FIRST EDITION OF ANGELO CARLETTI SUMMA ANGELICA
ONLY BOOK PRINTED IN CHIVASSO IN XV CENTURY

ANGELO CARLETTI (FROM CLAVASIUS). Summa angelica casibus conscientiae. Impressus hoc opus Clavassii: Jacobinus de Suigo, 13 maggio 1486.

4to (210x155 mm), contemporary full vellum binding, blind tooled geometrical impression at boards and geometrical central medallion (light scratches at boards), spine renewed , original clamps partially present, ff. 388.
Gothic type, 55 lines. The two blank pages between registrum and index, almost always missing, are present in this copy.

Entirely rubricated in red.

Scarce first edition of the celebrated Carletti’s handbook for confessors and first and unique book printed in Chivasso (near Turin) in 15 century.

Despite bibliographies didn’t mention different issues of this work, this copy presents interesting variants compared to other copies of the same edition present in public libraries.
This variants, together with the dense annotations, suggest that this copy could be a work copy owned by the printer (or by the author himself ).

Arranged in 659 chapters, in alphabetic order, the work is a tool for confessor and a kind of dictionary of moral Theology.
Considered a symbol of Catholic orthodoxy it was burnt by Martin Luther, who called the opera "Summa plus quam diabolica”, in Wittemberg on December, 10th, 1520 togheter with the Bull of Excommunication, The Code of Canon Law and Saint Augustin “Summa Theologica” .

A chapter is devoted to prostitution, others to Sortilegium («Divination») and necromancy. Also included a chapter on the Inquisition Role.
According to Thorndike (IV, 354) Clavasius was one of the few lawyers in his age that strongly attacked alchemy, adfirming that according to his knowledge no one has ever produced gold and for this reason is mentioned by Mangetus in his Bibliotheca Chimica, I, 214.

Angelo Carletti (1411-1495) from Chivasso was a noted moral theologian of the Order of Friars Minor. He attended the University of Bologna, where he received the degree of Doctor of Civil and Canon Law. It was probably at the age of thirty that he entered the Order of Friars Minor.

PROVENANCE: I. Interesting comments and annotations, both of corrections and additions, from two different contemporary hands.
II. Ex libris “Pro viribus summis contendo” with noble coats of arms on paper label at front inside board.
III. Ex libris Bibliotheca Broxbourniana J.P.W.E. ex dono A & RE 17 march 1949 from the renowned Ehrman collection , with John Patrick William Ehrman, founder’s son, initials, on paper boards at back inside board. The remaining part of the collection is now at the Cambridge University.

References: HC 5382. CBB 205. Ce³ A-713. CIH 193. IBE 355. IBP 349. IBPort 102. IDL 289. IGI 559. Pell 3812. Rhodes: Greece A7. CRF I 75. CRF III 51. CRF VIII 26. CRF XI 39. CRF XII 51. CRF XIV 28. VB 2852.10. CIBN A-383. Pr 7323. BMC VII 1111. Bod-inc A-285. Günther 561. Madsen 194. Mendes: Lisboa 82. Oates 2725. 2726. Sallander: Uppsala I 2029. Walsh: Harvard 3584. ISTC ia00713000.

Light waterstain at the external margin of few leaves, Good copy printed on strong and crispy paper.