Vigerio - [Post Incunable] Decachordum - 1507

THE DECACORD OF SALVATION: BETWEEN MYSTIC ICONOGRAPHY AND ROVERANO POWER AT THE DAWN OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Marco Vigerio’s Decachordum Christianum emerges as one of the most fascinating and complex syntheses of theology, imagery, and ecclesiastical propaganda in the early Renaissance. Published in 1507 by the Girolamo Soncino workshop, this sumptuous princeps edition unites a refined doctrinal construction with an iconographic apparatus of extraordinary visual power, in which the life and mysteries of Christ are transfigured into symbolic and narrative sequences. The work, dedicated to Julius II, reflects the intertwining of devotion, politics, and representation of the sacred, configuring itself as a true object of cultural and spiritual prestige. The richness of the woodcuts and the typographic quality make it a total book, in which word and image collaborate in constructing a highly suggestive theological language intended to influence the contemporary visual arts as well.
MARKET VALUE
Copies of the 1507 princeps, especially if complete and with the full illustrative apparatus, are highly sought after. The market generally values them between 12,000 and 30,000 euros, with excellent copies that can exceed that range. Defective copies or those with additions, as in the present case, are more realistically placed between 7,000 and 15,000 euros, still maintaining strong collector interest for the iconographic quality and historical significance.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Full skived parchment binding, octagonal in the modern sense with gilded spines and friezes in the compartments, title on a tab, colored edges, decorated endpapers. Title page within an elegant woodcut frame of a phytomorphic (plant-like) design on a black background with a large cardinal’s coat of arms in the center. Decorative apparatus composed of 8 of ten full-page woodcuts within ornamental frames and numerous vignettes in the text depicting episodes from Christ’s life. Marginal tears present, more evident in the last leaves; title page slightly yellowed; reinforcements at the junctions A1, C8 and fascicle E; some foxing and stains; binding repaired with a tear at n1 without loss of text; some leaves yellowed. In old books with a long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pages: (2); 14 leaves; 492; 32; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Decachordum Christianum Iulio II Pont. Max. dicatum
Fano, Hieronymus Soncinus, 1507.
Marco Vigerio.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Decachordum unfolds in ten books, each introduced by a large woodcut, according to a symbolic structure that evokes the perfect and harmonious number of the “decacord,” a metaphor for divine order. The work tackles central themes of Christian theology—from the life and Passion of Christ to the nature of angels—through brief treatises that combine scholastic erudition with visionary tension. The iconographic apparatus is not mere accompaniment but an integral part of the theological discourse: the images translate complex concepts into a visual form, creating an ongoing dialogue between text and figure. In this sense, the volume places itself in a line of thought that anticipates important developments in Renaissance art; some scholars have hypothesized an indirect relationship with Michelangelesque iconographic programs in the Sistine Chapel, particularly regarding the genealogy of Christ. The work also represents a powerful instrument of self-representation for the Della Rovere family, situating itself within the political and cultural context of Giulio II’s pontificate.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Marco Vigerio della Rovere (1446–1516), cardinal and archbishop, was a prominent figure of the Roman curia in the height of the Renaissance. Related to Pope Julius II, he played a significant role in the political and ecclesiastical life of his time. A humanist and theologian, he distinguished himself by a literary output that combines doctrine and rhetoric, aligning with the cultural climate of renewal and magnificence promoted by the Roveran Rome.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in Fano by Girolamo Soncino, a member of the famous convert Jewish typographic dynasty, the 1507 edition represents the first and most important appearance of the work. The printing, produced with great financial expenditure (traditionally cited at 181 ducats), testifies to the high technical and artistic level reached by the Soncino workshop. The print run was not wide, intended for a selective audience of ecclesiastics and humanists, a factor that today contributes to the rarity of the work on the market.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
EDIT16 (ICCU): CNCE 63347 (copies cataloged in Italian libraries)
Essling, Les livres à figures vénitiens, I, p. 145
Mortimer, Harvard Italian 16th Century Books, n. 537
Sander, Le livre à figures italien, n. 7589
WorldCat: record for the Fano 1507 edition with institutional holdings
Treccani, entry “Marco Vigerio della Rovere” (for historical and interpretive context)
ISTC (for comparison with contemporaneous Soncino production, data to be checked for the specific edition)