Guidi - Papa Clemente Undecimo - 1712

BAROQUE POETRY, ARCADY AND PROPAGANDA, IN GUIDI’S VERSES OF CLEMENT XI'S HOMILIES
This rare and sumptuous illustrated edition of Clement XI’s Six Homilies, laid out in verse by Alessandro Guidi, stands as one of the most refined examples of Roman ecclesiastical Baroque culture, where sacred word, poetic rhetoric, and the iconographic apparatus fuse into a ceremonial object. The work transforms the papal sermon—originally in Latin prose—into an Italian poetic text, building a double linguistic and symbolic register: on one side doctrinal authority, on the other the musicality and evocative power of Arcadian poetry. The illustrative program, rich and coherent, amplifies the spiritual content, making the volume not just a text but a celebratory device intended for a selective and educated audience.
MARKET VALUE
Copies of this 1712 edition, complete with the engraving apparatus, generally fetch between 600 and 900 euros, with higher values for large-paper copies, well preserved and with illustrious provenance. The rarity of the work, likely not intended for commercial circulation but for ceremonial circulation, significantly affects its value.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full parchment binding, smooth spine with a Morocco-tanned label; red sprinkled edges, with signs of use. Pages with some physiological foxing and stains. Title page engraved with portrait of Clement XI, additional illustrated title page, 6 full-page plates engraved, each placed at the opening of the homilies and designed by Pietro Leone Ghezzi; woodcut initials and ornamental finials. Pp. (2); 2nn; 16; 214; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Six Homilies of Our Lord Pope Clement XI, laid out in verses by Alessandro Guidi.
Rome, Francesco Gonzaga at S. Maria, 1712.
Clement XI; Alessandro Guidi.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The work is situated at the heart of Clement XI’s pontificate (1700–1721), during a period of strong cultural and symbolic elaboration of papal power. The homilies, delivered between 1703 and 1709, are here reworked into verse by Alessandro Guidi, a central figure of the Arcadia Academy, who helped redefine Italian poetic language in a more sober, classical sense compared to Baroque excess. The result is a hybrid and sophisticated text, where papal word is elevated to poetic form, preserving the doctrinal function while acquiring new rhetorical force. The iconographic program, entrusted to Pietro Leone Ghezzi, reinforces the celebratory and didactic dimension, transforming each homily into a visual scene coherent with the liturgical theme (Nativity, Resurrection, etc.). The volume is configured as a representational object, probably destined for diplomatic and ceremonial gifts.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Alessandro Guidi (Pavia, 1650 – Rome, 1712) was one of the leading Italian poets of the late 17th and early 18th centuries and among the founders of the Arcadia Academy. His output is distinguished by a push to move beyond the Baroque toward classical models and greater expressive clarity. His collaboration with ecclesiastical and aristocratic circles made him a central figure in Roman culture of the time.
Clement XI (Giovanni Francesco Albani, 1649–1721) was pope from 1700 to 1721; his pontificate was characterized by intense cultural activity, promotion of the arts, and attention to the symbolic and diplomatic dimension of the Church.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in Rome in 1712 at Francesco Gonzaga, the work belongs to a luxury editorial type intended for a restricted circulation. The quality of the paper, the engraving apparatus, and the bilingual structure suggest a ceremonial rather than commercial function. Such volumes were often offered as gifts to cardinals, ambassadors, and prominent figures, and today are extremely rare on the market.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: record for Sei omelie… Rome, 1712 (identification to be verified)
EDIT16: not applicable (18th century)
USTC: record to be verified
WorldCat: Clemens XI; Guidi, Sei omelie, Rome 1712 (multiple records)
Melzi, Dizionario di opere anonime e pseudonime, s.v. Guidi
Crescimbeni, Istoria della volgar poesia, Rome, pages relating to the Arcadia
Studies on Pietro Leone Ghezzi and Roman illustration of early 18th century
Library catalogs (BNCR, BnF) for comparable copies

PROVENANCE
Donor inscription (later).
Caietanus Quercus, ex libris.
Louis de Ridder, ex libris.