G. Rouillé - Giustiniano - Codex Iustiniani - 1571

Codex Iustiniani
(Corpus Iuris Civilis – Codex repetitae praelectionis)
Lyon, at Guillaume Rouillé, 1571.

12.3 × 8.5 cm (small in-8° or pocket format). Pp. (16), 784 pp.
Only the first two books of the Codex Iustiniani (Libri I-II of the Codex repetitae praelectionis), (as shown in the last photo) with imperial constitutions, notes, summaries and apparatus criticus in Latin (with references to Greek texts). Includes typographic decorations, woodcut initials and ornaments characteristic of the Lyonese editions of the 16th century. The copy presents an old parchment binding, with the title handwritten on the spine.

A fundamental work of Roman law, the Codex Iustiniani (promulgated by Justinian between 529–534 CE) represents the greatest systematic compilation of Roman imperial laws, which formed the basis of continental civil law in Europe for centuries. This fifteenth-century edition, prepared within the humanist presses of Rouillé, makes the text accessible with erudite apparatus, facilitating study in the Renaissance and modern eras. It is one of the pillars of the Corpus Iuris Civilis, a cornerstone of Western law alongside the Institutes, Digest and Novellae.

Rare edition of the famous Lyon printer Guillaume Rouillé, specialized in classical and legal texts of compact format for scholars and professionals. The fifteenth-century editions of the Codex in small format are uncommon on the market, especially partial (only Libri I-II) and in this state of conservation. It is a precious witness to the diffusion of Roman law in 16th-century Europe, sought after by collectors of antique legal books, incunabula and sixteenths, and by institutions specializing in the history of law.

Typical signs of use for a 16th‑century volume, old papers with normal browning, but overall good for its age, with all indicated pages present.

Excellent piece for auctions of Renaissance legal and bibliophile antiquarian books.