AA.VV. - Breviarium Romanum - 1752

THE BREVIARY OF THE COUNTER-REFORMATION: THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF ROME
Elegant specimen of the Pars Verna of the Breviarium Romanum, printed in 1752 at the famous Plantiniana workshop in Antwerp, one of the most prestigious European typographies between the 16th and 18th centuries. This work represents the result of the great liturgical reform begun by the Council of Trent and perfected under the pontificates of Pius V, Clement VIII, and Urban VIII, destined to standardize the daily prayer of the Catholic clergy throughout Europe. The copy preserves numerous full-page copperplate engravings of refined execution and a suggestive contemporaneous binding in full leather with original metal clasps, testimony to daily use and the material solidity required for liturgical books intended for recitation of the Divine Office.
MARKET VALUE
The individual parts of the Plantinian Breviarium Romanum of the 18th century are today less common on the market than complete copies, as many series were dismembered over time. The presence of the engravings, the contemporaneous binding with clasps, and provenance from the historic Architypographia Plantiniana significantly contribute to collectible interest. Comparable copies of the Pars Verna alone generally range between €500 and €700, with higher peaks for particularly fresh copies, complete with clasps and well preserved.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full dark leather binding on boards, raised spine, original metal clasps preserved. Abrasions and edge wear to the binding, old restorations and superficial losses to the backstrip. Printed typographic title in red and black with a copperplate vignette depicting an allegory of the Church and the Holy See. Numerous copperplate plates out of text illustrating episodes of the life of Christ and the saints. Text printed in black and red. Alphabetical index of the Psalms. Pages with some browning and natural foxing. In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 32nn; 620; 248; 4; 24; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Breviarium Romanum. Pars Verna.
Antverpiae, Ex Architypographia Plantiniana, 1752.
AA.VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Breviary of Rome constitutes one of the fundamental texts of post-Tridentine Catholic liturgy. Through the reform begun by Pius V in 1568, Rome imposed a uniform model of prayer intended to replace much of local liturgical tradition. The 1752 edition testifies to the full maturation of this process and represents an essential tool for understanding Catholic spirituality of the modern era. The Pars Verna gathers the office of the spring period, including the Lenten, Easter cycle and numerous celebrations of the saints. The devotional engravings inserted in the volume perform not only an ornamental function but constitute a true meditative support for daily prayer.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE PRINTER
The Architypographia Plantiniana was the heir to the famous workshop founded by Christophe Plantin in Antwerp in the 16th century. Considered one of the most important printing houses in European history, it produced Bibles, missals, breviaries, scientific works and humanist texts destined for the Catholic world at large. In the 18th century the Plantin mark still retained exceptional prestige and remained one of the main suppliers of official liturgical books for the Roman Church.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Plantin editions of the Breviarium Romanum were printed in large quantities to meet the needs of European clergy, but the seasonal parts were often heavily used and thus rarely preserved in particularly good condition. The red-and-black printing, typographic accuracy, and the rich illustrative apparatus reflect the high quality standards maintained by the Antwerp workshop even in the late 18th century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN, editions of the Breviarium Romanum printed by the Architypographia Plantiniana in the 18th century.
Museum Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp, historic catalogs of Plantin liturgical editions.
Voet, Leon, The Golden Compasses. A History and Evaluation of the Printing and Publishing Activities of the Officina Plantiniana.
De Backer-Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, references to Plantinian liturgical editions.
The Plantin Press (Plantin-Moretus Museum), historic catalogs of liturgical production.
Catholic Encyclopedia, entry on "Breviary".
Dictionnaire d'Archéologie Chrétienne et de Liturgie, entry "Bréviaire".
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue, 18th-century Plantinian liturgical editions.