Chevalier - Rome - 1896

ART AND SPLENDOR IN AN ILLUSTRATED MASTERPIECE BOUND IN GILT POLYCHROME
A spectacular illustrated edition of the history of Rome and the Papacy, published in 1896 by the prestigious French publishing house Alfred Mame. From ancient imperial Rome to the first Christian martyrs, from Michelangelo and Raphael’s Renaissance to the Rome of the great pontiffs. An fascinating journey among basilicas, palaces, monuments, catacombs and artistic masterpieces of the Eternal City. Enriched by numerous 19th‑century engravings, with evocative views of St. Peter’s, the Roman gardens and monumental architecture.
Magnificent specimen in the original publisher’s binding in red percaline, richly decorated in gold, silver and polychromy, with all edges gilt.

ABSTRACT
Rome et ses Pontifes. Histoire, traditions, monuments by monsignor Casimir Chevalier is a historical and artistic work dedicated to the extraordinary evolution of Rome, from the origins of the ancient imperial city to its transformation into the spiritual capital of Christianity. Published in Tours in 1896 by Maison Alfred Mame et Fils, it presents a reconstruction of Roman history through the fortunes of the pontiffs, political and religious transformations, great architectural enterprises and the development of the arts. The author guides the reader through almost two thousand years of history, from the persecutions of the early Christians to the catacombs, from Constantine’s era to barbarian invasions, from the formation of the papal temporal power to the assertion of Renaissance and Baroque Rome. Particular emphasis is given to the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, the masterpieces of Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo, and the great urban transformations of the city. The volume is enriched with numerous black-and-white engravings, including architectural views, monuments, historical reconstructions and evocative Italian landscapes. A book in which religious history, archaeology, art and culture merge in a great celebration of the Eternal City.

WHY TO BUY
A work of great charm for collectors of illustrated 19th‑century books, enthusiasts of Roman history, sacred art, architecture and papal history. The main attraction is the extraordinary original publisher’s binding, a particularly successful example of late 19th‑century French cartonnages historiés production. The front board presents a richly colored composition in which architectural decorations, columns, floral motifs, pontifical symbols and angelic figures frame an allegorical representation of the Church, with St. Peter’s Basilica in the background. The gold and silver impressions, combined with the vivid colors of the red percaline, create a decoratively striking effect. Inside, the numerous engravings document the monumental richness of Rome and its surroundings, including views of St. Peter’s, reconstructions of ancient Rome and Renaissance settings. Particularly interesting is the presence of illustrations dedicated to Tivoli’s Villa d’Este and the monumental arrangement of Piazza San Pietro. The preservation of the original binding, the polychrome decorations and the gilt edges makes the specimen attractive both as a reference work and as a collectible item and display piece.

MARKET VALUE
Illustrated editions of Maison Alfred Mame et Fils are valued by collectors especially for their elaborate polychrome publisher bindings, produced with gold, silver and color imprint techniques. For the proposed specimen, characterized by a notably beautiful polychrome binding, well-preserved gilded impressions, gilded edges and a generally clean interior, a market range indicative of 450–550 euros may be considered appropriate for a retail sale oriented to decorative collecting.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Publisher’s binding in full deep red percaline, with the front board decorated by a polychrome architectural composition impressed in gold, silver, black and color, depicting classical columns, pontifical symbols, angelic figures and a religious allegory with the Roman panorama in the background. Iconographic apparatus consists of black-and-white engravings in the text and as plates, including architectural views and historical reconstructions. The spine bears the title and ornamental borders impressed in gold. The rear board with a black‑ink geometric frame. Gilt edges. Blue endpapers. Binding with slight rubbing at the headcaps and corners and signs of use. Interior with sporadic foxing and physiological browning. Some openings and strains of the inner hinge, with visible stitching threads. In old books with a centuries‑long history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This listing includes AI Views. Refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. Images are part of the description. Pp. (2), 398; 2nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Monseigneur Casimir Chevalier.
Rome et ses Pontifes. Histoire, traditions, monuments.
Tours, Maison Alfred Mame et Fils, [1896].

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The publication of Rome et ses Pontifes fits within the cultural climate of the late 19th century, when Rome represented a center of extraordinary historical, artistic and religious interest. After the capture of Rome in 1870 and the end of papal temporal power, the relationship among the city, the Italian State and the Holy See had profoundly changed. In this context, the reconstruction of the Papacy’s history assumed particular importance for European Catholic culture, eager to reaffirm the spiritual and artistic role of the city. Chevalier approaches the theme through a narrative that intertwines political and religious history with that of monuments, arts and traditions. The volume opens with the topography of ancient Rome, then moves to the arrival of the apostles Peter and Paul, the persecutions of Christians and the birth of the catacombs. Considerable space is given to Constantine’s era, the transformation of the Roman Empire and the gradual consolidation of Christianity. The following chapters describe barbarian invasions, the assertion of papal power, the relationship with the Carolingian Empire and the great medieval crises. The Renaissance period is particularly prominent, when papal patronage transformed Rome into one of the world’s major artistic centers. Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo occupy a central role in the narrative, together with the construction of the new Basilica of St. Peter and the great urban undertakings of the popes. The illustrations help visually reconstruct the city’s evolution, showing buildings, monuments and landscapes that connect ancient Rome to the modern city. The volume is thus not only a history of the Papacy but also a testament to the image of Rome in 19th‑century French Catholic culture.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Casimir Chevalier (Saché, Indre-et-Loire, March 7, 1825 – Tours, December 25, 1893) was a French ecclesiastic, historian, archaeologist and scholar, particularly noted for his studies on religious history, archaeology and European artistic heritage. After ecclesiastical training at the Tours seminary, he was ordained in 1848 and pursued a career that united pastoral activity with historical research. He initially devoted himself to the history and archaeology of Touraine, actively participating in the region’s leading scientific and cultural societies. He was president of the Société archéologique de Touraine from 1871 to 1875 and a member of important French and foreign academies. In 1865 he received the Legion of Honour for his cultural merits. During his ecclesiastical career he held positions at the Holy See, taking the title of papal secret chamberlain and performing representative and collaborative duties with Roman ecclesiastical circles. His stay in Italy fostered a growing interest in church history, ancient monuments and Rome’s artistic heritage. Among his publications are Promenades pittoresques en Touraine, Naples, le Vésuve et Pompéi, Herculanum et Pompéi and numerous studies on castles, abbeys and French historical archives. His intellectual work was characterized by attention to material and documentary evidence, combined with the religious sensibility typical of 19th‑century Catholic historiography. Rome et ses Pontifes, published posthumously in 1896, represents a synthesis of his knowledge of ecclesiastical history and of Rome’s monumental heritage.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition of Rome et ses Pontifes was published in Tours in 1896 by Maison Alfred Mame et Fils, one of the most important French publishers of the 19th century. Founded within the Mame publishing dynasty, the firm rose to a leading position in the production of religious, historical, educational and illustrated books, distinguished by typographic quality and elaborate publisher bindings. The volume belongs to the great tradition of luxury illustrated books intended for family libraries and cultured circles of French Catholic society. The edition was produced in large format, with a rich selection of in-text and plate engravings, following the graphic reproduction techniques characteristic of 19th‑century illustrated publishing. Particular care was paid to the binding, conceived as an autonomous decorative element and as a means of commercial enhancement of the work. The use of red percaline, gold and silver impressions and polychrome compositions testifies to the high technical level reached by French industrial binders at the end of the century. The publisher’s illustrated bindings, now highly valued by cartonnages historiés collectors, are one of the most characteristic phenomena of European book production of the era. Chevalier’s work was published three years after the author’s death, in 1893, and fits within the tradition of major posthumous publications dedicated to religious and monumental history. The original print run of the 1896 edition is not confirmed, but the presence of copies in different conditions confirms distribution aimed at a relatively broad audience.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Casimir Chevalier, Rome et ses Pontifes. Histoire, traditions, monuments, Tours, Maison Alfred Mame et Fils, 1896, first illustrated posthumous edition. A large-format historical and monumental work, with numerous engravings in the text and on plates, devoted to the history of the city of Rome and the succession of the pontiffs from antiquity to the 19th century. The publication includes 27 chapters, structured along a chronological and thematic path that covers the topography of ancient Rome, the apostolic era, persecutions, the catacombs, Christianization of the Empire, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the artistic and political transformations of the modern age. Notably significant are the illustrations dedicated to St. Peter’s Basilica, Renaissance monuments, landscapes of the Roman countryside and large historic Italian villas. The work belongs to the high-end offerings of Maison Alfred Mame et Fils and constitutes a representative example of the French tradition of illustrated historical-religious books from the late 19th century. The spectacular polychrome publisher binding, with gold and silver decorations, gives the edition additional interest within the history of the book and the decorative arts. The volume stands as a significant testament to French Catholic culture and the iconographic fortune of the Eternal City in European Belle Époque publishing.