Researchers from Trinity College Dublin discovered an early ninth-century manuscript containing the oldest known English poem in Rome [1].
The find provides rare evidence of how the English language evolved during the medieval period. It offers scholars a new window into early literary culture and the transmission of texts across Europe [2, 3].
The manuscript was located at the National Central Library of Rome in Italy [1]. According to reports released in April 2026, the text contains a version of Cædmon’s Hymn [1, 2]. This specific poem is widely considered the earliest surviving work of English poetry [2].
Experts date the manuscript to the early ninth century, specifically between 800 and 850 AD [1, 2]. This makes the physical document approximately 1,300 years old [2, 3]. The discovery suggests that early English texts were preserved in unexpected locations far from the British Isles.
There are varying accounts regarding the poem's origins. Some records said the author was a farm laborer who wrote the piece 1,300 years ago [3]. Other historical accounts said the text is a copy of a hymn traditionally attributed to a monk named Cædmon [2].
The manuscript remained hidden in plain sight within the library's collection until the researchers identified it [3]. The presence of such a text in Italy highlights the interconnectedness of medieval scholarly networks, a link between the Anglo-Saxon world and the heart of the former Roman Empire.
“The manuscript dates to the early ninth century (c. 800‑850 AD)”
The discovery of Cædmon’s Hymn in Rome indicates that early English literature had a wider geographic reach than previously documented. Finding a ninth-century English text in an Italian library suggests that the movement of manuscripts was a key part of medieval intellectual exchange, potentially linking monastic centers in England with those in continental Europe.
