The Cantigas de Santa Maria ("Canticles of Holy Mary";, ) are 420 poems with musical notation, written in Galician-Portuguese during the reign of Alfonso X El Sabio (1221–1284) and often attributed to him.
It is one of the largest collections of monophonic (solo) songs from the Middle Ages and is characterized by the mention of the Virgin Mary in every song, while every tenth song is a hymn.
The manuscripts have survived in four codices: two at El Escorial, one at Madrid's National Library, and one in Florence, Italy. Some have colored miniatures showing pairs of musicians playing a wide variety of instruments.
Read more about Cantigas De Santa Maria: Description
Famous quotes containing the words santa and/or maria:
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—Johnny Mercer (1909–1976)
“In each event of life, how clear
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Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferred by Thee.”
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