Tomaso Costo - Istoria dell'origine del Sagratissimo luogo di Montevergine - 1591

COSTO, TOMASO.
History of the origin of the Most Sacred Place of Montevergine... second impression entirely corrected and improved. Venice: Appresso Barezzo Barezzi, 1591.
In-4°/In-8°. Full flexible vellum of the period, spine smooth titled at the feather in old Italian calligraphy.
Second edition (considerably revised, corrected and augmented by the author) of this major historical and hagiographical monograph dedicated to the famous Marian sanctuary and Benedictine monastery of Montevergine (located near Avellino in Campania).

Complete in 1 volume small in-4: (3ff.) Blancs; 51pp.;(19ff.);(4ff.) blancs.

The author, the Neapolitan scholar and historian Tomaso Costo, traces the life of the founder Saint William of Vercelli (San Guglielmo), the holy disciples Amato and Donato, the succession of abbots as well as the detailed repertoire of relics, papal, royal and imperial privileges granted to the abbey.

Published by the prestigious Venetian printer Barezzo Barezzi, the text closes with a compendium of papal bulls and official acts signed by the apostolic notaries under the pontificates of Sixtus V and Gregory XIV.

Contemporary binding in full vellum, well preserved, leather worn by time with small natural bruises on edges and corners. Title on the back manuscript perfectly legible. Interior of remarkable freshness on 16th‑century laid paper, clear typography in roman and italic type, presence of a fine private Italian collection stamp/monastery stamp ("Biblioteca Salomone Nicosia"). A fine copy of this post‑Tridentine edition of the 16th century.

Tomaso Costo devotes long, passionate pages to the miracles of the Montevergine founder, Saint William. One of the most famous legends told in the work explains why the abbey is built on this isolated mountain: while William was building his hermitage, a wild wolf devoured his pack donkey. Rather than punishing the beast, the saint ordered him to replace the donkey and to carry the heavy stones of construction himself! This is the reason why the printer’s mark engraved on the title page shows a donkey peacefully sheltered and guarded.

The wartime interest: The Montevergine sanctuary described in this book was chosen in 1939 by the Italian government to securely hide the Shroud of Turin from bombardments and Adolf Hitler’s covetousness!

Very fine copy.