Gregorius I, Dialogo, Pesaro, 1510, later boards

Gregorius I

Dialogo de misser sancto Gregorio papa. (Pesaro: Pietro Cafa for Girolamo Soncino, 15 July 1510)

8vo (159 x 105mm.), woodcut device on title-page, later paper-covered boards, title-page slightly soiled, b4 with traces of a print pasted on the the blank lower portion of the page, b5 trimmed at edges, h1 torn at lower corner with loss of text

Gregory's Dialogues contain details of the lives of Italian saints, in particular St Benedict, in the form of a conversation with his deacon Peter, whose life of Gregory is appended.

Not much is known about Pietro Cafa, though he did work as a typecaster for Aldus Manutius in Venice before printing in Pesaro for Soncino.

LITERATURE:

Edit16 21709

PROVENANCE:

"With Emily's best love to M.J.R. on this birthday, Jany 28th [18]56, Roma", inscription on flyleaf; William Reynolds of Streatham, letterpress booklabel; D.L. Cumming, signature on inside front cover