Illuminated manuscripts were pieces of literature that were copied down by scribes. The manuscripts were decorated with colorful and elaborate illustrations to go along with the story that was being told. To be considered an illuminated manuscript, the illustrations on the page must be embellished with some sort of metallic substance. Sometimes this was gold leaf, silver powder, brass, or metallic tin. There were multiple areas of the manuscript that could be decorated with these elaborate designs. Margins, chapter headings, and even full page illustrations were some typically featured decorations on the manuscripts. Monk scribes in Catholic monasteries would painstakingly copy down books from their large library. The text would then be decorated by other monks who specialized in artistry. 

Illuminated manuscripts were important to medieval Europe because they were a way to transfer stories from culture to culture. The images in the manuscripts made the comprehension of the story depicted possible, even if the person looking at it was not literate at all or just if they couldn't understand the language it was written in.