagne court. It is an example of a purple codex, i.e. its parchment is coloured in purple. It has to be considered as one of the most important medieval codices, according to its use to take oath in the coronation ceremony of kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire up to 1792. In order to gather information of the manufacture of the manuscript and its present conservation state, a diagnostic investigation campaign has been carried out in situ with totally non-invasive techniques. X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry with optical fibres (FORS), spectrofluorimetry, optical microscopy and multispectral analysis have been applied in order to identify the colourants used in the decoration of the manuscript, with the main concern to the dye used to impart the purple hue to the parchment. The information collected was useful in order to address some of the questions raised by art historians concerning its history.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica (DiSIT), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, viale T. Michel, 11-15121 Alessandria, Italy; Centro Interdisciplinare per lo Studio e la Conservazione dei Beni Culturali (CenISCo), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale, via Manzoni, 8-13100, Vercelli, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.aceto@uniupo.it.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Aceto
authors: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria, 7-10125, Torino, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Sviluppo della Cristallografia Diffrattometrica (CRISDI), Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria, 7-10125, Torino, Italy.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Agostino
authors: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria, 7-10125, Torino, Italy.
authors: Gaia
authors: G
authors: Fenoglio
authors: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria, 7-10125, Torino, Italy; Laboratorio analisi scientifiche, Direzione Ricerca e Progetti Cofinanziati, Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta, Loc. Lillaz, 7-11020 Villair de Quart (AO), Italy.
authors: Ambra
authors: A
authors: Idone
authors: Dipartimento di Studi Storici, Università degli Studi di Torino, via Sant'Ottavio, 20-10124, Torino, Italy.
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Crivello
authors: Conservation Science Department and Kunstkammer/Treasuries, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Griesser
authors: Conservation Science Department and Kunstkammer/Treasuries, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria.
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Kirchweger
authors: Conservation Science Department and Kunstkammer/Treasuries, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Uhlir
authors: Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux (IRAMAT-CEB), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université Orléans, France.
authors: Patricia Roger
authors: PR
authors: Puyo
keywords: FORS; Lichen dyes; Orchil; Purple codices; Tyrian purple; XRF