The Very Rich Hours, the most famous manuscript in the world, displayed at the Château de Chantilly!

It's one of those events that you get the chance to experience only once in a lifetime. The exhibition of the Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry at the Château de Chantilly, taking place from June 7 to October 5, 2025, is definitely one of them. Why should you absolutely not miss it? Because this medieval manuscript, of unparalleled preciousness, is usually kept safe at the château, away from prying eyes, and this will be the first and only time that a large part of this masterpiece will be shown to the public. The manuscript was also displayed in 1956 and 2004, but only on a double page. Because it is so fragile that it certainly won’t be exhibited again for many years afterward. Because coming to discover this masterpiece offers you a majestic dive into History.  

The manuscript and a hundred works on display 

On the occasion of the restoration of this book, nicknamed "The Mona Lisa of manuscripts," an historical exhibition is being offered to you ! For four months, the first 12 loose pages, showcasing the famous calendar, will be highlighted. The manuscript itself, featuring 121 illuminations, will also be displayed, opened to a specific double-page that will change every 15 days.

.
Very Rich Hours restoration in progress © Château de Chantilly

More than just a simple book, the Very Rich Hours showcases the taste for extravagance and the artistic richness of the late Middle Ages. This will be accompanied by all the Books of Hours from Jean de Berry— a first since 1416! — as well as over a hundred other masterpieces from all around the world, like the statue Gisant de Jean de Berry by Jean de Cambrai and the painting of the Virgin and Child with Butterflies by Jean Malouel.

Over six centuries of History

If the exhibition will highlight...In this historical masterpiece, the visit will also trace the creation process of this manuscript, helping us understand how it was discovered and grasp the reasons for its resounding fame. It was in 1855, in Genoa, Italy, that Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale, acquired this unique manuscript to study it.

The Multiplication of the Loaves, an excerpt from The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry © Library of the Condé Museum, Château de Chantilly

This collection of prayers belonged to Duke Jean of Berry, brother of King Charles V, and was created in the 15th century by brothers Paul, Jean, and Herman de Limbourg. Over the decades that followed, many illuminators worked to complete this unfinished manuscript, enriching it with a multitude of influences. Even today, the book spreads a poetic and ideal image of the Middle Ages and continues to intrigue historians. So let's head over to the Château de Chantilly to be part of history !

Exhibition The Very Rich Hours