AA.VV - Breviarium Romanum - 1752

THE BREVIARY OF THE COUNTER-REFORMATION, IN A SOLID MONASTIC BINDING
Impressive specimen of the Pars Hiemalis of the Breviarium Romanum printed in Antwerp in 1752 by the historic Architypographia Plantiniana, heir to the famous workshop founded by Christophe Plantin. This volume represents one of the fundamental tools of post-Tridentine Catholic spirituality and testifies to the Church of Rome’s desire to standardize the liturgy throughout the Catholic world after the Council of Trent. The copy preserves a notable contemporaneous full leather binding with metal clasps, numerous liturgical tables, and interesting 19th-century handwritten ownership notes that document the ecclesiastical use of the volume for over a century. The red and black printing, typical of the finest Plantinian liturgical productions, still reflects the high quality achieved by the Antwerp workshop in the late 18th century.
MARKET VALUE
The individual parts of the Plantinian Breviarium Romanum of the 18th century are less common on the market than complete copies, as the various seasonal sections were often separated over time. Copies with contemporaneous binding and preserved metal clasps, originating from the Architypographia Plantiniana, hold constant appeal for collectors of liturgy, Church history, and old religious books. For comparable Pars Hiemalis copies, market value generally ranges from €300 to €700, with potential increases for especially complete, well-preserved examples with well-documented Provenance.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporaneous full dark leather binding on boards, six spine ribs raised, signs of wear and cracking to the binding, original metal clasps largely preserved. Title page printed in red and black with an engraved vignette depicting an allegory of the Church and the Apostolic See. Text printed in black and red. Present are liturgical tables relating to ecclesiastical computation and the Easter calendar. Initials carved in woodcuts and typographic borders, copperplate plates (out of text) depicting episodes from the life of Christ and the saints. Some browning and natural age-related foxing. Interesting handwritten ownership notes dated 1834 on the preliminaries. In old books, with a centuries-long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 56; 612; 270; 2nn; 8; 24; (4).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Breviarium Romanum. Pars Hiemalis.
Antverpiae, Ex Architypographia Plantiniana, 1752.
AA.VV.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Breviary was one of the main instruments through which the Catholic Church carried out the liturgical standardization program developed after the Council of Trent. The edition promulgated by Pius V in 1568 progressively replaced much of the local traditions, imposing a common structure for the daily prayer of the clergy. The subsequent revisions by Clement VIII and Urban VIII refined the text and solidified its authority. The Pars Hiemalis gathers the offices related to the winter period of the liturgical year, including Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and the cycle leading to Lent. This volume thus constitutes a direct testimony of the daily religious practice of the Catholic clergy in the full 18th century.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE PRINTER
The Architypographia Plantiniana directly descends from the typography founded by Christophe Plantin in Antwerp in 1555. Under the management of the Moretus family, the workshop became one of Europe's most important editorial centers, obtaining exclusive privileges for the printing of Bibles, missals, breviaries, and other official texts destined for the Catholic world. Plantinian editions were distinguished by typographic excellence, paper quality, and editorial precision, maintaining an international reputation for over two centuries.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The editions of the Breviarium Romanum printed in Antwerp were distributed throughout the Catholic world and for centuries constituted one of the essential tools of ecclesiastical life. The individual seasonal parts, intended for daily use, were often subjected to heavy wear and periodic replacements, which is why they are not always in satisfactory condition. The copy presented here still preserves its robust original structure and represents a significant testimony to the long Plantinian typographic tradition in the field of liturgical publishing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Voet, Leon, The Golden Compasses. A History and Evaluation of the Printing and Publishing Activities of the Officina Plantiniana at Antwerp, Amsterdam-London-New York, 1969-1972.
Museum Plantin-Moretus, Catalogus van de Plantijnse drukken.
ICCU / OPAC SBN, eighteenth-century editions of the Breviarium Romanum printed by the Architypographia Plantiniana.
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue, Plantinian liturgical editions of the 18th century.
Catholic Encyclopedia, entry “Breviary.”
Dictionnaire d'Archéologie Chrétienne et de Liturgie, entry “Bréviaire.”
De Backer – Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, references to Plantinian liturgical productions.
Museum Plantin-Moretus, historical catalogs of the ecclesiastical editions of the Moretus family.