About Vault & Vellum
An independent information site on Romanesque priories, religious architecture and the manuscript tradition.
What this site is
Vault & Vellum is an independent information site about Romanesque priories, religious architecture in France and the history of Western calligraphy and manuscripts. It is not affiliated with any monument, religious community, association, parish, museum or tourist office, and it does not speak for any of them.
The name joins the two subjects. The vault is the stone roof of a Romanesque church; vellum is the prepared skin on which medieval scribes copied books. Both belong to the same centuries and often to the same religious houses.
How the guides are written
The guides explain terms, styles and history in plain language. They rely only on general facts that can be checked in public reference sources. Where a detail cannot be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.
The site does not publish opening hours, prices, event dates or contact details for any monument. These change, so please check the official sources of a site or of the local tourist office before a visit.