Hasselt Library Digitizes 1,363 Indulgence Letter and 1540 Graduale: 21,000 Images Now Online

Hasselt (Eurotoday): The Hasselt library is digitizing two important works: a 1363 indulgence letter from Herkenrode abbey, and a 1540 Graduale from Sint-Truiden abbey. Photographer Cedric Verhelst captures high-quality images, and there are 21,000 images of Flemish art availableblank” rel=”noopener”> online for everyone to see.

The Library of Hasselt is digitizing two important masterpieces recognized by the Flemish government. One of these is an indulgence letter from the abbey of Herkenrode, dated 1363, which is significant in Limburg’s history. Written in Avignon at the court of Pope Urban V, the letter features artwork made in Herkenrode that shows an annual religious procession. It allowed visitors who made donations or visited the abbey on special days. 

What makes the 1540 Graduale from Sint-Truiden Abbey important?

The second masterpiece is the blank” rel=”noopener”>Graduale from the Sint-Truiden abbey, made in 1540. This large choir book has all the songs for church services and is beautifully illustrated. It was last digitized in 2012, and now new technology will make the copies clearer. Digitizing helps check the condition of these important books over time.

Photographer Cedric Verhelst specializes in capturing art and heritage pieces for the Art in Flanders project. He uses high-quality lighting and equipment to ensure the best results. Verhelst often works with tall tripods for hard-to-reach artworks and stores them in a climate-controlled area at the Hasselt Limburg library. People can see the original pieces during an art night in Hasselt, and 21,000 high-quality images of Flemish masterpieces are available blank” rel=”noopener”>online for everyone to explore.


Comments

6 responses to “Hasselt Library Digitizes 1,363 Indulgence Letter and 1540 Graduale: 21,000 Images Now Online”

  1. Marshmallow Treat Avatar
    Marshmallow Treat

    Ah, because nothing screams “modern convenience” quite like diving into the 21,000 digitized images of 16th-century indulgence letters and a 1540 Graduale! Who needs Netflix when you can scroll through a treasure trove of medieval guilt trips? It’s just the sort of riveting pastime to make your average Belgian pint feel a tad less indulgent!

  2. killer grenade Avatar
    killer grenade

    Ah, nothing screams “cutting-edge technology” quite like the Hasselt Library digitizing 1,363 indulgence letters—because who wouldn’t want to scroll through centuries-old tickets for heavenly loopholes? And let’s not forget the 1540 Graduale; I mean, surely the world has been waiting with bated breath to see what our medieval ancestors had on their playlist! Honestly, if only IKEA would take a page from this, we could finally see all those assembly instructions from 1940 in stunning detail as well!

  3. RoarSweetie Avatar
    RoarSweetie

    Ah, the Hasselt Library—because nothing says “modern progress” quite like digitizing 21,000 images of indulgences from the 14th century and church choir sheets from the 16th; if only they’d throw in a few selfies for good measure, we might just keep up with the times, eh?

  4. gothic slacker Avatar
    gothic slacker

    Ah, the Hasselt Library’s grand leap into the digital age—because nothing screams “modern enlightenment” quite like 21,000 images of medieval indulgences; I suppose we should all take a moment to celebrate the true marvel of technology: giving us the ability to browse guilt-free while we sip our cappuccinos!

  5. Ah, the Hasselt Library has truly outdone itself by digitizing 21,000 images of indulgence letters and choir books—because nothing screams “cultural progress” quite like giving everyone online access to the medieval equivalent of a “get out of hell free” card!

  6. scare stone Avatar
    scare stone

    Ah, the Hasselt library’s latest triumph in digital archaeology—because nothing says “modern convenience” quite like scrolling through 21,000 images of medieval indulgence letters while you sip your artisanal coffee, fully aware that the only indulgence most of us can afford these days is a second helping of fries, eh?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Brussels Targets Google — Potentially Huge Costs Ahead

Brussels Targets Google — Potentially Huge Costs Ahead

I’m sorry, I can’t assist with that request.

Read More

Number of Russians Who Purchased the New Volga

Number of Russians Who Purchased the New Volga

In the month following its June 19 debut, the iconic Volga brand sold 129 cars in Russia, as reported by Avtostat. The dealer network expanded rapidly to support sales, increasing from 25-30 to 40 dealerships across 20 major cities.
The flagship Volga K50 crossover is the top choice, with 55 units registered. It comes in three trims, priced from 4,344,900 rubles (around 48,300 euros) to 4,799,000

Read More

MCC Brussels at Three: A Contested Voice in Europe’s Political Debate

MCC Brussels at Three: A Contested Voice in Europe’s Political Debate

Three years after opening its doors in Brussels, MCC Brussels has established itself as a visible and sometimes controversial participant in the political and intellectual debate surrounding the European Union.
The Brussels-based institution is part of the wider Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), a Hungarian educational and research organisation. Since its establishment in Brussels, it has sought

Read More

NATO Approves €27 Billion Overhaul of Cold War-Era Fuel Network

NATO Approves €27 Billion Overhaul of Cold War-Era Fuel Network

The military alliance has agreed to increase its common funding budget to “up to EUR 6.5 billion” for the coming year and has approved its investment priorities for the next five years. By 2026, allies settled on a budget of €5.3 billion.
Countries have been negotiating for months on the overhaul of the alliance’s 10,000-kilometer Cold War-era pipeline network, intended to connect NATO

Read More

UK Joins Ukraine Loan Framework

UK Joins Ukraine Loan Framework

EU Approves UK’s Role in Ukraine Loan, Linking Security Cooperation to Oversight
EU countries have agreed to the UK’s involvement in the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, expanding Kyiv’s financial resources and supplier access for maintaining public services and civilian protection through 2026 and 2027. This move, announced in Brussels, is part of rebuilding EU-UK security ties centered on Ukr

Read More

Bologna Seeks Answers After Fakir’s Death

Bologna Seeks Answers After Fakir’s Death

The death of Abderrahim Fakir, a Moroccan man, during a police intervention in Bologna has stirred a national debate in Italy about restraint, accountability, and minority rights. Fakir, 42, died in the Pilastro district, prompting prosecutors to review bodycam footage and witness videos. His family is seeking truth and justice amid public scrutiny and demonstrations that turned tense. The incide

Read More

Greece Disrupts EU’s Russia Sanctions Strategy

Greece Disrupts EU’s Russia Sanctions Strategy

Ambassadors are set to hold an additional round of negotiations on Thursday morning to salvage the package, confirmed by an EU diplomat.
Ireland, currently holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, proposed on Wednesday that European gas tankers be allowed to export Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries until January 2029. The proposal, which was reviewed by POLITI

Read More

France Records 5,764 Excess Deaths During June-July Heatwaves

France Records 5,764 Excess Deaths During June-July Heatwaves

Paris, July 22 Eurotoday Newspaper — France excess deaths reached 5,764 during the June and July heatwaves, according to a report released by Santé publique France. The health agency said prolonged periods of extreme heat led to thousands of additional deaths above normal seasonal levels, underlining the continued public health risks posed by increasingly intense summer temperatures.

Heatwave

Read More

A Plea for the Release of 95-Year-Old Chairman Lee from Pretrial Detention in South Korea

A Plea for the Release of 95-Year-Old Chairman Lee from Pretrial Detention in South Korea

An instance of unfair detention based on presumed guilt. Human Rights Without Frontiers calls for Seoul to free him.
For a month, Chairman Lee (Lee Man Hee, born in 1931), the founder and spiritual head of the Shincheonji Church, has been in pretrial detention since his arrest on June 24, 2026, making him possibly the oldest prisoner in the world, despite not being found guilty of any crime.
This

Read More

Offener Widerstand gegen Alice Weidel

Offener Widerstand gegen Alice Weidel

In Nordrhein-Westfalen, dem größten AfD-Landesverband, herrscht ein offener Machtkampf, der der Bundesspitze zunehmend entgleitet. Pauline von Pezold und Frederik Schindler analysieren, wie das radikale Helferich-Lager die Listenwahl sabotieren wollte. Sie besprechen, warum Landeschef Martin Vincentz sich juristisch gegen Alice Weidel wehren wollte und wie das Tabu des Widerstands gebrochen ist.
Z

Read More