AA. VV. - Jubilé de S. Macaire - 1767

Splendidly Illustrated Jubilee, Between Baroque Spectacle and the Program of the Procession
This rare 1767 edition, printed in Ghent, documents one of the most spectacular events of urban Flemish religious culture: the Jubilee of the seven hundred years of Saint Macarius, patron invoked against the plague. The work is not a simple chronicle, but a true book-show that restores the scenographic, symbolic, and political dimension of the celebration. The engravings depict allegorical floats, exotic animals, and ephemeral apparatuses, transforming the city into a baroque stage where devotion and wonder fuse. The volume thus becomes a precious testimony of the visual and ritual culture of eighteenth-century Europe.
MARKET VALUE
Illustrated works linked to civic festas and religious celebrations of the eighteenth century, especially with engraved plates, show a very active collecting market. Complete copies typically range between 800 and 1,200 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Nineteenth-century half-leather binding with marbled paper covers, signs of wear; hinges loose. Illustrated with 14 copper-engraved plates out of 15, etched by F. Heylbrouck and P. or J.L. Wauters, depicting allegorical floats, exotic animals (crocodile, dromedary, rhinoceros, elephant), rides, and urban decorations; includes a large folded plate with the fireworks celebrated at the Vrijdagmarkt in Ghent. Pages with some physiological foxing. In old books with a multigenerational history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 8nn; 12; 84; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Description du jubilé de sept cent ans de S. Macaire.
Ghent, Jean Meyer, 1767.
AA. VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Jubilee of Saint Macarius in 1767 represents one of the most significant moments in Ghent’s religious and civic life. The celebrations combined devotion, spectacle, and urban identity, involving the entire community in elaborate processions and scenographic displays of great impact. The engraved plates document these events in detail, offering a rare visual testimony of late Baroque festivities in the Southern Netherlands. The presence of exotic animals and theatrical machines reflects the taste for wonder and the visual encyclopedism typical of the eighteenth century. The text also includes hagiographic and historical elements, with references to figures such as Saint Amand and Saint Livinus, contributing to a shared religious memory.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Not applicable: anonymous work, probably drafted by a local compiler or by a churchman involved in the organization or documentation of the event.

PRINTING HISTORY
First edition, printed in Ghent in 1767 by J. Meyer on the occasion of the jubilee. Works of this kind were often produced in limited editions, intended to commemorate specific events and distributed to a local audience or to collectors interested in them. The presence of such a richly illustrated apparatus indicates an ambitious and costly editorial project.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Bibliographie gantoise, n. 3856
STCV (Short Title Catalogue Vlaanderen), record for the 1767 edition
Catalogues of Belgian libraries (Ghent) for works on Saint Macarius
Studies on Baroque celebrations and civic festivities in the Southern Netherlands
Repertoires of eighteenth-century illustrated books (engravings by Heylbrouck and Wauters)