Chioccarello - Neapolitanae Ecclesiae Catalogus - 1643

CATALOG OF THE BISHOPS AND ARCHBISHOPS OF THE NEAPOLITAN CHURCH
ABSTRACT
An important first edition of Bartolomeo Chioccarello’s principal historical work dedicated to the succession of the archbishops of Naples from the apostolic origins up to 1643. The work constitutes a fundamental source for ecclesiastical and institutional history of medieval and modern Naples, constructed by the author through documents, memoirs, and archival materials. The catalog is not limited to the mere succession of prelates; it contains numerous notes on the history of the Neapolitan Church, of Cuma and Miseno, and on the political and social events of the territory. The edition is also particularly interesting for its iconographic apparatus, including the refined engraved frontispiece with the portrait of Cardinal Ascanio Filomarino and that of Chioccarello.

WHY TO BUY
FIRST EDITION – The first edition of the work appeared in Naples in 1643 and represents the only book published by Chioccarello during his lifetime.
HISTORY OF NAPLES – A primary source for reconstructing the ecclesiastical, political, and institutional history of medieval and modern Naples, with numerous references to people, families, institutions, and events.
ICONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS – The exemplar preserves the valuable frontispiece engraved with a complex allegorical composition and portraits, a characteristic element of the most important Neapolitan historical publications of the Seicento. The repertory of engraved frontispieces in the Italian Seicento book records the work as a folio volume with a fine engraved half-title.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL RARITY – A highly specialized Seventeenth-Century edition, in Latin, of particular interest to collectors of ecclesiastical history, the history of Naples, genealogy, heraldry, and Southern culture.

MARKET VALUE
Current market values vary greatly depending on completeness, condition, and binding quality. For a complete and well-preserved copy, with good antique binding and an intact iconographic apparatus, value may range from 400 to 600 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full parchment binding, with signs of wear, abrasions, and distortions to boards and spine, consistent with the volume’s age. There are handwritten traces and old signs of use on the preliminary leaves. Pages with some stains and damp halos, in addition to normal paper oxidation and light edge wear. The paper is overall legible and the text remains intact. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 16nn; 372; 8nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Antistitum praeclarissimae Neapolitanae ecclesiae catalogus.
Neapoli, Typis Francisci Savij, typographi Curiae arch. expensis Petri Agnelli Porrini bibliopolae Neapol., 1643.
Bartolomeo Chioccarello.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The work emerges from the great Neapolitan historiographical tradition of the Seicento and represents one of Chioccarello’s most important productions. The author reconstructs the succession of Neapolitan archbishops from Christian origins to his own time, using memoirs and original documents. The research also extends to the history of the dioceses and ecclesiastical institutions connected to Naples, and includes numerous insights into the political and social history of the territory. Treccani notes that while the volume formally presents itself as a catalog of prelates, it constitutes a true history of the Church of Naples, of Cuma and Miseno, and, more broadly, of the Neapolitan duchy in the Middle Ages. The work is therefore particularly important not only for ecclesiastical history but also for urban, institutional, and political history of southern Italy.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Bartolomeo Chioccarello was a Neapolitan historian, jurist, and scholar, active in the administrative and archival circles of the Kingdom of Naples. His work focused on documents and archives, with particular attention to the ecclesiastical and institutional history of the Mezzogiorno. In 1639 he was entrusted with drafting a work on churches and sites of royal patronage, using archival material. In 1643 the Antistitum praeclarissimae Neapolitanae Ecclesiae Catalogus was published, dedicated to Cardinal Ascanio Filomarino, which remained the author’s only published work during his life.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The work was printed in Naples in 1643 by Francesco Savio, printer to the Archiepiscopal Court, at the expense of the Neapolitan bookseller Pietro Agnelli Porrini. The bibliographic description of the edition records the full editorial formula: “Neapoli: typis Francisci Savij typographi Curiae arch.: expensis Petri Agnelli Porrini bibliopolae Neapol., 1643.” The production belongs to the tradition of the great Neapolitan historical book of the Seicento, and the volume is described in inventories of engraved frontispieces of the Seicento Italian book as a folio edition of particular interest for the presence of the beautiful engraved half-title. The subsequent circulation of the work is documented in major European libraries, including the National Library of Naples and the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/SBN; EDIT16; USTC; CERL; WorldCat, OCLC 220550187; Google Books, digitized copy from the National Library of Naples; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, digitized copy, BSB ID 991039566379707356; Treccani, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, entry “Bartolomeo Chioccarello”; catalogues of engraved frontispieces in the Italian Seicento; Neapolitan historical bibliography. The bibliographic description of the copy held by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek confirms the 1643 edition, the Latin language, the extent of 372 pages, and publication in Neapolis.