Spain recovers priceless 900-year-old tome

A medieval manuscript stolen from a Spanish cathedral a year ago was recovered earlier this month, squirreled away in the garage of a former cathedral employee.

Known as the Codex Calixtinus, the elaborately decorated tome dates back to at least the 12^th century and is considered one of Spain’s most valuable cultural artifacts.

The alleged thief, Manuel Fernandez Castineiras, worked at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain for more than a quarter century before being let go last year just prior to the theft. He was arrested along with his wife, his son and his son’s girlfriend, according to The Telegraph.

Castineiras had been suing cathedral authorities for unfair dismissal at the time of the theft on July, 5, 2011, the publication added.

In raids on properties owned by those arrested, police discovered more than 1 million euros in cash, the Codex, and several other ancient books that had also disappeared from the Cathedral archive.

The 225-page Codex Calixtinus, a collection of texts including sermons, homilies to Saint James and practical travel advice, is so named because it was once attributed to Pope Callixtus II.