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t the time of the Burgundian wars, Diebold Schilling the Elder, the Court Clerk of Berne, had become the leading chronicler of the city of Berne. As a chancellery official, he had direct access to official sources and, as an eye witness, he had even followed the great conflict with Charles the Bold.

In 1479 Rudolph von Erlach commissioned a private, illuminated chronicle from Schilling. The text of the Spiezer Chronicle covers 808 pages from the foundation of the city of Berne up to the year 1465. The 344 unique illustrations make this chronicle the crowning achievement of his voluminous work as a chronicler. It was his final work. This precious illuminated manuscript derived its name from the Castle of Spiez where it was kept in the library of the von Erlach family until 1875. Today it is stored safely in Berne's Burgerbibliothek.

The faithful Fine Art Facsimile Edition, which is limited to 980 copies world-wide, is approximately 290 x 380 mm in size, is superbly hand bound in embossed leather on four double ribs, with eight corner and two centre fittings as well as two clasps to match the original. The commentary volume which is over 600 pages long, is in German with French translations of the detailed captions. It contains new, authoritative contributions to Schilling's last illuminated chronicle.

A documentation kit containing 4 sample pages, in the original size, from the Spiezer Illuminated Chronicle Fine Art Facsimile Volume, plus an illustrated, 12 page information brochure, is available for $US65.