Aquileian Gradual

The gradual consists of the following sections: a temporale from Advent to the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (f. 1r); Office of the dead (f. 145v); a sanctorale from St. Lucy (December 13^th) to St. Nicholas (December 6^th); devotional offices of the Virgin with ordinary chants (f. 148v); common of saints; hallelujah (f. 193v); troper (f. 199r); kyriale with trops (f. 200r); sequentiary (f. 210v). The Aquileian origin of the gradual ‘Rossiano 76’ is confirmed by the series of Alleluia for the after-Pentecost Sundays and by the formulae of the local saints (Hellarus and Tatianus, Hermagoras and Fortunatus). The repertoire of trops and sequences has many chants in common with other Aquileian sources, too. The influence of the Germanic world is evident and can be detected from various details: it is possible to see here the antiphon Fulgentibus palmis sung on Palm Sunday, which on the basis of historical-liturgical researches can be assigned to the transalpine tradition. Noticeable is also the difference between Aquileia and Cividale traditions: the first one carries the melody starting with G (sol) and shows the variant palmis instead of ramis. From the same transalpine milieu the Friulian area might have received the processional hymn (Magno/um salutis gaudio/um) that sings the story of the events on Jesus’ triumphal entrance in Jerusalem.