National Library to bid on manuscript at Paris auction

The Czech National Library has said it is interested in acquiring a 14th-century manuscript which is on offer at a Paris auction room. The 24-page parchment book is a fragment of a Latin translation of the "Chronicle of Dalimil" - the oldest Czech language chronicle in verse and one of the fundamental documents of Czech historiography. The Latin translation is believed to have been made in Italy in the second half of the 14th century. The Czech National Library is in talks with the Culture Ministry over a financial contribution by the state towards buying the manuscript. The catalogue price of the artefact is between 120,000 and 150,000 euros but according to experts its final price could climb up to 1 million euro at the auction.