Bernardus Sannig - Francisci Seraphici - 1689

I CUSTODI DELLE STIMMATE : FRANCESCO BETWEEN MYSTICISM, MARTYRDOM AND MONASTIC POWER
Monumental German hagiographic collection dedicated to the saints and chroniclers of the three Franciscan orders, printed in Prague in 1689 and still preserved in its powerful contemporary binding with metal clasps. The volume perfectly embodies the baroque spirituality of post-Tridentine Catholic Europe: a spectacular, militant, and profoundly visual religiosity, where the cult of the Franciscan saints is transformed into an heroic genealogy of faith. The large engraved title page, dominated by the seraphic figure of Saint Francis surrounded by martyrs, preachers, and mystics of the Order, constructs a true “sacred constellation” of the Franciscan order. The specimen, massive and austere, preserves the material force of conventual books from Central Europe in the XVIIth century: blind-stamped leather, pronounced cords, brass clasps, and a nearly liturgical presence. A book conceived not for simple collecting, but for the collective memory of a religious order that sought to present itself as the spiritual pillar of imperial Catholicism.
MARKET VALUE
The great German Franciscan chronicles of the XVIIth century, especially when preserved in contemporary bindings with metal clasps, are increasingly sought after in the market of religious history and Baroque monastic culture. Complete volumes, well preserved and with engraved apparatus can generally range between 1,200 and 1,500 euros, with higher values for copies particularly fresh or coming from historic convent libraries. This exemplar shows wear compatible with secular use, but maintains strong collecting appeal thanks to the original binding and the allegorical engraved title page.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
In-folio massive, volumes V and VI of six. Typographic title page in German Gothic type and large allegorical copper-engraved plate with Franciscan saints. Solid contemporary full-leather binding on boards, blind-stamped with a wide ornamental frame and a central figurative panel. Spine with pronounced cords. Present two original brass metal clasps, one functional. Wear and signs of use on covers and spine, signs of woodworm on covers. Restoration at the top margin of the first leaves with slight loss of engraving. Normal browning, upper margin affected by a gutter that has weakened and frayed the first and last part of the volume.
Overall the genuine exemplar is structurally very solid and has strong historical-visual impact. Pp. (2); 22nn; 360; 12nn; 275; 13nn.
In old books with a centuries-long history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Der V. und VI. Theil Der drey Orden deß Heiligen Francisci Seraphici.
Welche verfasset und beschrieben P. Bernardus Sannig, der Böhmischen Provintz Franciscaner.
Neu-Stadt Prag: Gedruckt bey Johann Nicolaus Hampel, 1689.
Bernardus Sannig
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This imposing chronicle belongs to the great tradition of the “Orders’ Chronicles” in German, monumental works intended to celebrate the historical and spiritual continuity of religious orders. In the case of the Franciscans, the iconographic construction is particularly significant: Saint Francis stands at the center as a seraphic figure radiating light, surrounded by saints, martyrs, missionaries, and penitents belonging to the three Franciscan orders — Friars Minor, Poor Clares, and Third Order. The work fully fits into the culture of the Habsburg Counter-Reformation, when religious orders used books of this kind as tools of education, institutional memory, and spiritual propaganda. The Prague print of 1689, produced by Johann Nicolaus Hampel in the New Town of Prague, testifies to the central role of Catholic Bohemia in spreading Franciscan culture in Central Europe. The Gothic German language, monumental typography, and robust conventual binding reveal a practical yet symbolic destination: a book meant to endure, consulted in convents, in religious libraries, and in theological studies. The figurative apparatus translates Franciscans into an heroic genealogy of Catholic holiness.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Bernardus Sannig (1638–1704) was an important Austrian Franciscan belonging to the Order of the Reformulated Friars Minor. Theologian, chronicler, and ecclesiastical historian, he operated within the Bohemian Franciscan Province and became known especially for his extensive works on the history of the Franciscans and their saints. His chronicles fully reflect the cultural climate of the Habsburg Counter-Reformation, blending historical erudition, institutional celebration, and intense devotion.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Franciscan chronicles printed in Prague in the XVIIth century were mainly produced for convents, religious libraries, and ecclesiastical institutions in the Bohemian and Austro-German area. Printings were generally limited and intended for internal use within the Order. The survival of complete copies in original bindings with metal clasps is today relatively rare, as these volumes were often dispersed or damaged during convent suppressions and the wars of Central Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Copies with convent provenance and ancient stamps, like this exemplar, are particularly interesting from a historical-documentary perspective.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
VD17 – Verzeichnis der im deutschen Sprachraum erschienenen Drucke des 17. Jahrhunderts.
WorldCat, censuses of Prague editions of Bernardus Sannig dedicated to the “drey Orden deß Heiligen Francisci”.
KVK – Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog, copies in German, Czech, and Austrian convent libraries.
Jöcher, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon, entry “Sannig, Bernardus”.
Cataloghi delle biblioteche francescane boeme del XVII secolo.
Catholic Encyclopedia, entry “Franciscans”.