Mandeville - Maravillas del Mundo - 1524-2002

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THE MARVELOUS WORLD OF MANDEVILLE: TRAVELS, MONSTERS AND FANTASTIC PEOPLES OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Spectacular facsimile of one of the most fascinating illustrated travel books of early sixteenth-century Spain. Reproduces the Valencian edition of 1524 of the famous Libro de las maravillas del mundo attributed to Jean de Mandeville. A journey through the Holy Land, Asia, remote peoples, fantastic animals, monsters and wonders that fed Europe’s geographical imagination for centuries. Richly illustrated with numerous woodcuts inserted in the text and reproduced with great fidelity from the ancient exemplar. Limited edition to 3,000 copies numbered: this copy no. 113/3000.

ABSTRACT
The Libro de las maravillas del mundo belongs to the extraordinary editorial fortune of the Travels attributed to Jean de Mandeville, one of the most read geographical and fantastical texts in late medieval and Renaissance Europe. Presented as the report of a traveler who would have crossed the Holy Land, Egypt, Asia and remote regions of the East, the book blends geographical knowledge, biblical traditions, pilgrimage narratives, legends and descriptions of peoples and fantastic creatures. The Spanish version of the early sixteenth century is particularly evocative due to its rich woodcut apparatus: cities, travelers, rulers, animals, monstrous beings and exotic scenes accompany the text in Gothic type. The present volume is a refined facsimile reproduction of the Valencia printed edition of 1524, produced in a limited and numbered run. Copy no. 113/3000.

MARKET VALUE
Indicative market value: €350–400. This is a high-quality collectible facsimile, mainly of interest to the history of travel, geography, wood engraving illustration and Renaissance Spanish printing. The presence of the original editorial case, certification and the individual numbering 113/3000 contribute to the completeness of the exemplar.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Modern facsimile edition of the Valencia edition, 1524. Clear editorial binding with title on the spine “LIBRO DE LAS MARAVILLAS – MANDEVILLE,” housed in its black rigid case with a gold crest. Reproduction of the text in Gothic characters laid out predominantly in two columns, with numerous woodcuts depicting cities, figures, animals, travelers, biblical episodes, populations and fantastic creatures. Also reproduced are the title page, printer’s marks, initials, antique stamps and characteristics of the exemplar used as a model. Limited edition to 3,000 numbered copies; this copy is no. 113/3000, accompanied by the related certification. Copy shows minor signs of use to the case and binding. This is a modern facsimile and not the original 1524 edition. This listing includes AI Visualizations. The images are an integral part of the description. Pp. (2); 128; 6nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Libro de las maravillas del mundo. Facsimile reproduction.
Valencia, 1524. Valencia - Vincent Garcia, 2002.
Jean de Mandeville.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Travels of Mandeville were one of the great bestsellers of medieval Europe. The text, originally composed in the 14th century, enjoyed extraordinary diffusion in manuscripts and later in printed editions in many languages. Its success stems from the exceptional fusion of real and imaginary geography: alongside Jerusalem, Egypt, India and other recognizable territories appear monstrous peoples, fantastic animals and marvelous phenomena derived from classical and medieval tradition. Before modern geography progressively defined the known world’s boundaries, works like this constituted one of Europe’s main windows onto the East. The Spanish edition of 1524 is particularly significant because it belongs to the era of great oceanic explorations, when the relationship between the marvelous world of medieval tradition and new geographical discoveries was rapidly transforming.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Jean de Mandeville, traditionally identified as a knight and English traveler of the 14th century, is the name under which one of the most famous medieval travel books circulated. The author's historical identity remains problematic, and modern criticism largely regards the work as a grand compilation built using chronicles, pilgrimage itineraries, encyclopedias and previous travel narratives. This by no means diminished its influence: the book was read across Europe and contributed profoundly to the Western representation of Asia and remote regions of the world.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
After extensive manuscript circulation, the Travels of Mandeville quickly entered the world of print in the 15th century and experienced numerous European editions. The Spanish version reproduced in this facsimile belongs to the early sixteenth-century editorial tradition and was printed in Valencia in 1524, at a crucial moment in the history of European exploration. The modern facsimile reproduces not only the text but also the typographic structure, woodcuts and material characteristics of the ancient exemplar chosen as model. This facsimile edition was produced in 3,000 copies numbered; this exemplar bears the number 113/3000.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Biblioteca Nacional de España, repertories of early Spanish editions of Mandeville. Catálogo Colectivo del Patrimonio Bibliográfico Español (CCPB), sixteenth-century editions of the Libro de las maravillas del mundo. WorldCat, census of historical editions and facsimile reproductions. Repertories of Spanish printing of the 16th century, for the Valencia edition of 1524. Bibliographic studies on the manuscript and print tradition of the Travels of Sir John Mandeville. A work of particular interest for collections dedicated to MANDEVILLE – TRAVELS – EXPLORATIONS – GEOGRAPHY – MONSTERS AND MARVELS – HOLY LAND – SPANISH PRINTING – WOODCUTS – RENAISSANCE – FACSIMILES.