A SOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF MEDIEVAL CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PROCESSES

ONLY TWO COPIES IN WORLDWIDE LIBRARIES, NONE IN USA

Durand, Guillaume. Speculi Gulielmi Durandi Venetiis, [Printer Device with Fountain], 1566.

Two volumes in 4to (204x150 mm), contemporary full vellum with sepia ink handwritten titles at spine, ff. [84], pp. 534, [2] for the first volume; pp. 797, [3] for the third volume. Text in Latin, two columns. Some xylographic decorations and headletters.

First and third volumes (out of four) of a very scarce edition of this remarkable medieval treatise that deals with all the issues related to civil and criminal process.

Guillaume Durand (1237-1296) was a French jurist and ecclesiastical. His career was brilliant in both the areas: at first he was Canon Law teacher in Modena, then auditor in Rome, Bishop (from 1290) in Mende, in Lozèr, and Archbishop in Ravenna (from 1295), as well as rector in Romagna and Marche. He is remembered for the present work, that led him to be condemned by Dante in Epistole (Ep. XI, 16) as an exponent of the formalist doctrine, and for a treatise on the symbology of ecclesiastical architecture and liturgical celebrations (Rationale divinorum officiorum, ca. 1280).

References: Not in Fontana, that doesn’t mention any Venetian edition of Speculum. Edit16, CNCE 17903. NO COPIES IN USA. Out of Italy, OCLC locates only two copies worldwide (Canada and France).

The outer corner of the third volume neatly restored, just slightly affecting text, and minor water stains at the same leaves; honest copy of a very scarce edition.