Pius II's Epistolae in Pontificatu editae

Pius II's Epistolae in Pontificatu editae
Antonius Zarotus, 1481
PIUS II, Pope (formerly Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, 1405-1464). Epistolae in Pontificatu editae. Edited by Petrus Augustinus Philelphus. Milan: Antonius Zarotus for Johannes de Legnano, 31 May 1481.

Second edition of the pontifical letters of the unconventional Pope Pius II, with partial illuminated border. Pius II, notable for his colorful pre-Papal career which included the writing of a bestselling erotic novel, was also one of the first recorded witnesses of European printing, having seen the 42-line Bible on display in Frankfurt in the 1450s. Less than ten years later, Pius’s papal bullae were among the first works to appear from the joint press of Fust and Schoeffer. As a keen observer of people and events, his letters are an insightful historical source, particularly for relations between the Papal States and the Ottoman empire—owing to Pius’s war again Sultan Mehmed II, influenced in part by Vlad Dracula. This collection includes his famous open letter to Mehmed. The first edition was printed by the same press in 1473. H 169*; BMC VI 717; BSB-Ink P-529; IGI 7788; Goff P-725; ISTC ip00725000.

Royal quarto (271 x 195mm). 158 leaves (of 164; without first and last blanks and lacking text leaf a10 and final 3 text leaves comprising the Tituli). Partial border to first leaf, with armorial initial, bas-de-page illustration of the Council of Mantua, red and blue Lombard initials, blue and red paragraph marks, yellow capital strokes (first leaf toned and chipped, with repair on bottom edge affecting illustration, dampstaining and spotting, some ink initials washed). Modern red morocco. Provenance: marginalia – ownership inscription from an unidentifiable capuchin house (inscription) – acquired from Parke-Bernet Galleries, 10-11 January 1956, lot 1.