Tostado - Commentaria - 1596

THE THEOLOGIAN AND THE SOVEREIGN: PHILOLOGY, POWER AND SYMBOLS IN Philip II’s Europe
This Venetian edition of 1596 of Alphonsus Tostatus’s Commentaria in primam partem Matthaei sits at the heart of Counter-Reformation culture, where biblical exegesis, theological authority, and representations of power fuse into a single book object. The frontispiece, dominated by a large typographic mark richly allegorical, is not merely decoration but an ideological statement: theological knowledge is linked to universal Catholic monarchy, evoked by the dedication to Philip II. The work, fruit of a late medieval exegetical tradition but fully refunctionalized in the modern era, thus becomes a tool of doctrinal control and the orthodox transmission of the evangelical text.
MARKET VALUE
Late- and post-Century Venetian editions of Tostatus’s commentaries show strong market presence, but with wide fluctuations tied to state of preservation, completeness, and quality of binding. Standard copies generally range between €600 and €900, while well-preserved copies, with bindings of particular interest or notable provenance, can reach €1,200–€1,800. The presence of a parchment binding with handwritten musical notation, as in this case, represents a distinctive element that can substantially increase collectible appeal.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
In folio; frontispiece typographic in red and black with a large engravable mark at the center; paper with evident signs of use and stains, particularly along the left margin of the frontispiece; contemporary parchment binding with a reback using a sheet of an ancient antiphonal (square notation on tetragram in red and black); solid structure with traces of wear. In old books, with a multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 274; (2).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Alphonsi Tostati Hispani, Episcopi Abulensis, Philosophi, Theologi, ac Pontificii Iuris Caesareique consultissimus, necnon linguae Graecae & Hebraicae peritissimus, Commentaria in primam partem Matthaei.
Venetiis, apud Io. Baptistam & Io. Bernardum Sessa, 1596.
Alfonso Tostado
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Alfonso Tostado (Tostatus), bishop of Ávila in the 15th century, was one of the most authoritative figures of late medieval Iberian scholasticism. His biblical commentaries, vast and systematic, were widely reprinted in the 16th century, especially in Counter-Reformation circles, for their value as an instrument of orthodox interpretation. The commentary on the Gospel of Matthew holds particular importance: it is the Evangelical text most used in liturgy and doctrine, and its exegesis becomes a site of confrontation between Catholics and Reformers. This Venetian edition fits into the great book production of the Serenissima, which in the late sixteenth century remained one of Europe’s main editorial centers for theological texts. The dedication to Philip II underscores the link between religious knowledge and political power: the book becomes also an instrument of propaganda and ideological legitimation. The typographic mark, with allegorical figures and symbolic animals, reinforces this dimension, inscribing the work in a visual rhetoric of authority and order.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Alfonso Tostado (ca. 1400–1455), called Tostatus, was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torres and was bishop of Ávila. A theologian, jurist and humanist, he was known for the encyclopedic breadth of his works, ranging from biblical exegesis to canon law. Considered one of the last great Spanish scholastics, he exerted a strong influence on later theology, especially thanks to the wide printing diffusion of his works in the 16th century.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Tostatus’s works enjoyed extraordinary editorial fortune between the 15th and 16th centuries, with numerous editions in Venice, Lyon, and Paris. The 1596 edition sits within a phase of systematic reprinting of biblical commentaries destined to support the formation of post-Tridentine Catholic clergy. The Sessa printers, active in Venice, were protagonists of this production, characterized by solid typographic quality and wide diffusion in the European market.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: records relating to the Venetian editions of Tostatus, under “Tostado, Alfonso – Commentaria in Matthaeum” (search by edition 1596, printers Sessa)
EDIT16: CNCE 58275 (general entry for Tostatus’s 16th-century editions, to be checked for specific 1596 issue)
USTC: records relating to the Venetian editions of Alphonsus Tostatus, late 16th century
Adams, Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, T-1473 (variants of Tostatus editions)
VD16 T 1534 (for German editorial tradition and comparison)
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, catalogue of manuscripts and theological prints, exegetical section, 16th century
WorldCat, aggregated records for “Commentaria in primam partem Matthaei”, Venice, 1596 (Sessa)