Innocentia vindicata, in qua gravissimis argumentis ex S. Thoma petitis ostenditur. Pars prior: Theologica, pars posterior: Symbolica.   St. Gall, Jakob Müller (for the monastery), 1695

£3,500 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

First edition of this celebrated Swiss emblem book, dedicated to Cosimo III Medici, and bound with two works published as part of the centenary of the founding of the Swiss Congregation of the Benedictine Order, all printed at the monastery of St. Gall. The first part explores the theology of Thomas Aquinas to prove the argument for the Immaculate Conception of Mary, followed by the ‘Symbola’ which emphasises the doctrine in nature through the elaborate emblems of Gabriel Ehinger (1652-1736), the Augsburg painter and engraver. The author Caelestino Sfondrati (1644-1696), from Milan, had taught canon law at the Benedictine University of Salzburg from 1679 to 1682. In 1687 he was created Prince-abbot of the ancient Benedictine monastery of St. Gall, and was elected Cardinal by Pope Innocent XII in December 1695. On reaching Rome to receive the cardinalate his health began to fail and he died some nine months later in September 1696 and was buried in his titular church St. Caecilia in Trastevere. II: First edition of this celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Swiss Congregation of Benedictine monasteries. The plates show views of the monasteries, their arms, portraits of the abbots and emblems. The Congregation comprised of the abbeys of Einsiedeln (May 1602), Fischingen (May 1602), Muri (May 1602), St. Gall (May 1602), Pfäfers (Nov 1602), Rheinau (1603), Engelberg (1604), Disentis (1617), and Mariastein Abbey (1647). It was founded, at the urging of the Papal lega

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.