Letter from Pope permitting Salisbury Cathedral move on display for first time
It's part of a new exhibition that started today (Thursday 24th September).
A number of documents from Salisbury Cathedral's past have gone on display for the very first time.
This includes the letter sent from Pope Honorius III which permitted the move from Old Sarum to it's current site.
The papal bull is bound into 'The Register of St Osmund', which contains documents from it's earliest history including the 1091 foundation charter for the first cathedral at Old Sarum.
Emily Naish, Salisbury Cathedral archivist, who put the exhibition together, said:
"The Cathedral's anniversary year is a marvellous opportunity for us to display some of the greatest treasures from our collections - one of which, the book written at the first Salisbury Cathedral at Old Sarum, is older than the building itself! These documents give us an insight into the life of our medieval ancestors who worked and worshipped here: forming a unique link between the past and the present."
Originally it was planned that this exhibition would go on display in April to mark the 800th anniversary of Salisbury Cathedral.
Due to the pandemic, it has been delayed until now.
13TH CENTURY FOOD LIST
Also on display is an animation of the move to the new building, as well as a 19ft long scroll which lists all of the food Robert de Cardeville, Salisbury Cathedral's Canon Treasurer, bought in his household in 1256-1257.
It details how much is cost, where it was eaten and on what day.
It shows that Robert and his family were eating things like chicken, beef and fish.
Commenting on his medieval predecessor's groceries, the current Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral, Robert Titley, said:
"I suspect our supermarket receipts for a year, laid end to end, would be even longer then my namesake's parchment. With climate breakdown we are trying to be less 'gross' with our 'carne'. Train tickets, bike bits and (some) petrol have replaced the horse fodder, though I eat nearly ten kilos of oats a year myself. And we too enjoy the skills of someone called Colin - he helps us with the garden."
People can visit the Cathedral to see the new exhibition by visiting in groups of six or less.