Caption: "Voragine, The Golden Legend, 'The book exerted a deeper influence on the common people of its time than any other book' - Zoltan Haraszti, Incunabulum, Printed by Antonio de Strata, Venice, 1480. Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa (1292-1298), composed The Golden Legend with the object to write not a collection of lives and legends of the saints for the learned, but a book of devotion for the common people. The stories tell of the struggle of several hundred saints with the devil, who appears in every possible form, bird, beast, reptile, and particularly woman. The saints always triumph. It became one of the most popular books of the Middle Ages. In the fifteenth century, more than seventy editions were printed in Latin, eight in Italian, fourteen in Dutch, and three in English. Caxton wrote of this work, 'For lyke as gold passeth in value all other mettalles, so thys legend exceedeth all other books.' Luther denounced the work as immoral, and preachers in the Reformation period called the tales ‘Legends of Iron,’ for, they said, they were written by ‘a man with an iron man and leaden heart.’ This particular edition, an incunabulum, was printed in Venice in 1480 by Antonio de Strata of Cremona, who became noted for the textual accuracy of his publications. This renown was due to the editing and the proofreading by the great scholar, Vittorio de Pisa. This Golden Legend was the first publication of the de Strata press.”
Christian saints--Biography Christian saints--Legends Incunabula--Specimens Illumination of books and manuscripts Printing--Italy--History--15th century Printing--Specimens
Place
Venice (Italy)
Source
Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
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