An historic York venue is to open a new exhibition this weekend – with an extraordinary find as its centrepiece.
The Bar Convent Heritage Centre revealed one of its greatest discoveries today, a few days before the public can see for themselves.
The Arma Christi is an extremely rare 15th century scroll, one of only 11 known to exist in the world. And it’s the best-preserved Arma Christi ever found.
The Heritage Centre has worked alongside an exhibition company to create a Treasures Gallery, where the scroll will be displayed from Saturday (5 April).
As previously reported, the medieval prayer scroll was uncovered in the archives while special collections manager, Dr Hannah Thomas, was cataloging the collection.
The unassuming document was found rolled up in a shoebox filled with 1980s leaflets. At first, no one realised the significance of the discovery.
Dr Thomas told YorkMix: “I unrolled it, and I could see it was obviously very old, but I’m the first person who’s professionally managed the collections here, so I didn’t know a lot about the collections at that point.
“I thought, surely somebody will know what this is, or where it’s come from. I asked the sisters and made inquiries, and nobody knew anything about it at all.”
It was only months later that the scrolls importance became clear.
Dr Thomas visited a museum in Lancashire, which has a similar Arma Christi on display.
“It gave me a title to search and to start reading, and I was expecting there’d be lots of writing about them. But they were very unusual, even the scrolls themselves,” Dr Thomas added.
Once she and the team realised the scrolls significance, Dr Thomas described the discpvery as feeling “really special.”
Arma Christi Rolls have been the subject of academic study for more than 100 years, with other examples held by the British Museum, Bodleian Library and Scottish Catholic Archives in the UK, as well as Huntington Library in California and Pierpont Morgan Library in New York.
The Bar Convent Arma Christi, estimated to have been produced around 1475, shares a medieval poem in calligraphy and colourful illuminated illustrations with other similar scrolls.
However, it’s the only one in the world which features ‘responses’ written in red ink.
The red responses suggest that, unlike established beliefs, the Arma Christi was not only used in private prayer but also group worship.
Created before the reformation, the Bar Convent Arma Christi was a risky possesion. After 1559, when Catholicism was outlawed until 1829, possessing an item like this would have been punishable by imprisonment.
Jay Commins, of Pyper York, which is helping to publicise the exhibition, told YorkMix: “I’ve seen a lot of historic documents over the years, and the colour and the brightness of this absolutely stands out.
“The parchment is really pale, the colours on the illustrations, they look as though they could have been done yesterday. That’s what’s remarkable, it’s been around for over 500 years, yet it still looks as good as it did on the day it was created.”
Sister Ann Stafford, superior of the Bar Convent, added: “Our Arma Christi is a globally-significant document, and so we’re looking forward to welcoming academics from around the world as well as our traditional audience of adults and families to see this new exhibition.
“This makes a wonderful addition to any visit to York – an often unrecognised part of our city’s history.”
You can view the medieval scroll when the Treasures Gallery opens on Saturday 5 April from 10am.
A new temporary exhibition space will also be launched the same day. The Gregory Gallery will house new interactive displays, as well as crafting activities for families for the 2025 season.
Admission prices are £9.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and £2 for children, with under 6s getting in free.
A family ticket (two adults and up to two children) is £20. Tickets for the opening weekend can be booked online here.