1624 Anton Mariae Gratiani a Burgo S. Sepulchri Epis Copi Amerini de Bello Cyprio Libri Quinq Juxta Exemplar Romae Impressum

Description

An Important Work, Leather Binding, Very Scarce

A very scarce work. Not seen at auction since 2000. In the original Latin. With an architectonic engraved title page. This work is a duodecimo, with the signatures running as )(6, A-Z12, Aa12, Bb1. Rebound in a modern calf binding. Collated from Jisc from a copy held at Durham University Libraries, bound without leaves Bb2 and Bb3, both of which are index leaves. Likely printed in Basel, as the form of signature in the preliminary leaves conforms to the practices in early seventeenth century Basel. The pagination also matches the copy held at Durham University Libraries, whereas other printings from Rome in the same year were with a different pagination. A work on the history of Cyprus, looking at the island under Venetian rule and during the Turkish conquest, from 1474 and 1571. It was written on the occasion of the Venetian loss of Cyprus. In 1472 the Republic of Venice assumed control of Cyprus, and Queen Catherine Cornaro reigned as the figurehead. It was formally annexed as the Kingdom of Cyprus in 1489. Throughout the Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus, and in 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol. The Ottoman's took control over Cyprus in 1570, when they assaulted the island with sixty-thousand troops. Upon being published, it was praised for its elegance of writing style. Written by Antonio Maria Graziani, who is named Anton Mariae Gratiani to the title page. Graziani was a Roman Catholic prelate, who was the Bishop of Amelia and Apostolic Nunico to Venice. This work was published posthumously by his nephew Carlo. Undated, dated from the date signed to the address and imprimatur by Pope Urban VIII. A very scarce history of the island of Cyrpus.