Written in the second half of the 14th century, this book by John of Hildesheim is an outstanding document of Medieval literature and historiography. The text is accompanied by some of the most wonderful illustrations taken from the great artistic tradition dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and it shows the inspiration that John of Hildesheim has given to the whole Christian iconography of Christmas and to some of the most outstanding works of art.

“The remarkable iconography accompanying this volume, with forty-three different representations of the story of the three wise men (from Gentile da Fabriano to Lippi, from Giotto to Botticelli, from Benozzo Gozzoli to Piero della Francesca), is an evidence of the appeal of a story in which history, devotion, theology are closely intertwined, starting from the very journey of those three figures as the symbolic guiding thread of the Gospel narration.” (Card. Gianfranco Ravasi)