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SERMONARIUM DE POENITENTIA PER ADVENTUM ET QUADRAGESIMAM.
(Venetiis: Nicholai Franckfort [Nicolaus de Frankfordia], 11 December 1487). 230 x 150 mm. (9 x 6"). Complete. 2 p.l., 221, [1] leaves (final blank; quire F bound out of order). Double columns, 50 lines in gothic type.
Contemporary Venetian blind-stamped calf over thick wooden boards, covers ruled in blind and stamped with leafy and floral tools, raised bands, hand-lettered vellum label, brass catch plates (straps lacking), pastedowns of 15th century paper manuscript leaves (older repairs to head and tail of spine). Opening of text with pleasing 16-line penwork initial by an amateur hand. Recto of first leaf with titling in a contemporary hand; head of second leaf with early ownership inscription partially removed. Goff C-196; BMC V, 336; ISTC ic00196000. ◆Two small holes to leather on spine, showing bands and boards beneath, covers rather scratched and abraded, other general wear to the binding, about half the leaves with just barely perceptible dampstaining to the top quarter of the page (extending to half a leaf in a couple of quires), but still a pleasing contemporary copy, the binding entirely solid, and the text quite clean, crisp, and bright.
This attractive volume in a contemporary binding contains a collection of sermons by one of the few 15th century authors to have his works printed during his lifetime. First published in 1476, the sermons on penitence here were produced by a popular preacher from an aristocratic Milanese family, Franciscan brother Michael de Carcano (1427-84). He delivered sermons over a period of nearly 30 years in most of the major cities of northern and central Italy, including Florence, Milan, Mantua, Bologna, Venice, and Perugia. His homilies were noteworthy in that they touched on social themes such as the establishment of hospitals and were on occasion the cause of public disorder, a fact that led to our preacher's being banished from both the duchy of Milan and the Venetian republic. BMC suggests that Nicolaus de Frankfordia was more a publisher than a printer, first providing financial backing to Venetian printer Franciscus Renner from 1473 to 1477, and later owning, if not operating, a press in his own name from 1481 to 1489. (ST13639)
Price: $9,500.00