Breviarium Romanum
The Thomas Fisher Library's Breviarium Romanum (MSS 01114) is a Franciscan breviary dating from the second half of the 15th century.
Calendar
The book begins with a calendar, where each month is given a page, each day a line and any feasts celebrated are recorded.
On the left we have the very first page of the Breviarium Romanum showing the calendar page for January.
The calendar is a crucial part in finding a breviary's provenance, since we can tell a lot from the feasts that were added.
Take a look at the pages from the calendar below:
The Fisher Library deliberately points these two dates out, since St Vincent was canonised in 1455, and St Bonaventure in 1482. Thus, the manuscript must have been written after 1455, as St Vincent's feast is included by the original scribe; but before 1482, after which a later hand added St Bonaventure's feast.
Aside from the calendar this breviary also contains:
Psalter
In this image we see the very beginning of the Psalter 'Beatus vir ...', where the 'B' is the only illuminated initial in the entire book. This shows the importance placed on the Psalter, and also marks the beginning of the long section in a way that makes it easier to locate yourself in the book. The figure inside the 'B' is likely King David, strongly associated with the Psalms and often depicted in this 'B' that opens the text.
Temorale
The final section of this book is the Temporale, which provides the liturgical texts needed for the cycle of moveable feasts in the year, which means those that are dependant on Easter. These feasts are often focused around the life of Christ. The other half of the liturgical year (the Sanctorale) is comprised of fixed feasts, like those of Saints which we saw in the calendar.
Let us take a look at another medieval breviary to see just how much books of this form can differ.