Azpilcueta, Commentarius de alienatione, Rome, 1584, contemporary morocco with arms of Cardinal Boncompagni

Azpilcueta, Martín de

Two works on canon law in a binding with the arms of Cardinal Boncompagni, comprising:

Commentarius de alienatione rerum ecclesiarum in principium... Rome: Giacomo Tornieri and Giacomo Bericchi (Bartolomeo Bonfadini and Tito Diani), 1584, woodcut device on title-page and above colophon, woodcut portrait and armorial of the author on verso of title-page, a few wormholes, quire P browned

Commentarius de datis, et promissis pro iustitia, vel gratia obtinendis... Rome: Giacomo Tornieri and Giacomo Bericchi (Bartolomeo Bonfadini and Tito Diani), 1584, woodcut device on title-page and on final leaf (otherwise blank), woodcut initials and headpieces, a few wormholes, quire H browned

2 works in one volume, 4to (214 x 147mm.), contemporary Italian red morocco gilt with the arms of Cardinal Boncompagni, gilt edges, stubs of two pairs of ties, extremities and joints slightly rubbed

The first work is dedicated to Gregory XIII (Boncompagni) and the second has a privilege from him. The arms on the binding most likely belong to Gregory's nephew Filippo, who was made a cardinal in 1572; Azpilcueta served him when he was in Rome in the 1580s (he died in 1586), during which time many of his works were reprinted in Rome, as here.

Azpilcueta was a prolific writer of works on moral theology and canon law; these two works deal with the alienation of church property and those who try to bribe ecclesiastical judges, a canon reintroduced by Gregory XIII.

LITERATURE:

Edit16 3712 & 3714

PROVENANCE:

Cardinal Filippo Boncompagni (1548-1586), arms on binding; Filippo Chiocca, signature on title-page; Vincenzo Chiocca, P.B. de Priele (?), signatures on flyleaf