SERMONARIUM DE POENITENTIA PER ADVENTUM ET QUADRAGESIMAM by CARCANO, MICHAEL DE - 28 September 1496

Venice: Georgius Arrivabenus, 28 September 1496. 183 x 120 mm. (7 1/8 x 4 7/8"). 258 leaves. Double column, 48 lines in gothic type. 19th century quarter vellum over marbled boards, raised bands, spine panels with leaf tool in black or lettering in red, marbled endpapers. Goff C-197; BMC V, 386; ISTC ic00197000. Vellum lightly soiled, edges faintly rubbed, but the binding solid and serviceable. Trimmed a little close at head, sometimes grazing folio numbers, isolated minor smudges or stains, otherwise an excellent copy, clean and crisp internally. This is an attractive edition of a collection of sermons by one of the few 15th century authors to have his works printed during his lifetime. First published in 1476, the sermons on penitence here were produced by Franciscan brother Michael de Carcano (1427-84), a popular preacher from an aristocratic Milanese family. He delivered sermons over a period of nearly 30 years in most of the major cities of northern and central Italy, including Florence, Milan, Mantua, Bologna, Venice, and Perugia. His homilies were noteworthy in that they touched on social themes such as the establishment of hospitals and were on occasion the cause of public disorder, a fact that led to our preacher's being banished from both the duchy of Milan and the Venetian republic. A native of Mantua, our printer Georgius Arrivabenus began his career in Venice in 1483, in partnership with Benalius and De Paganinus, and continued issuing books with one or both of them until 1488, when he established his own imprint. He continued in business in Venice until 1515, issuing at least 65 works.