This incunabulum, a universal chronicle narrating the history of the world from its creation to the Middle Ages, combines text and engravings to convey historical knowledge. Compiled by Hartmann Schedel, its visual structure makes it a key teaching document for mediaeval culture.

The document’s pages depict cities, kings and biblical events engraved by Michael Wolgemut, imitating the aesthetic of illuminated manuscripts. In addition to serving as decoration, these engravings facilitated understanding of the stories for an audience with different levels of literacy.

Produced before 1501 in Nuremberg by Anton Koberger, this incunabulum reflects the mediaeval view of time and power, with a narrative that legitimizes the political and religious order. Its printing contributed to the mass dissemination of knowledge across Europe.

Although produced by European printers, the arrival of this type of incunabulum to Catalonia boosted print culture in cities such as Barcelona. With their detailed engravings, these books strengthened cultural ties with the major printing hubs across the continent.

The Registrum is an indispensable source for understanding the mediaeval perception of the world, combining history, religion and art. Its preservation, as a copy printed in 1493, makes it possible to study how collective memory was constructed and conveyed in 15th-century Europe.