FORTIA (Étienne de). The Portraict of Saint... - Lot 114 - Ader

FORTIA (Étienne de). The Portraict of Saint Francois de Sales. Presented to his Eminence Cardinal Rospigliosi. Rome : Philippe Marie Mancini, 1669. - Small in-8, 151 x 198 : 96 pp. Red morocco, gilt right lace in frame, gilt fleuron in the corners and gilt arms in the centre of the boards, richly decorated smooth spine, gilt edges (Andreoli workshop). First edition of this life of Saint Francis de Sales dedicated to Cardinal Giacomo Rospigliosi (1628-1684). It would be one of the very first books printed in Rome in French. A precious copy in a contemporary Roman binding from the workshop of Gregorio Andreoli, appointed to the Vatican Library in 1654, and of great value because it was given to Maria Maddalena Rospigliosi (1645-1695), whose coat of arms has been affixed to the boards . She was the niece of Pope Clement IX and the sister of Cardinal Giacomo Rospigliosi, the dedicatee of the present work. A beautiful portrait of her, painted by Carlo Maratti, is now in the Louvre Museum. Books of this provenance are extremely rare. A well-preserved copy despite some minor wear and tear. The arms have been partly painted in black later. Provenance: Maria Maddalena Rospigliosi, with her arms on the boards. - Henry S. Richardson, with bookplate.