Sanctus Maximus (episcopus Taurinensis) - Sancti Maximi Opera - 1784

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MONUMENTAL EDITION OF PIUS VI – LARGE FOLIO WITH FOUR FACSIMILES OF HANDWRITTEN CODICES
Important eighteenth-century edition of the works of Saint Maximus, bishop of Turin and among the most authoritative Latin Church writers of the V century. Published in Rome in 1784 by the Printing Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, the work was enlarged and annotated by order of Pope Pius VI, and thus dedicated to Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia. The imposing large-format volume stands out for the red and black title page with a calcographic vignette, for the rich engraved ornamental apparatus, and for four plates reproducing ancient handwritten codices.

WHY TO BUY
GRAND FOLIO ILLUSTRATED – A notable presence, with a red and black engraved title page, calcographic ornamentation, and four images out of text.
REPRODUCTION OF HANDWRITTEN CODICES – The plates document the manuscript tradition of the works and the important philological work underlying the edition.
EDITION PROMOTED BY PIUS VI – Official Roman publication, enlarged and annotated by the pope’s will.
IMPORTANT FATHER OF THE CHURCH – Saint Maximus of Turin was one of the most significant Latin Christian authors of the V century.

DESCRIPTION
The works of Saint Maximus of Turin collect homilies, sermons, and writings attributed to the famous bishop, a key figure in the religious life of Northern Italy in the V century. This important Roman edition was produced under Pope Pius VI with the aim of enlarging, organizing, and critically commenting on the text. The publication presents a sumptuous typographic appearance, typical of the great ecclesiastical Roman editions of the late eighteenth century.

The frontispiece, printed in red and black, bears a calcographic vignette taken from a work by Raphael, designed by Domenico Corvi and engraved by Miguel de Sorelló. Follow the dedication, preface, texts and critical apparatus, enriched by initials, drop caps, and incised tailpieces. The four plates out of text depict the initial portions of various codices, offering a striking visual testimony of the manuscript sources used for the edition.

MARKET VALUE
Indicative market value: €300 - 400. Value supported by the important patristic argument, the prestigious Roman Propaganda Fide press, the large format, the rich engraved decoration, and the presence of the four plates of manuscript facsimiles.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
A large folio volume, 47 × 30 cm. Interior pages fresh and large sheets untrimmed. Half morocco binding with manuscript titles to the spine and marbled covers. Frontispiece in red and black with calcographic vignette; headers, drop caps and tailpieces incised; four plates out of text of manuscript facsimiles.
Binding with evident tears and losses, especially at the margins of the boards. Traces of damp and some sporadic small worm holes. Pages with normal signs of time, overall well preserved. In old books with a centuries-long history, some imperfections not always visible in the description may be present. This listing contains AI Visualizations.

COLLATION
(2), CC, 792 columns, 232 lines.
Total: 714 pages.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Sancti Maximi Episcopi Taurinensis Opera. Iussu Pii Sexti P. M. aucta, atque adnotationibus illustrata et Victorio Amedeo Sardiniae Regi D. D.
Romae, Typis Sac. Congr. de Propaganda Fide Praesidum facultate, 1784.
Author: Saint Maximus, Bishop of Turin.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Saint Maximus of Turin is one of the most important figures of late antique Latin Christendom. His homilies are a fundamental source for the study of preaching, liturgy, moral life, and civil life in Northern Italy in the V century. The 1784 Roman edition reflects the renewed interest in patristics and in the correct transmission of ancient texts that characterized eighteenth-century ecclesiastical studies.

The choice of the Typographia of Propaganda Fide bestows particular authority on the work. Founded in the seventeenth century to spread the Catholic faith, the Roman printing house became one of the major European printing centers for technical quality, linguistic richness, and the importance of religious and philological publications.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Saint Maximus, bishop of Turin, probably lived from the late IV to the mid-V century. His pastoral activity took place in a time marked by barbarian invasions, political transformations of the Western Roman Empire, and the progressive organization of the Church. He is remembered above all for his numerous homilies, dedicated to liturgical feasts, martyrs, Christian morality, and the concrete needs of the community of the faithful.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The work was published in Rome in 1784, under the pontificate of Pius VI, in a monumental form intended for ecclesiastical libraries, patristic scholars, and erudite collections. The text was expanded and augmented with annotations, with particular attention to the manuscript tradition. The four plates of codex facsimiles constitute one of the most relevant elements of the edition and underscore the philological value of the editorial project.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / SBN – Maximus Taurinensis, Sancti Maximi Episcopi Taurinensis Opera, Romae, 1784.
WorldCat – Sancti Maximi Episcopi Taurinensis Opera, Romae, Typis Sacrae Congregationis de Propaganda Fide, 1784.
Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Latina, vol. LVII.
Repertori di patristica latina e cataloghi delle edizioni della Tipografia di Propaganda Fide.