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Secondary sourceDocument1414

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Metten Abbey Manuscript

Gregory I, Pope · 1414

An illuminated 1414 copy of Benedict's Rule, made for Metten Abbey in Bavaria, showing how his monastic rule was preserved and illustrated centuries later.

A later illuminated copy of the Rule that Benedict wrote, showing its continued use centuries after his death.

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Front cover of a brown tooled leather manuscript binding. Decorative border of foliate scrolls and interlaced patterns frames a central panel with a small oval emblem or coat of arms at the center, surrounded by floral motifs.
Mettener Regel, illuminated copy of the Rule of Saint Benedict, 1414. Bavarian State Library, Munich.

About this source

What it is

This illuminated manuscript, made in 1414, contains the Rule of Saint Benedict in Latin and German, commissioned by Abbot Petrus I for the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria. Illustrators painted scenes from Benedict's life at the start of each chapter, based on an earlier verse life by Pope Gregory the Great. The manuscript is now held at the Bavarian State Library in Munich.

Why it matters

The Rule, originally written by Benedict himself in the sixth century, shaped monastic life across Europe for centuries. This copy shows how abbots like Petrus I kept the Rule alive and meaningful, commissioning artists to illustrate it, and reveals details of workshop painting techniques through unfinished sketches left in the later pages.

Look closer

  • Why would an abbot spend money on decorating a copy of a rule book?
  • What do the unfinished illustrations tell you about how manuscripts were made?
  • Why might the Rule still matter to monks living 800 years after Benedict wrote it?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Benedict on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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