Cortés - El non plus ultra de el lunario, y pronostico perpetuo, general y particular para cada - 1793

Edition of extraordinary rarity, printed in Barcelona in the year 1793, of one of the most popular books on astrology and predictions in the Spanish language, the "Lunario y pronostico perpetuo" by Jerónimo Cortés (1560 - 1611), astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, and natural scientist from Valencia.

The work, highly valued by bibliophiles, contains interpretations of imminent signals such as eclipses, comets, and constellations, advice on health, signals of earthquakes, pestilences, weather forecasts according to the ruling planet, recommendations of dates for sowings and harvests, bleedings or travels, etc. An illustrated copy with numerous engravings throughout the text and on full-page plates that depict, among other things, the signs of the zodiac, the planets, the nature of the winds, the rules for determining the hour of night, the months, perpetual calendars, etc.

Particularly interesting and famous is the full-page engraving "Dominio de los planetas en el cuerpo humano" (not present in all editions), which assigns to each human organ a zodiac sign, planet, or star, evidencing the importance of medieval astrology for medical purposes (page 233 in this copy).

This Barcelona edition by Piferrer is rare. It bears no date on the title data, but it is printed in 1793 according to the Biblioteca Foral de Bizkaia. It is the first edition by Juan Francisco Piferrer, king’s printer, published in the very year in which Juan Francisco takes control of the family workshop. It appears with the imprint: “En la Oficina de Juan Francisco Piferrer, impresor de S.M. Plaza del Angel.” Bound in full calf of the period. Worn as is customary with this type of book, but still strong and solid. Ancient ex-libris on the flyleaf of the Hortal y Compañía booksellers, active in Cádiz in the first half of the eighteenth century. 15 x 10.5 cm, 215 grams. [6], 312 p.: grabs. Original text in Spanish. A work very difficult to find, even more so in such good condition and with all the engravings. Most editions of the Lunario held in public libraries are lacking leaves or in poor condition, since it was a widely read work in its time. Astrology. Castilian almanacs.

Cortés, Gerónimo, El non plus ultra de el lunario, y pronostico perpetuo, general y particular para cada reyno, y provincia / compuesto por Don Geronimo Cortes ... ; expurgado segun el Expurgatorio del año 1707 de la Santa Inquisicion ; y ahora nuevamente reformado y añadido por Don Pedro Enguera. Barcelona: En la Oficina de Juan Francisco Piferrer, impresor de S.M. Plaza del Angel [1793].


Ref. librería: C95390550875