S. Agostino - Confessioni di S. Agostino - 1746

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Saint Augustine – Confessions, Books Ten – Bassano, Remondini, 1746 – engraved frontispiece – 428 pages

Description

Ancient Italian eighteenth-century edition of the famous “Confessions of Saint Augustine,” one of the fundamental texts of Christian literature and Western philosophy.

As reported on the title page:

“Confessions of Saint Augustine. Books Ten. In this new reprint carefully revised, and with diligent correction. With the Index of the Chapters.”

Bassano, 1746 – In the Remondini Printing House – With the Permission of the Superiors.

The volume comprises 428 pages.

The copy features a beautiful engraved frontispiece depicted opposite the title page. The scene shows Saint Augustine in episcopal robes, kneeling in a devotional posture before an altar, with a religious composition in the upper part. The engraving, rich in detail, constitutes a particularly interesting decorative and iconographic element of the edition.

The title page is characterized by a seventeenth/18th-century typographic composition and an ornamental woodcut frieze. The text, entirely in Italian, is divided into the ten books of the Confessions, with clearly identified chapters, short headings, decorative initials, and type in varying sizes.

Binding and material characteristics

The volume retains a dark leather binding, with boards decorated in blind embossing via concentric frames and lines. The spine, with raised bands/quadri, bears the title printed in gold “CONFESSIONI DI S. AGOSTI…”, gold fillets, and small ornamental floral motifs also impressed in gold.

There is also a green fabric bookmark, still inserted in the volume and visible in the photographs.

The binding shows signs of use and surface abrasions consistent with age, particularly on the boards and along the most exposed areas. The gold decorations on the spine are still clearly visible, though with the usual signs of wear.

State of preservation

Overall, the copy appears in good condition for an eighteenth-century volume, while showing the natural signs of about three centuries of preservation and use.

The paper sheets show browning and widespread yellowing, with some stains, small halos, and sporadic traces of time. There are slight irregularities and small marginal defects on some leaves. The edges (cut) exhibit a characteristic reddish-orange hue. The print is generally sharp, well contrasted, and perfectly legible on the photographed pages.

The engraved frontispiece is present and retains good legibility of the image; normal signs of aging and a slight waviness of the paper are observed. The title page is also well preserved and clearly legible.

Main data: Saint Augustine, Confessions; ten books; Italian language; Bassano; Remondini Press; 1746; 428 pages; engraved frontispiece; decorative friezes and initials; dark leather binding with blind impressions and gold embossed decorations/title on the spine; green fabric bookmark.

A copy of particular interest for collectors of old books, religious and philosophical works, Remondini editions, and eighteenth-century Italian typography.

The photographs are an integral part of the description and should be carefully examined for a precise assessment of the preservation state. The stated number is 428 pages.

Note: description prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems based on the photographs and information provided.