AA.VV. - Esposizione per la Congregazione della Strada di S. Giorgio - 1803

THE ROAD OF SAINT GEORGE: PARMESAN DOCUMENT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROVERSY IN THE DUCHY OF PARMA
ABSTRACT
A rare Parmense legal-administrative publication dedicated to the controversy concerning the Congregation of the Road of Saint George, an important body charged with the management and maintenance of public roads in the States of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla. The text provides a direct source on the administrative life of the duchy in the early years of the 19th century, illustrating appeals, resolutions, and disputes between local institutions and the central government. The work is addressed to Moreau Saint-Méry, State Councillor and General Administrator of the States of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, a central figure of the Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic administration. A document of great interest for local history, administrative law, and the territorial organization of Parma. A copy preserved in its original decorated, cross-hatched paper with wide untrimmed margins.

WHY TO BUY
ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY – An important testament to the institutional and administrative mechanisms of the Duchy of Parma at the turn of the 19th century.
LOCAL DOCUMENT – Primary source for the study of public roads and Parmense civic congregations.
NAPOLEONIC PERIOD – An interesting document marking the transition between French administration and the ducal restoration.
RARE EDITORIAL – Administrative pamphlet, generally produced in limited print runs and intended for institutional circulation.

MARKET VALUE
A work of interest to collectors of Emiliana local history, ancient administrative documents, Parma under Napoleon, and historical law. Indicative valuation:
- copies with institutional provenance or historical annotations: over €500
- The documentary nature and preservation of the original editorial format increase collectible interest.

CONDITION
Original paperback in decorated zig-zag patterned paper, typical of economical and administrative publications between the 18th and 19th centuries. Cover with light abrasions, corner folds, and small signs of aging. Quarter-format copy, preserved with original, untrimmed margins. Text consists of an introductory exposition, administrative memorandum, attached documents, and final section of errors and corrections. Pages slightly browned, with some physiological foxing and signs of time. The last leaf detached from the rest of the volume. In old books with a multesecular history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing contains AI Visuals. Refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. Images are an integral part of the description. Pp. 36; 2nn.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Exposition for the Congregation of the Road of S. George.
Parma, by Stamperia Carmignani, 1803.
AA.VV.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The pamphlet represents a direct testimony of the complex administration of the States of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla in the period between French domination and the subsequent institutional reorganization. The Congregation of the Road of Saint George was an body responsible for the management of important road infrastructures and the maintenance of public roads. The publication gathers arguments, disputes, and documents relating to the relations between local administrators, deputies, and governmental authorities. The dedication to Moreau Saint-Méry situates the document within the reformist administration of the Napoleon era, characterized by a strong focus on rationalizing public apparatus. It is therefore a significant source not only for Parmense history but also for the study of the evolution of Italian administrative law.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
The work does not present a declared individual author; it is an institutional publication drawn up within the Congregation of the Road of Saint George. The text reflects the official position of the representatives of the administrative body and collects interventions and documents produced by officials involved in the controversy.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The pamphlet was printed in Parma in 1803 by Stamperia Carmignani, one of the city’s main printing houses between the 18th and 19th centuries. Publications of this kind were generally destined for magistrates, administrators, officials, and members of local institutions, with circulation limited compared to literary works. The preservation of the original paperback and intact margins suggests a copy that remained in its primary editorial configuration.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU – Catalog of the National Library Service (SBN)
WorldCat – International Catalog of Libraries
CERL – Consortium of European Research Libraries
Palatine Library of Parma – Historic Catalogs
Indexes of Parmense 18th and 19th century printing
Historical catalogs of Stamperia Carmignani
Studies on the administrative history of the Duchy of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla
Indexes on the Napoleonic period in Italy
Bibliography of Italian historical administrative law