Displaying items by tag: ARCHIVUM GENERALE ORDINIS CARMELITARUM

From the Carmelite Archives
A gem from the Carmelite Library: an incunabulum from 1495

From the book depository of the General Carmelite Library, an elegant incunabulum printed in Brescia on September 13, 1495, has come to light. It was from the printer and bookseller Bernardino Misinta, active from 1490 to 1509 in Lombardy and Veneto.

The volume contains the Latin translation of the work De anima by the Greek philosopher and Aristotelian commentator Alexander of Aphrodisias (2nd-3rd centuries). The translation was done by the Venetian Girolamo Donati (1456-1511).

The incunabulum – from the Latin incunabulum, meaning in the cradle, to indicate the first books printed in the 15th century – does not yet feature the typical title page that would only appear from 1500 onwards, but an incipit page, very similar to those found in contemporary manuscripts, with a rubricated initial letter, larger in size, on a floral background, executed using the woodcut technique [photo 1]. Accompanying the text is a hand-drawn plant frieze that unfolds on three sides of the page, except for the bottom margin. The three stamps can be seen, including that of the Carmelite Library can be seen at the bottom [photo 1].

As was customary for early printed books, the typeface used (the so-called “Roman type”) reproduces the appearance of the humanistic script used in 15th-century manuscripts.

The influence of handwritten books is also visible inside the volume, where there are blank spaces reserved for decoration, accompanied by “guide letters” corresponding to the major initials of the text, which were to be printed at a later stage [photo 2].

On the last page of the copy is the colophon, which contains information about the printing, such as the name of the printer, the date, and the printer’s location [photo 3].

Finally, since books were stored horizontally at the time, the author's name and the title of the work were added by hand on the lower edge [photo 4].

From the General Archives …

For the fourth consecutive year, we have completed another block of restorations of seals from our collection of parchments. As in previous years, the project was supported by contributions from the CEI's 8xMille fund and was carried out by Dr. Luca Becchetti, custodian of the seals of the Vatican Apostolic Archives.

Here are the before and after of a large round seal in natural wax belonging to King Francis I of France (1515-1547), which was in very poor condition before restoration, with fragments glued back together in a haphazard manner. The seal, now legible again despite the missing parts, shows on the front the effigy of the sovereign seated on the throne, crowned and with the scepter, inside a pavilion with cornflowers; under his feet, the silhouettes of two lions can be seen. On the back, traces of the shield of France can be seen.

The privilege to which it belongs (II Extra/1527.1) is dated Saint Denis, July 7, 1527: it is a royal letter in which the King of France writes to Prior General Niccolò Audet, putting an end to the dispute between him and Stephane Jovency, prior of the Province of Narbonne. When Audet was elected general on May 8, 1524, during the Chapter of Venice, Jovency refused to recognize his authority, causing a rift in the Carmelite Order. A week after the contested election, the prior of Narbonne had convened an anti-chapter in Montpellier, from which he emerged as prior general. Probably only the provinces of southern France participated in that chapter, but the clash between them and the rest of the Order was such as to cause a schism accompanied by excommunications. In fact, Audet had brought the matter before Pope Clement VII, obtaining a bull ordering the French to return to the jurisdiction of the Carmelite Curia in Rome. In turn, Jovency appealed to the King of France in an attempt to have the papal decision suspended, but the Royal Council ruled in favor of Audet, who governed from 1524 to 1562, distinguishing himself as an extraordinary reformer. His generalate was the second longest in the history of the Order, after that of Giovanni Grossi (1411-1430).

From the General Archives …

A Carmelite Incunabulum from 1499

The General Carmelite Library houses a precious incunabulum containing the Constitutiones Fratrum Ordinis Carmelitarum, edited by the Carmelite Giovanni Maria Polucci and printed in Venice on April 29, 1499, by the renowned printer Lucantonio Giunta.

The volume still displays the graphic and book features typical of contemporary manuscripts: on the opening page, in fact, we can see the beginning of the text in red ink, a calligraphic initial letter, a paragraph mark also in red, and the use of typefaces derived from Gothic script. The text is accompanied by an illustrative woodcut depicting the Annunciation [photo 1].

The same skilled woodcut artist is most likely responsible for the image preceding the opening page, which depicts the Vexilum Carmelitarum, supported by two angels, with the exquisitely crafted effigy of the Virgin of Mount Carmel in the center [photo 2].

The volume closes with a rich and detailed colophon providing information on the content, the printer, the place and date of printing [photo 3].

We present one of the earliest examples of animated books, or pop-up books, that we came across while cataloguing our antique collection. It is a cinquecentina, printed in Lyon in 1567, containing the De Sphaera of the astronomer and mathematician Giovanni Sacrobosco (John of Holywood or Holybush), the most widely read treatise on astronomy in the Middle Ages, especially at the universities. The volume contains numerous three-dimensional illustrations depicting the solar system, intended to extend and complete the author's discussion.

In the image, taken from one of the pages of the volume, you can see a reproduction of a lunar revolver, an instrument that allowed the phase, age, and constellation of the moon to be determined. This instrument, composed of several overlapping paper discs, was fixed to the page below by a pin, which allowed each disc to rotate freely around the central axis.

[from: ABiGOC: Archivio e Biblioteca Generali dell’Ordine Carmelitano]

Curiosities of the Archives

The Caricature of Blessed Angelo Paoli

In the Iconographic Collection of the General Archives of the Carmelite Order is a copy of a caricature drawing depicting Carmelite friar Angelo Paoli (1642-1720), who was immortalized in front of the main door of the Roman convent of San Martino ai Monti, where he used to distribute bread and alms to the poor of Rome. Paoli, who was beatified in 2010, was known for his involvement in social work, particularly in assisting the indigent and the sick.

The caricature, the original of which is preserved in the Vatican Library, within the Codex Ottoboniano Latino 3113, was executed in ink by Pietro Leone Ghezzi (1674-1755), a famous Roman painter and caricaturist, who portrayed numerous picturesque characters of Baroque Rome, transmitting to us a visual memory of them.

Blessed Angelo Paoli (1642-1720) was so well respected for his charity work, he was called "Father of the Poor." He operated with the belief that whoever loves God must find Him among the poor. He established a convalescent center in Rome where the poor could recover after leaving the hospital. Devoted to the Cross, he placed the cross inside the Colosseum of Rome. He was beatified in 2010.

(This article first appeared in ABIGOC – 5/2024).

The General Archives and Library of the Carmelite Order on Academia.edu

The General Archives and Library of the Carmelite Order in Rome have recently become part of the Academia portal, with the aim of sharing and disseminating among scholars, both religious and lay, the numerous publications (monographs, essays and articles) that have resulted from the research conducted in the Archives and Library in recent years. The various studies were published by Edizioni Carmelitane, the publishing house of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order and the Institutum Carmelitanum.

The broader purpose was also to make the Carmelite Archives and Library known as not only ecclesiastical but also cultural institutions, including them within the international scientific community for possible future collaborations and projects.

For the time being, the latest works released in the different series of Edizioni Carmelitane have been included, which you can view at the following link: https://independent.academia.edu/ArchivioeBibliotecageneralidellordinecarmelitano

Among the oldest books of the Carmelite General Library in Rome is a wonderful volume from 1528. Coming from Paris, the work is the first printed edition of the Latin tract Summa de haeresibus et earum confutationibus written by Carmelite Guy de Perpignan (1270-1342), also known as Guido Terreni.

The work, dating from the 16th century, contains a very interesting title page. The page is frames with elegante architectural designs. Inside the frame there are, other than the name of the work and the author, the stamp of the Flemish printer Jodocus Badius Ascensius. The picture shows an old printing shop, staffed by three people working on a wooden printing press. The design captures the "tiratore" (puller), in the center, at the moment he operates the bar to press the platen onto the sheet to be printed. The "rullatore" (roller), on the left, is in charge of inking the pages of movable type. The "compositore" (compositor), on the right, is responsible for composing the texts by aligning the movable type, taken from the typographic case, on the composing machine. Also one notes in the foreground are two stacks of paper, one still blank and one already printed.

In addition the note of ownership can be seen on the title page [Photo], also attributed to the 16th century, places the book in the old library at Santa Maria in Traspontina, a stadium generale for the Order. That library was the original home of most of the oldest books now preserved at the Carmelite General Library in CISA.

Archivissima 2024 -- The Festival and Night of the Archives

On June 7, 2024, the General Archives and Library of the Carmelite Order held a discussion entitled Aut Pati Aut Mori: The Symbolism of the Heart in Carmelite Female Iconography at Centro Internazionale Sant'Alberto (CISA) in Rome.

Art historian, teacher, and author of several books, Ruggiero Doronzo and Carmelite Charló Camilleri, spiritual theologian, dialogued rather than presenting as in a traditional conference format. The discussion centered on chalcographic engravings from the modern age (16th-18th centuries) kept in the General Archives of the Order. Special reference to the figures of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Maria Magdalena De' Pazzi and the Venerable Rosa Maria Serio.

Archivissima 2024--The Festival and Night of the Archives is a cultural initiative that took place throughout Italy from June 6 to 9.

Doronzo authored the book Iconografia Carmelitana al Femminile which was published by Edizioni Carmelitane.

View the conference on YouTube

Archivissima 2024 – The Festival and Night of the Archives

From June 6 to 9, cultural initiatives of the Archivissima 2024 event - The Festival and Night of the Archives, dedicated to the theme #Passions, will take place throughout Italy. For this occasion, the Carmelite Archives and General Library have organized a panel discussion entitled: Aut pati aut mori. The Symbolism of the Heart in Carmelite Female Iconography.

Together with Ruggiero Doronzo, art historian and author of several books, and Carmelite Charló Camilleri, spiritual theologian, we will dialogue on the symbolism of the heart in female Carmelite mysticism of the modern age (16th-18th centuries), starting from its representation in the chalcographic engravings kept in the General Archives of the Carmelite Order, with special reference to the figures of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Maria Magdalena De' Pazzi and the venerable Rosa Maria Serio.

Doronzo authored the book Iconografia Carmelitana al Femminile which was published by Edizioni Carmelitane. More information at the webstore of Edizioni Carmelitane.

The event will take place on June 7, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Albert International Center, Via Sforza Pallavicini 10, Rome.