EARLY INCUNABLE OF SAINT JEROME LETTERS
PRINTED BY THE PROTO-TYPOGRAPHERS SWEYNHEYM AND PANNARTZ

CESARE ALFIERI’S RUBRICATED AND ILLUMINATED COPY

HIERONYMUS, SOPHRONIUS EUSEBIUS (SAINT). Epistolae. Rome, Conradus Sweynheym and Arnoldus Pannartz, [not after August, 30] 1470.

2 volumes in giant Folio preserved in a precious blue morocco boxes, romantic binding in violet blind tooled calf with rich decorations and gilt letterings at spine («Roma Pannarts 1468» but In spite of the indication 1468 at spine, this is the edition of 1470: the incipit with the Expositio Symboli Ruffini (f. 12r) belongs for sure to the second edition), ff. 286 to first volume; contemporary full calf binding with blinc tooled frames and geometrical decorations to both covers, four raised bands spine, remains of a paper label to second compartment, a single stud preserved to back board, ff. [336, leaf 9 blank] to the second.

Two large initials illuminated in colors and burnished gold with extensions: rubricated in red and blue, with infills.

Rare illuminated early edition of Saint Jerome’s letters, one of the very best products of the Pioneers of the art of printing in Italy.

The printers Sweynheym and Pannartz first introduced printing to Italy: their earlier work was the Lactantius in semi-gothic letter, printed in Subiaco on the 12th of June 1467, just before moving to Rome under invitation of Giovanni Andrea de’ Bussi, secretary of cardinal Bessarione, bishop of Aleria, who was also the editor of this very edition. By their press, in princes Massimo’s palazzo, they realized approximately fifty editions (medium run 275 copies), often in-folio, printed in the new Roman letter. After dissolving the company, in 1473, Pannartz continued alone, while Sweynheym began engraving the geographical maps for Ptolemaeus’ Cosmographia, published by Buckinck in Rome in 1478.

PROVENANCE: I. The first volume belonged to CESARE ALFIERI, who received it as a gift from a Turkish diplomat, as the inscription says Al molto onorando Cesare Alfieri Torino, 20 ottobre 1856. Copper-plated ex-libris with Alfieri’s arms at pastedown: the book was registered in the Biblioteca Alfieriana by number E 1375. Cesare Alfieri from Sostegno (Turin, 1799-Florence 1869), Italian politician and diplomat, cousin of the famous poet Vittorio Alfieri, was First Squire of the throne heir Charles Albert of Savoy, prince of Carignano, who supported his political career. In 1847 he became the first holder of the Ministry of Public Education; he was one of the authors of the first Italian constitution, the Statuto Albertino, and president of the Senate of the Reign of Sardinia from 1855 to 1860. The faculty of Political Studies in the University of Florence has been dedicated to him.
II. Ex-libris Froissart, representing a stylized Poitiers battle, on first pastedown. When Alfieri’s library was dispersed, the book was bought by L. Froissart, descendant of the great medieval historian Jean Froissart (1337-1405), whose Chroniques are the best utterance of chivalric historiography of XIV century in France and Great Britain.
III. The second volume presents an ex-libris printed on blue paper to first paste-down, with the motto Nosce te ipsum and the note Ex Libris Giuseppe Turrini. The book belonged to the Italian patriot GIUSEPPE TURRINI (1826-1899), scholar of Sanskrit and Indo-European Philology at the University of Bologna. Antother ownership label to the same paste-down, with a crown and a geometric interwoven symbol. IV. To last fly-leaf, handwritten inscription by ancient hand Questo libro è dellj eredi del (?)Luigi Altoniti | Questo di et anno suo 10 Agosto 1602 («This book belongs to the heirs to Luigi Altoniti. This day and year 10 August 1602»).

REFERENCES: HC, 8552*; IGI, 4736; Goff, H-164; BMC, IV-10; Bod-inc H-084; GW, 12423; BSB-Ink, H-245; CIBN H-97; Aquilon 359; Péligry 427; Delisle 940; Badalic (Croatia) 534; Günther (L) 2526; Polain, (B) 4433; IBE, 3159; Pellechet, Ms 5978 (5966); Voullième, (B) 3314; Sheppard, 2620; Proctor, 3312.

The first volume is lacking 4 inner leaves ab origine, nine preliminary leaves (Intro and Tabula) and the three blanks. The outer margin of the second volume’s first leaves is slightly worn; waterstain interesting the lower margin and corner of the majority of the leaves, even if the wide margins make it not affect text.
A fascinating set.