[Incunable] - Alberto Magno - Summa de Creaturis - 1498

ANGELS, DEMONS AND POSSIBLE WORLDS - SUMMA DE CREATUREIS: THE SECRET OF CREATION:
Remarkable testimony of medieval cosmological and anthropological thought, this very rare first edition of Albertus Magnus’s Summa de Creaturis represents one of the most ambitious attempts to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology. Printed in Venice in 1498 for Andrea Torresani da Asola, future father-in-law of Aldus Manutius and a central figure in Venetian printing, the work tackles the great questions of creation, the structure of the universe, the nature of angels, and the essence of man. Through an imposing speculative construction, Albertus Magnus analyzes matter, time, celestial movement, the faculties of the soul, the senses, dreams, intellect, and free will, going so far as to inquire about the possibility of the existence of other worlds. It is one of the most fascinating monuments of scholastic knowledge, printed in the very late 15th century, when the printing revolution was beginning to transform the circulation of ideas in Europe.
MARKET VALUE
The incunabula of Albertus Magnus occupy a prominent position in the international market for rare books. The first Venetian editions of his philosophical and theological works, especially when printed by prestigious workshops such as that of Andrea Torresani, can reach values between 8,000 and 20,000 euros, with higher results for complete, well-preserved copies with significant provenance. The absence of the first fascicle and the structural condition of the copy affect the valuation, but the rarity of the first edition of Summa de creaturis maintains strong collectible and academic interest. Estimated range: 4,000-9,000 euros.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
In-folio (mm 302 x 200). Two parts in one volume. Text in Gothic type arranged in two columns. Numerous ancient marginalia between the first and second part. Traces of time on the first two leaves. Final fascicle with a pale stain. Contemporary parchment flexible binding with a hand-lettered title on the spine, with losses and wear. Despite the defects, the copy presents itself internally very fresh and genuine, preserving a notable historical and documentary charm. Leaves 195, [1]. The first fascicle of two leaves containing the title page and the Tabula articulorum is missing; the last leaf is present. In old books, with a multisecular history, some imperfections may be present, not always detected in the description.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Prima [-secunda] pars summe Alberti Magni de quatuor coequeuis vna cum secunda eius que est de homine.
Venetijs, impressa impensis domini Andree Torresani de Asula, arte vero Simonis de Luere, 1498.
Albertus Magnus (ca. 1200-1280)

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Summa de Creaturis constitutes one of the most important works of Albertus Magnus’s entire philosophical output and represents a high point of scholastic speculation in the 13th century. The author tackles the fundamental problem of the origin and structure of the created order, developing a monumental synthesis between Aristotelian metaphysics, Neoplatonic tradition, and Christian theology.
The first part, devoted to the so-called quatuor coaequaevia, examines the realities created at the beginning of time: the angelic world, prime matter, the heavens, and time itself. Albert investigates causality, the movement of the celestial spheres, the hierarchy of the angels, and the fundamental principles of the cosmic order.
The second part, De homine, is one of the most refined medieval analyses of human nature. It discusses the relations between soul and body, the senses, memory, imagination, dreams, passions, intellect, and free will. Particularly fascinating are the reflections on human knowledge and the theoretical possibility of other worlds, a theme that anticipates questions destined to resurface in the following centuries.
The work represents a fundamental milestone in the development of European natural philosophy and testifies to the medieval attempt to build a unified vision of reality, in which cosmology, anthropology, and theology integrate into a single system.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Albertus Magnus was probably born in Lauingen, Bavaria, around 1200 and died in Cologne in 1280. A Dominican, theologian, philosopher, scientist, and teacher of Thomas Aquinas, he was one of the most influential figures of the Latin Middle Ages. The breadth of his interests earned him the title Doctor Universalis. He systematically commented on Aristotle and contributed decisively to the introduction of Aristotelian thought into European universities. Canonized in 1931 and proclaimed Doctor of the Church, he is considered one of the founders of the medieval scientific tradition.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
This 1498 edition constitutes the first and only incunabula edition of the Summa de creaturis. It was produced in Venice for Andrea Torresani da Asola, one of the most important publishers and book entrepreneurs of the time. Torresani had acquired Nicolas Jenson’s workshop and transformed his enterprise into one of the major European printing centers. A few years later he would enter the history of print permanently thanks to the collaboration and family tie with Aldus Manutius.
The physical printing was entrusted to Simone Bevilacqua, known as Simon de Luere, a printer active in late 15th-century Venice. The edition fits into the broad Venetian publishing program aimed at disseminating the great works of medieval scholasticism to universities, convents, and ecclesiastical libraries.
The rarity of this edition is confirmed by its presence in the major international incunabula catalogs and by the relatively small number of copies preserved in public libraries.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ISTC ia00334000.
GW 779.
IGI 238.
Goff A-334.
Hain *569.
BMC V, p. 574.
Polain, Catalogue des livres imprimés au XVe siècle des bibliothèques de Belgique, voci Albertus Magnus.
Bod-inc A-141.
OCLC / WorldCat, registrations of Summa de creaturis, Venezia 1498.
ICCU / OPAC SBN, censimenti delle copie italiane.
Thorndike, A History of Magic and Experimental Science, vol. II, pp. 517-592.
Weisheipl, Albertus Magnus and the Sciences.
Mandonnet, Siger de Brabant et l'Averroïsme latin.
Étienne Gilson, La philosophie au Moyen Âge.
Friedberg, Die Theologie des Albertus Magnus.

GENRE
Cosmology – Philosophical anthropology – Latin Aristotelianism – Venetian incunabula.